Steve Smith: Working With Wilcoxon Part Two - Paradiddle Johnnie at Four Tempos

Steve Smith shares his process of working on Charles Wilcoxon’s snare drum solo “Paradiddle Johnnie.“ All four tempos are compiled here in one video. Steve starts slow on a practice kit at 90BPM and progresses to 96BPM, swinging the 16th notes and counting out-loud as he plays. He then moves to 105BPM, still on the practice kit, and incorporates some improvisation inspired by the Wilcoxon solo. Finally, Steve performs Paradiddle Johnnie up-to-tempo at 110BPM on the snare drum and then the full kit, adding improvisation derived from, or inspired by, the written solo. Steve has also employed various grips and included the bass drum into the solo. This process has helped Steve increase his drumset vocabulary and enhanced his technique.