Learning Licks - Nate Smith

Welcome to the first instalment of learning licks!

The posts where we delve deep into the playing of some of the best modern drummers out there today!

What are we learning?
In this episode we take a look at a lick from a Nate Smith solo uploaded onto his Instagram account: @natesmithdrums

What is he playing?
The groove that Nate is playing is a half time shuffle at a high tempo and the lick is simply 16th note triplets playing LLRR on the snare (the final R hand is an accent landing on the down beat of '1') 

Things to watch out for!
Although the concept of this lick is simple, the application can be tricky. Take care to ensure that you are really nailing the combination of ghost notes and accents to get that buttery feel that Nate plays so effortlessly. Go slowly first and gradually build up the tempo! 

Most importantly!
Below I have included a free transcription of some of the ideas that Nate Smith displays here, I've kept the main groove simple to really showcase the lick, but once you have it down, feel free to get the ghost notes in the mix and really make it your own. 

Stay tuned for more learning licks!

Transcription: Learning Licks- Nate Smith