Did you know that Matt Helders supposedly took up drums because all the other instruments in the band were taken? I’m not sure if it’s true but if it is then doesn’t that just make you sick? That such a reluctant drummer can be so good?! š
The Intro Drum Fill that occurs right at the beginning of the song Teddy Picker by the Arctic Monkeys is yet another example of Matt’s musical and well thought out drumming.
This drum fill gets played again later in the song showing that Matt Helders really did craft this drum fill precisely.
Lets take a look at it now…
How To Play “Teddy Picker” Intro Drum Fill
View the video on YouTube HERE – Learn How To Play Drums Teddy Picker Video Drum Lesson (Arctic Monkeys & Matt Helders)
First of all it’s worth pointing out that Matt is playing the bass drum on all of the eighth notes in the bar, 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +, the hands play over the top of this steady bass drum pulse.
The hands are playing something quite clever. Matt plays groups of three sixteenth notes through the first 3/4 of the bar. Two played notes followed by one rested note. This grouping of three moves across the beats of the bar in a very interesting and pleasing manner.
The hands play the two played notes in an alternating manner, RL then LR and then RL and so on. The RL hands start with the bass drum and the LR hands start in between the bass drums, due to the grouping of three alternating between on the beat and off the beat.
So, the first two hands are both on the snare drum, then the LR starting on the “a” of beat 1 is snare drum, floor tom. The next two groups are exactly the same except that the high tom is played instead of the floor tom. Note that the right hand plays the tom tom notes every time.
The bar ends with a snare drum played on beat 4, followed by two more snare drum notes starting on the “+” of beat 4, played RL.
“Teddy Picker” – Intro Drum Fill Drum Notation/Music
Check out more drum lessons for The Arctic Monkeys below…
- “I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor” – Drum Beat Video Drum Lesson
- “Brianstorm” – Drum Beat Video Drum Lesson
- “Fluorescent Adolescent” – Drum Beat Video Drum Lesson
- “Hellcat Spangled Shalalala” – Drum Beat Video Drum Lesson
- “Teddy Picker” – Drum Fill Video Drum Lesson
- “When The Sun Goes Down” – Drum Beat Video Drum Lesson
- “Fluorescent Adolescent” – Full Song Video Drum Lesson
- “Snap Out Of It” – Full Song Video Drum Lesson
- “Brianstorm” – Full Song Video Drum Lesson
- “I Bet You Good On The Dancefloor” – Full Song Video Drum Lesson
- “Pretty Visitors” – Full Song Video Drum Lesson
- “R U Mine” – Full Song Video Drum Lesson
- “The View From The Afternoon” – Full Song Video Drum Lesson
Browse all FREE drum content by clicking HERE.
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Please emailĀ rob@drumstheword.comĀ or contact me through theĀ Contact Form if you have any questions at all.
