I spent 1000 days transcribing drum beats - here's what I learned
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I've now spent more than 1000 days transcribing drum beats - here are a few things I learned in the process (and I wish I knew sooner).
Featured drum patterns (transcriptions available on Patreon):
Empty Template for your own transcriptions
Stevie Wonder - Part Time Lover
New Order - Blue Monday
How to Destroy Angels - Fur Lined
Jeff Mills - Exhibitionist Mix 3
Die Fantastischen Vier - Die Da
Aphex Twin - XTAL
Corona - The Rhythm of the Night
Harold Faltermeyer - Axel F
Afrika Bambaataa & The Soulsonic Force - Planet Rock
Aphex Twin - T69 collapse
Radiohead - Everything in Its Right Place
Massive Attack - Teardrop
Kavinsky - Nightcall
Yellow Magic Orchestra - Behind the Mask
Gear used:
Elektron Digitakt
Roland TR-6S
Behringer RD-6
► Instagram / captainpikant
#drummachine #beats #drumbeat #drumbeats #transcription #elektron #digitakt #musicproduction #analogsynth
0:00 Introduction
0:46 It's a Process
1:09 Worthwhile Endeavours
3:11 Build Your Vocabulary
4:37 Variation
5:22 Listening Practice
6:27 The Safe Bet
6:44 Cheating is Good
7:36 Less is More
8:31 Leave Your Comfort Zone
9:13 End Jam
Produced by Jean-Claude Dirckx and Sophie Hoppstädter
Because many of you have been asking: The empty pattern templates as well as the drum pattern transcriptions are all available on our Patreon at www.patreon.com/captainpikant
I want to find out what device enhance the sound and clarity. Like removing noise and clean up like chord mojo dac does. I want to create channel to have old music revamped. Not mixed. Original but no noise. What device will do that? Also make it sound vinyl not cd
i got a digitakt, then got a bass, and practiced practiced practiced. added a daw and learning about how music all works together... staved off a lot of gearlust and decided, you cant do it all. decided to go back to the basics and focus on just 'the rhythm section'. this viodeo is basically exactly what ive personally been wanting to do. understand drums (with kicks) and how bass fits in to be able to make things my friends and I can jam on. thanks for making everything so visual, well laid out, and perfectly concise. i genuinely appreciate you making a bridge for me forward!
Thanks for your kind words! We're really happy the video was helpful to you :)
that's actually a very good advice to just focus on the rhythm section first.. thanks man!
Rhythm is so important to the music! Ur right on
exactly! congratulations!
Ya boi Kavinsky really driving home that point about simplicity, bless
The production quality of these videos is just nuts. Looks great!
How can I get a copy of your transcript for drum program patterns
This is one of the best produced/edited videos I have ever seen... Thanks for your extreme professionalism!
Captain Pikant Thank you for producing such high quality content and releasing it for free. It's very much appreciated and there are people out there that have never heard of you but the day they come across your videos they will be fans.
These videos are the absolute benchmark for Quality. Nothing beats these for comprehensive instruction
fuck yeah yellow magic orchestra
I don't know how I ended up here, I don't play drums or produce music in a DAW. But dude, this video is so beautifully made. Major achievement.
Thank you! It is simplicity that can be the hardest concept to grasp. In all arts, simplicity requires most learning and experience and is the highest plateau. When we compose anything (certainly not only music,) we should find that we will do best by "removing" components rather than by "adding" components. Complexity is easy and when we throw every flavor that we love into the pot, we will obviously enjoy consuming it....! But to do this so often, we soon find that every pot tastes the same. Start with something wonderful, slightly embellish, and then leave it alone. Resist adding more! To arrive at "simple" is never the "easy" path.
One thing that is worth remembering with the "Less is More" (7:45) section is that the non-drum instruments in those tracks create interesting rhythmic diversity. The Radiohead song, for example, has a steady 4/4 kick beat, but the rest of the song is in a different time signature creating a polymeter effect.
Absolutely true! All the elements have to be balanced. Another example would be the noisy synths in "Nightcall" that take on the role of cymbals.
Coming back to this video, I’d forgotten about the YMO ending. It being just days after Sakamoto passed away, it hit me pretty hard. What a fantastic video, though.
okay these videos are gorgeous well done!
an interesting thing about tracker synths for beats is that back in the day a buddy of mine naturally was making aphex twin style drums in a tracker and doing an excellent job at it. triggering effects on a note by note basis is pretty powerful!
Trackers offer an awesome degree of control over your composition! Love my M8 and even really liked my short time with Renoise and Fasttracker 2.
What do you mean your buddy "naturally" was making aphex twin style drums?
@@endoflevelboss this was the late 90s and the tracker he learned to produce with from the start just enabled him to create very similar beats. I don't think he even heard of aphex twin at the time TBH. Being able to accentuate every note with an effect makes it easier, idk
It’s inconceivable today to people how hard it was for information to move around back in the 90s to even early 00s.
@@emuemu8428 I didn’t find it any harder to move info in the late 80s/early 90s.. just took longer, so we learned the arts of brevity (i.e. efficient music formats like .mod files)
there is Nothing cheating about slowing it down to half time to learn it. i’m gonna bet every musician has done this at least once in their life. i’ve tried to learn many instruments in the past and that is one of the first things teachers always say. play it in half time until you are comfortable, and your brain can understand all of the rapid fire actions you need. once you build the muscle memory, then you can begin speeding it up!
Genius! Every producer needs a cleaver to chop those decays! So funny.
1:00 Alright I'm listening drummer boy
I feel like I just watched a Wes anderson movie about drum patterns. Very cool.
This channel really is such a fantastic source of information.
