Bonham: Points of Style

[Dirigible]

On Night Flight you can hear his famous triplets, at the beginning when he is playing on the hi-hat, he gives us B-B-L, B, BBBL. Which is very difficult. Another tricky one is on For Your Life at the chorus when he plays B, LBBBLB, BL, LB.

I have mastered these because for all my 7 years drumming, I have only ever used heel up - it allows for your foot to bounce the pedal back and forth so easily. That is why Bonzo's triplets are light-sounding, because he sacrifices power for speed in the bounces.

Thanks for coming to the party, B! Good attention-to-detail breakdowns of Night Flight and For Your Life. Heel up works for me too, I think Dave Weckl is the only drummer I've ever seen play Bonzo's bass licks heel down.

Also thanks for mentioning it because I'd really never thought about it, but the sacrifice of power for the sake of the bounce is audibly discernible yet it is still powerful, almost like Bonham was forcefully ghosting bass drum notes.

[Hickory Man]

There's some silver lining in there anyhow. Ever heard Simon Phillips play paradiddles twice as fast with his feet while his hands play them half as fast on the snare? He can switch it round too so his hands are twice as fast. Actually I've heard Simon play paradiddles so fast it sounded like a press roll at 480 bpm.

Simon is such an inspiration to me.

John Bonham

Simon Phillips

Dennis Chambers

Between those three, I will never be bored. (or too cocky)

[Dirigible]

Simon is such an inspiration to me.

John Bonham

Simon Phillips

Dennis Chambers

Between those three, I will never be bored. (or too cocky)

Very good, sir! Terry Bozzio and Vinnie Colaiuta keep me humble too, but not like Simon Phillips. Ever heard 'Party In Simon's Pants' on Steve Lukather's Candyman disc? It's got it all: the running man lick, soloing with his feet in 17/8, and left field chops for days.

And, of course, there's only ONE Dennis the Menace.

[Bonham]

I know on When the Levee Breaks the first bass note has an echo, but to achieve that sound without the echo, you could do what I do:

This my representation of the notes played - Ghost bass note (, normal bass note B, snare note L, and ghost snare note (L).

So this is a rundown of how I play When the Levee Breaks:

B(-L-B-(L)-BB-L

The same applies to Kashmir:

B(-L-B(-L-(L)-B(-L

It's a technique you can pull off easily, and I'm almost certain Bonham did use this technique - he was like a volume knob, altering the ammount of attack used, whilst varying the sounds with subtle notes to make the beat more fuller and vibrant.

[astill89]

i actually think that some of the best examples of bonzo's groove and co-ordination are in poor tom and D'yer Mak'er, the latter for it's general groove and oddly-timed fills but poor tom for the consistant co-ordination throughout between his feet and his hands and feet also. It one of those grooves that you listen to and say "No Problem! gimme 10 minutes" then you sit down at the drums and you emerge 10 minutes later and go "that's harder than I thought" and it takes you absolutely ages to get all of the nuances of the style down.

Sean

[Dirigible]

i actually think that some of the best examples of bonzo's groove and co-ordination are in poor tom and D'yer Mak'er, the latter for it's general groove and oddly-timed fills but poor tom for the consistant co-ordination throughout between his feet and his hands and feet also. It one of those grooves that you listen to and say "No Problem! gimme 10 minutes" then you sit down at the drums and you emerge 10 minutes later and go "that's harder than I thought" and it takes you absolutely ages to get all of the nuances of the style down.

Sean

Poor Tom sounds like a New Orleans second line groove to me, or a stuttering cousin of it. Where a 22-year-old British kid picked that up, as well as the tricky Gallow's Pole, is anybody's guess. D'yer Mak'er I learned by singing the notes to myself. The last bombastic fill toward the end, the one that resolves with the stick striking the hi-hat as it opens and then quickly closing it again with the foot, may be the easiest drum part of the song to play; it's the fills Bonzo slipped in between lyrics that are the hippest (and hardest) to master.

[Celestemmcknight]

i just want to ask..

is thier a section on how to buy or sell items??

i just new here and i dont know the system..

for example how to i pay if i want to pay in the items posted in the market section..

how do i know if the items that i sold is already paid/i already know that the buyer have already paid for it..

[Fan_S.]

i just want to ask..

is thier a section on how to buy or sell items??

i just new here and i dont know the system..

for example how to i pay if i want to pay in the items posted in the market section..

how do i know if the items that i sold is already paid/i already know that the buyer have already paid for it..

Morning, Celestemmcknight! Welcome! Sorry, dunno the answer to your question. Again, hi and welcome!

[bonzo1026]

I haven't read through all the posts here and I'm a self-taught drummer so I know absolutely dick about technical terms but I have been playing Bonzo's style for over 26 years. I believe the "triplets" being referred to here are actually "foot rolls". The break in GTBT is a foot roll, not a triplet. I believe a triplet is more like the end of Rock and Roll or Moby Dick. Tom-bass-tom(or Tom-tom-bass if you like). I may be wrong but the foot work is definitely not a triplet( to my knowledge anyway).

The few replies I've read mention the difficulty level and some break it all down into very tedious analytical parts and that's ok but it comes down to the bottom line of you either have "it" or you don't. If you have it, it really isn't difficullt at all. It just comes over a period of time. Not sayin it's something you can do day one by ANY means, but if you don't have the natural groove and ear, you'll never get it from lessons. Well, I guess obviously you could learn it with lessons but it would be very obvious that it's not coming natural.

My suggestion is to play along with the songs to pick it up. That's the only way you'll know if you've got it.

[badgeholder]

How about Ian Paice on the live version of "Strange Kind of Woman". During the breakdown part where guitar and vocals are teasing each other he's doing some bass drum triplets like so:

B BLBB BBLBBB BLBB very cool part to learn.

