{"id":48847,"date":"2023-11-01T12:12:09","date_gmt":"2023-11-01T19:12:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/?p=48847"},"modified":"2024-01-02T09:50:52","modified_gmt":"2024-01-02T17:50:52","slug":"mike-portnoy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/mike-portnoy\/","title":{"rendered":"Mike Portnoy: Everything You Need To Know About The Prog Metal Monster"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>After 13 years away from Dream Theater, Mike Portnoy has returned to the band he co-founded in 1985. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The news seems to have broken the prog metal internet due to the <a href=\"https:\/\/blabbermouth.net\/news\/mike-portnoy-looks-back-on-his-exit-from-dream-theater-i-needed-a-break-from-those-guys\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">circumstances under which he left<\/a> &#8211; along with <a href=\"https:\/\/metalinjection.net\/news\/john-petrucci-explains-why-mike-portnoy-wont-be-rejoining-dream-theater-anytime-soon\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Mike Mangini&#8217;s successful tenure<\/a> after a rigorous public audition process back in 2010.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To commemorate his surprise return to DT, here&#8217;s everything you need to know about Portnoy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-rank-math-toc-block\" id=\"rank-math-toc\"><nav><ul><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#how-did-mike-portnoy-start-drumming\">How did Mike Portnoy start drumming?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#who-are-mike-portnoys-influences\">Who are Mike Portnoy&#8217;s influences?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#how-did-dream-theater-start\">How did Dream Theater start?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#who-writes-the-songs-in-dream-theater\">Who writes the songs in Dream Theater?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#why-did-mike-portnoy-leave-dream-theater\">Why did Mike Portnoy leave Dream Theater?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#what-other-bands-has-mike-portnoy-played-with\">What other bands has Mike Portnoy played with?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#mike-portnoys-drum-kits\">Mike Portnoy&#8217;s drum kits<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#mike-portnoys-best-drum-beats-with-dream-theater\">Mike Portnoy&#8217;s best drum beats with Dream Theater<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"box-snippet\">\n<div class=\"shadow\">\u00a0<\/div>\n<div class=\"content\">\n<div>\u00a0<\/div>\n<div class=\"text-container\">\n<h4><strong>Who is Mike Portnoy?<\/strong><\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Mike Portnoy co-founded the progressive metal band Dream Theater in 1985 with Berklee classmates John Petrucci and John Myung.<\/li>\n<li>He has also played drums with Avenged Sevenfold, Twisted Sister, Joe Satriani, The Winery Dogs, Liquid Tension Experiment, Adrenaline Mob and more.<\/li>\n<li>His son, Max (Sabian&#8217;s Max Stax\/Max Splash cymbals are named after him) currently plays drums for the bands Code Orange and Tallah. He also has a daughter, Melody, whose name adorns the TAMA Melody Master snare drum.<\/li>\n<li>He&#8217;s released three instructional DVDs.<\/li>\n<li>Portnoy is the youngest living member of Modern Drummer&#8217;s Hall of Fame (Neil Peart previously held the title) and holds 31 Modern Drummer Readers Poll awards.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"toc_container\">\u00a0<\/div>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"how-did-mike-portnoy-start-drumming\">How did Mike Portnoy start drumming?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Born on April 20, 1967 in Long Beach, New York, Mike Portnoy learned about music at an early age from his radio DJ father. &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=aLRo9RT539k\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">He&#8217;s the reason I became such a music fan<\/a>.&#8221; <\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/CBtSp4Aj4FN\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"576\" height=\"575\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/drumeoblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/beat\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/31173551\/Screenshot-2023-10-31-203535.