sober by tool, is it just me?

[reformedbassist]

Hello all,

Its almost been a year since I have started my drum addiction. I am a late bloomer (started playing right before my 30th birthday). I saw tool and the bug kinda bit me.

I did some research and most people say that sober is the easiest song to play on drums. I started with just playing the bass and snare and have slowly added the ride, hi-hats and various other cymbals into the song.

This has been going well except for the verses, I cannot play the triple hi-hat feel that he does in conjunction with the bass drum.

I can play it quite well by itself and I can play the beat while playing 8th notes on the hi-hats but combining the two just isn't happening. (I have slowed this down AND am counting out loud).

I am just wondering if anyone has learned to play this song and has any tips?

[Xoferif09]

Probably the most helpful thing is practice practice practice .

Maybe try doing the triple hi hat feel you describe while just mashing 1 2 3 4 on the bass drum. Get your foot in it slowly before you start trying out that rhythm.

[slinglander]

Yeah, I'm not getting the "tripple hi-hat feel" in this song...just 1/4ths on the hats but at 3 the kick comes in as does the hats with 2 quick beats(1/8s?) then a rest and repeat: 1 - 2 - 3 and-a-four(rest on four)

[Xoferif09]

I think it sounds like triplets because of the shuffling of the hi hats. Its like

xx^xx^xx^xx^xx^
kk s kk s


Maybe. That's what I hear. Lol

[yzmike]

I know how you feel, I have a DVD/Lesson book and there is a part in there that just kicks my butt every time i try it, its simple but very hard for me to get it, if at all, so i just keep trying cause i want to learn more than the standard stuff i have known how to do all these years.. Don't give up, and maybe try you tube for a different perspective of the song?

[slinglander]

That could be it. I can't get a clear enough Youtube version.

[wolvie56]

Just keep practicing. You'll get it. Anything Danny Carey does is hard. Try checking out You Tube. There are a few good examples that should help you out. That's what I do when I'm having a hard time figuring out a drum part. Meytal Cohen's version looks to be pretty accurate.

[itchie]

Practice rudiments and it will make life a great deal easier

[longgun]

As with anything....keep practicing.......when I was first starting to learn double stroke rolls....Couldn't get them down for two to three months of practice....then one morning I got on my snare and could do them.....that's how it is for me anyways.......keep practicing

[Scottie_Guns]

Danny Carey drum parts are an exercise in four-way independence. I would agree that Sober is one of his less challenging open/closed hi-hat experiments (IIRC, "Eulogy" has a pretty wild one during the breakdown), but that doesn't make it easy.

The rule for these types of parts seems to inevitably be to coordinate 2 of 4 limbs, then go to 3, then all 4. Try different combinations with 2 (L foot / R hand, R foot / R hand, etc) and same with 3. It takes a while, but muscle memory should eventually prevail. Don't give up!

[kennabis]

maybe this can help:

Key:


In Hihat Line: < - Crescendo
o - Closed Hit
x - Semi-Open Hit
X - Open Hit

|r e p e a t 2 x |
C |x---------------|----------------|----------------|------------x---|
H |-oX-ooX-ooX-ooX-|ooX-ooX-ooX-ooX-|ooX-ooX-ooX-ooX-|ooX-ooX-ooX--oX-|
S |----O-------O---|----O-------O---|----O-------O---|----O-------O---|
B |OO----OO--------|OO----OO--------|OO----OO--------|OO----OO--------|
Hf |x---x---x---x---|x---x---x---x---|x---x---x---x---|x---x---x---x---|
(1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + )

*this is a copy and paste and it's not lining up correctly, here's a link http://www.911tabs.com/link/?3588324 *

[Nechre]

I find that Sober is a pretty easy song actually, and Tool's easiest song to understand how to play in my opinion. Here are some of the parts tabbed out.

Take it slow. and work on your limb interdependence and it will come in time.



I didn't tab everything out, but this covers the majority of it. I don't know how to tab out the intro fill, wish I could for you, that's actually the thing I have the hardest time with on this song (like many others, I'm told. I wish I could meet Danny and find out from the man himself how it's played). And if I screwed something up, it's probably crash placement. sorry in advance if I did.

[NPYYZ]

I find that Sober is a pretty easy song actually, and Tool's easiest song to understand how to play in my opinion. Here are some of the parts tabbed out.

Take it slow. and work on your limb interdependence and it will come in time.



I didn't tab everything out, but this covers the majority of it. I don't know how to tab out the intro fill, wish I could for you, that's actually the thing I have the hardest time with on this song (like many others, I'm told. I wish I could meet Danny and find out from the man himself how it's played). And if I screwed something up, it's probably crash placement. sorry in advance if I did.

I look at that and all I see if a effed' up game of tic tac toe. I'm so glad I am blessed with a great ear and the ability to play what I hear. I'd go nuts if I had to learn that stuff. lol

[Nechre]

I look at that and all I see if a effed' up game of tic tac toe. I'm so glad I am blessed with a great ear and the ability to play what I hear. I'd go nuts if I had to learn that stuff. lol

The particular method used here for charting out what is going on is called drum tab. This one breaks down to 16th notes and just notates where each hit on a drum (or cymbal) occurs. this form of notation is generally easier to read for me than standard sheet music, though I still would be garbage if I had to sight read either one.

[reformedbassist]

Thanks for the tabs. I had been counting it out 1ti ta... not 1 e and a, probably why I am a bass player. That acctually helped alot.
Other than that, my independence is a little weak so, I ordered marco minnemann's extreme independence.

[Russ]

[Nechre]

What? Lol.

[longgun]

What? Lol.

I think russ is referencing the charts

[NPYYZ]

Thanks for the tabs. I had been counting it out 1ti ta... not 1 e and a, probably why I am a bass player. That acctually helped alot.
Other than that, my independence is a little weak so, I ordered marco minnemann's extreme independence.

Minnemann is a beast. Enjoy it.

[SpatzST]

the hi hat is like......

one e and (uh), two e and (uh), three e and (uh), four e and (uh). You don't play on the (uh)'s. So its like hitting the first 3 sixteenths of every quarter note on the hi-hat. Practice just doing that...

One e + rest, Two e + rest, Three e + rest, Four e + rest
Bass Snare Bass Snare

put bass/snare on the quarters like a normal beat. and just work from there.

If you want i'd be happy to make a video for you explaining it.