[roblindblad]

Sure get yourself a Speedking and triplet away!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The best way to learn to play offbeats is to play to the record.

[BonzoLikeDrumer]

I think "Good Time's Bad Time's" put's it into a round figure. That and "Dazed and Confused".

[taker328]

I think "Good Time's Bad Time's" put's it into a round figure. That and "Dazed and Confused".

Here's a good explanation of how to fo that bass trick that you hear in GTBT. I don't think its an actual triplet on the kick drum, you play the first beat with the hi-hat, then the two base notes.

[mrzepbonham]

hey im having truble with the bass drum triplets, i think it might be because i have a bad habit of using the Heel-toe technique, i like the feal and it works good in my bands original songs, but when i go to do triplets im like a little bit off, aney advise

[mrzepbonham]

Let me add one thing I am an absolute purist about. If drummers are serious about recreating Bonzo's drumming THEN IT MUST BE DONE ON A SINGLE PEDAL. I don't want to know about drummers playing double-pedal on Led Zeppelin songs. Inexcusable, and I'm a drummer who plays a double-pedal. For authenticity put in the time and learn how to play it with one foot, it's easy to do and big fun once it starts coming together.

If any drummers want to debate that point with me---I wuz hopin' U would . . . .

THANK YOU to maney drummers that i no dont get y thay cant use a dubble-pedal when playing zep

[Evster2012]

Bonham's bass "triplet" is actually just a double stroke. Depending on the song, one of the three beats is played on either a tom or cowbell. On GTBT, the hi-hat is a constant played with the pedal. The right hand plays the cowbell, not the hi-hat.

On some Moby Dicks, like RAH on the DVD, he actually plays a quad using a double stroke on the kick and a double stroke on the toms. Cool stuff!

[mrzepbonham]

Bonham's bass "triplet" is actually just a double stroke. Depending on the song, one of the three beats is played on either a tom or cowbell. On GTBT, the hi-hat is a constant played with the pedal. The right hand plays the cowbell, not the hi-hat.

On some Moby Dicks, like RAH on the DVD, he actually plays a quad using a double stroke on the kick and a double stroke on the toms. Cool stuff!

ooo ok that makes more sence i wish i knew that like a month ago how did i miss that..... one of my favret things about bonhams playing is what he leavs out

[Jarlaxle 56]

I think someone mentioned this before...I'll say it again anyway, just to clear this up.

A bass drum triplet = 3 notes played in succession on the bass drum in the space of two beats.

Bonham's triplets, as Ev said = A single note played on a cymbal, snare or other rhythmic toy, plus 2 bass drum notes played before or after said first note in the space of 2 beats.

[mrzepbonham]

I think someone mentioned this before...I'll say it again anyway, just to clear this up.

A bass drum triplet = 3 notes played in succession on the bass drum in the space of two beats.

Bonham's triplets, as Ev said = A single note played on a cymbal, snare or other rhythmic toy, plus 2 bass drum notes played before or after said first note in the space of 2 beats.

lol thanks that will be much eser then trying to play thos triplets with 1 foot

[Charles_Obscure]

I might have found some bass drum triplets...

The Wanton Song, at about 0:50. and he does it a few times more during the song.

I'm no drummer... Played the kit about 10 times in my life but damn! it does sounds like a serie of triplets!

What do you think, fellow musicians.

[Evster2012]

In Wanton Song I hear triplets, again with the snare taking one of the beats. In this case a series of them in a row like: *##*##*

Another really cool trick is his use of a ghost note in Achilles' Last Stand. The bass guitar is playing all three notes of the triplet dum dadada dududum dadada, while Bonham leaves the central stroke out: dum dadada dudu__ dadada. It gets really crazy towrd the end when Robert's singing that long ascending note. Bonham's got the whole thing going on, and adds the hi hat opening and closing. That's some fancy fucking footwork!

[Charles_Obscure]

In Wanton Song I hear triplets, again with the snare taking one of the beats. In this case a series of them in a row like: *##*##*

Another really cool trick is his use of a ghost note in Achilles' Last Stand. The bass guitar is playing all three notes of the triplet dum dadada dududum dadada, while Bonham leaves the central stroke out: dum dadada dudu__ dadada. It gets really crazy towrd the end when Robert's singing that long ascending note. Bonham's got the whole thing going on, and adds the hi hat opening and closing. That's some fancy fucking footwork!

That very part has been giving me wet dreams for years!

Pure genius.

[mrzepbonham]

i just gotDrum Techniques of Led Zeppelin, its a great a great book, and it has realy cleard up alot of songs fore me

if u want 2 play a zep cover perfict id recomend u get it

[Evster2012]

Stick holding. Here illustrates Bonham's cocked wrist approach. A trained drummer would have the wrist turned out, top of the hand up, striking the drum in a position like banging your knuckles on a desk. Bonham clearly had an inverted stroke, knuckles toward the drum, hand almost upside down. Unconventional but evidently very effective! Might explain why he could make a head last a whole tour!

Pic courtesy of Aen as I couldn't be bothered to dig through my Photobucket. Eye Thank Yew!

[Jarlaxle 56]

Yes, that explains the "bombastic" dirty kinda sound that he had. Not really clean. The grip with your palms facing down gives you a lot more force though, in my opinion, and a cleaner sound.

For example....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65-MsSPB_Q0&fmt=18

Of course, grip is all down to what feels right for you and gives you the sound you want.

But if we're talking unconventional grips, the above video is a prime example. Look at how far down he holds the sticks...that is why his drumming sounds so damn clean and forceful.

Taking this opportunity to spam more Gavin Harrison

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoPVHdf2mAE&fmt=18