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-48972\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/drumeoblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/beat\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/31173551\/Screenshot-2023-10-31-203535.png 576w, https:\/\/drumeoblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/beat\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/31173551\/Screenshot-2023-10-31-203535-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/drumeoblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/beat\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/31173551\/Screenshot-2023-10-31-203535-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/drumeoblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/beat\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/31173551\/Screenshot-2023-10-31-203535-120x120.png 120w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 576px) 100vw, 576px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Mike with his dad, Howard Portnoy <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/CBtSp4Aj4FN\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">(<\/a>Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/CBtSp4Aj4FN\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Mike Portnoy)<\/a><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>Discovering his love for bands like The Beatles, The Who, Led Zeppelin and KISS, he got his <a href=\"https:\/\/theseeker.ca\/2018\/04\/interview-sons-of-apollo-mike-portnoy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">first drum set<\/a> on his 11th birthday, and he immediately taught himself how to play along with his favorite records. He can also play bass and keys.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It was rare at the time for a self-taught drummer to develop the technical prowess Portnoy later demonstrated in adulthood, but his love for music compelled him to challenge himself, and he eventually received a scholarship to Berklee, a music school known for its strict entry requirements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"who-are-mike-portnoys-influences\">Who are Mike Portnoy&#8217;s influences?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/beatles-ringo-starr-drumming-genius\/\">Ringo Starr<\/a>, Keith Moon and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/john-bonham-drum-genius\/\">John Bonham<\/a> were early drumming influences for Portnoy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYou won\u2019t meet a bigger Beatles fanatic than me,\u201d he said in an <a href=\"https:\/\/drummagazine.com\/mike-portnoy-is-free-at-last\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">interview with DRUM! Magazine<\/a>. \u201cHalf my leg is tattooed with Sergeant Pepper and Yellow Submarine images. They just mean more to me than any band did in the history of music and my love and respect and admiration for them goes incredibly deep, and that applies to Ringo as well.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/drumeoblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/beat\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/31175934\/portnoyyoung.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-48980\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/drumeoblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/beat\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/31175934\/portnoyyoung.jpg 768w, https:\/\/drumeoblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/beat\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/31175934\/portnoyyoung-225x300.jpg 225w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Portnoy at age 15 <em>(Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/MikePortnoy\/status\/567751420376793089?s=20\">Mike Portnoy<\/a>)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/neil-peart-genius\/\">Neil Peart<\/a> and Terry Bozzio eventually moved to the top of his list as he started to take a liking to more challenging progressive music, and looked to Frank Zappa as a non-drummer inspiration. As his notoriety grew, Portnoy became known for his groovy patterns, odd time signatures and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=iwRMjjxZ9MA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">linear drum fills<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n<p><iframe class=\"email-form-include-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/weeklyemail\" frameborder=\"none\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"how-did-dream-theater-start\">How did Dream Theater start?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>On a scholarship to Berklee in 1985, Portnoy met fellow students John Myung and John Petrucci (who were childhood friends). The classmates bonded over bands like Rush and created a group called Majesty, inviting Petrucci&#8217;s friend Kevin Moore to play keyboard and Chris Collins on vocals.<\/p>\n\n\n<\/p>\n<div class=\"getty embed image\" style=\"background-color: #fff; display: inline-block; font-family: Roboto,sans-serif; color: #a7a7a7; font-size: 11px; width: 100%; max-width: 594px;\">\n<div style=\"padding: 0; margin: 0; text-align: left;\"><a style=\"color: #a7a7a7; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal !important; border: none; display: inline-block;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/1150684906\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><\/div>\n<div style=\"overflow: hidden; position: relative; height: 0; padding: 66.32997% 0 0 0; width: 100%;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"display: inline-block; position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; margin: 0;\" src=\"\/\/embed.gettyimages.com\/embed\/1150684906?et=jfyieabXRwB-QML1BRMfqA&amp;tld=com&amp;sig=jc1MoiwomRFWISV1pnZ5k_6o8ciNHs41ekU7f6Nz_2c=&amp;caption=true&amp;ver=1\" width=\"594\" height=\"394\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>The original trio soon left Berklee to focus on the project when their school schedules began to get in the way of their growing band. When another band called Majesty came forward with a cease-and-desist, they changed their name to Dream Theater &#8211; the name of a small California theater.