I played RockBand for a long time, definitely helps visualize your rythmic instincts and get that initial estimate you talk about. Awesoem video
this is a beautiful video
Fantastic video! Thank you for taking the time to do this!
Such great production values in your videos. Always so well done. Thank you
This video was put together so insanely well. A+ man!
These videos are so good. Can't wait for more genre specific episodes.
I have been doing this on and off for two years. I found it really helped when I learned key 16 beat drum and snare positions
Fantastic video, clearly your passion extends to video production as well!
Great stuff, working on it every day is really inspiring and you've really proven its paid off. Makes me want to find my own 30 minute task. I play the Greg Phillinganes version of behind the mask in my DJ sets often, such a cool song.
Thank you so much! The hard thing is to keep at it even when things don't go well :) Didn't know the Greg Phillinganes version yet, love it!
Woah, what a GEM of a channel you've got here! Looking forward to working my way through your catalog!
Those transcriptions look so beautiful
man this video was wonderful. The visuals are amazing and the knowlege is almost overwhelming. have to watch it 2 or 3 times again to get everything. thank u for your input.
you got a good graf hand! (when you named your patrons)
Love your videos. Always fun and helps my visual learning. Also, very high quality
Amazing video, thank you for the dedication!!!
We love you, Cap. You’re smart and fun. Thanks for showing me how great the TT-78 is, it’s now my favorite drum machine (besides the MPC of course).
Awesome, as always. Thank you very much for your great videos!
So well explained and visualized!
thank you for another banger!!! Probably gonna try this out soon
Wow. Such a unique and effective format for teaching this subject. I have to rewatch this video. Mind kind of blown, something about this video is so top notch. Not surprised to see others complimenting in the comments as well.
Beautiful work!
I begun my drum programming journey of covers w my mc101 a few weeks ago and I think this video is very solid advice. The example of slowing aphex down is one of many “tricks” really a very important tool to see and hear more would love to keep seeing more videos like this ❤
This video is inspiring, also, I am in the midst of learning all sequences drum patterns myself, I love this! Also I love this channel so much can’t wait for upcoming content!!!!❤
Your videos are works of art in themselves, just stunningly done and very useful too. Amazing.
Such a fantastic video, definitely given me food for thought!!
This is some very valuable advice, in such a beautiful form. Instant subscribe! Thanks so much for doing this video. Very inspiring ❤
Hey, I just found your channel and I find your videos amazing. I appreciate the amount of work you put into the presentation, as well as the info. You and I don't see eye to eye on everything, but I like your process and that you found something that works for you. Keep on keepin on, and stay creative out there 🙌🙌🙌
You are the Boss, Captain!❤
Great video and topic! I made myself do something like this every day for a month last year and it definitely improved my drum programming (and general listening) skills. I really recommend it. And slowing it down isn't cheating at all, you are still trying to work it out for yourself :)
production value super high. narration on point. excellent channel
this is so amazing, thank you very much. you inspired
Phenomenal work
This is exactly what I've been looking for (even down to the song examples)! Incredible video!
Such a good video, good knowledge and cool style, thanks!
Crazy productions by bro.. I'm impressed
Lots of nice advice, thanks!
A++ Great teaching, great visuals. Perfect!
These videos are so helpful and beautifully crafted!
This is amazing thank you thank you
Always fun and educational. Great stuff.
This is awesome. I considered doing this but thankfully you did it for me!
This is the video I've always wanted, seriously!
Reaper yeasssss!
This is fantastic stuff. Funny, well produced and very useful ❤
DUDEEE the quality of this content is unreal 🙌🏻
God I love your videos. Never ever ever stop. I could watch all day long. Man they should be in a hall of fame.
Thank you!
Thank YOU for introducing ME to Yellow Magic Orchestra!
I found this channel randomly and omg, its what I've been looking for. The Technopolis ending was amazing! Sub and def going to be a patron. This was incredible!
Really inspiring video, as always. Thank you so much.
Thanks Albert, we're glad you like it :)
solid production!
Great video, lad. Thanks
Beautiful content❤thank you😊
Incredible video
I appreciate you man
Fantastic content.
I didn't know you could do so much with the closed and open hat patterns. Thanks for the inspiration!
This is my first video I've seen of this guy and I already love him
Another awesomely taught lesson in sound... thanks
really great content - keep up the great work! 🙂
You must be on shrooms with this kinda of productions . Im actually high typing this. So erething is super amplified! Awesomeness
Great content and awsm production!
Useful video. Thank you
I have been playing drums for maybe 7 years and wrote down a bunch of stuff as well. When first getting into digital music production.... I overdid the drum part over everything.
wow you're video style is so neat. Like it!
Educational, and helpful. The YMO cover was a nice surprise.
This is the most well put together video I’ve seen on KZhead.
I love drum machines and did something similar when I bought my first one in 1989. But not to the extreme you took it! I took about 6 or 7 of my favorite tracks and tried to recreate them on my Roland R-5. That was a great learning experience.
This video is a huge help, since I'm passionate of all the drums patterns that shaped dance music ❤
this video is excellent! subscribed
I'm so happy I found this channel. Instantly suscribed, have a great year everyone!
This video is a work of art
Amazing!
I opened a box of Shenannigans when I first bought a book on drum patterns, but your video explains the process of transcribing wonderfully and I now feel more confident about doing so myself. Many thanks for creating this awesome video, and all the best to you and your patrons!
Thank you so much! Glad to hear that, sometimes all you need is a little nudge to start :)
Curious about which book, if you don't mind sharing.
Legend. Subbed!
Awesome video! Thanks :)
Keep doing more. ❤️
You rock!
Amazing Video!!!
Nice work.
beatiful made video!!!