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It wasn&#8217;t until 1991 &#8211; after the launch of their debut album, a brief record contract, and multiple short-lived vocalists &#8211; that James LaBrie came into the fold as Dream Theater&#8217;s current singer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mike Portnoy was inducted into the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame in 2004.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"who-writes-the-songs-in-dream-theater\">Who writes the songs in Dream Theater?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s not the case in many bands for the drummer to have a heavy hand in songwriting and lyric writing, but Portnoy has taken a primary role in composition and has contributed backing vocals to the band. <\/p>\n\n\n<p><center><\/p>\n<div class=\"getty embed image\" style=\"background-color:#fff;display:inline-block;font-family:Roboto,sans-serif;color:#a7a7a7;font-size:11px;width:100%;max-width:594px;\">\n<div style=\"padding:0;margin:0;text-align:left;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/103133685\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"color:#a7a7a7;text-decoration:none;font-weight:normal !important;border:none;display:inline-block;\" rel=\"noopener\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><\/div>\n<div style=\"overflow:hidden;position:relative;height:0;padding:66.498314% 0 0 0;width:100%;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/embed.gettyimages.com\/embed\/103133685?et=Bt3PPuNPR5lB7UPPknglKQ&#038;tld=com&#038;sig=QqpN3yj2LvLRO7HEQXZtZ6mLUCs8WDV2fWYW2FOxQLs=&#038;caption=true&#038;ver=1\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" width=\"594\" height=\"395\" style=\"display:inline-block;position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;margin:0;\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/center><\/p>\n\n\n<p>&#8220;John Petrucci&nbsp;and&nbsp;Jordan Rudess&nbsp;will be the most hands-on with the notes, riffs, runs, and chord progressions,&#8221; he said in a <a href=\"https:\/\/blabbermouth.net\/news\/dream-theater-members-discuss-songwriting-process-being-on-the-road\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">2003 interview with Blabbermouth<\/a>. &#8220;They kind of mold the song. I tend to be the grand architect, working out the form using a blackboard behind the drum kit and directing. We write something and then start recording it. We focus on one song before we start another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Once the music is done, the lyricist will have the biggest part in writing melodies. Usually, we&#8217;ll discuss the melodies, but on the new album we left the melodies solely up to the lyricist.&nbsp;John,&nbsp;James&nbsp;and I take turns writing the lyrics.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n<p><center><\/p>\n<div class=\"getty embed image\" style=\"background-color:#fff;display:inline-block;font-family:Roboto,sans-serif;color:#a7a7a7;font-size:11px;width:100%;max-width:594px;\">\n<div style=\"padding:0;margin:0;text-align:left;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/121057204\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"color:#a7a7a7;text-decoration:none;font-weight:normal !important;border:none;display:inline-block;\" rel=\"noopener\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><\/div>\n<div style=\"overflow:hidden;position:relative;height:0;padding:65.15151% 0 0 0;width:100%;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/embed.gettyimages.com\/embed\/121057204?et=R5AvlsReQeBcRK7VeRElzg&#038;tld=com&#038;sig=7MelTTWWWXWA3dlLCW5zaX5JX28vzDGCX5A_fst6mxs=&#038;caption=true&#038;ver=1\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" width=\"594\" height=\"387\" style=\"display:inline-block;position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;margin:0;\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/center><\/p>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"why-did-mike-portnoy-leave-dream-theater\">Why did Mike Portnoy leave Dream Theater?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2010, feeling burned out from 25 years of constant writing, recording and touring with Dream Theater, Portnoy proposed they take a hiatus so he could take some time off and explore other creative outlets. He <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=aLRo9RT539k\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">never intended to make this break permanent<\/a>, and in the meantime was filling in with Avenged Sevenfold after their drummer, Jimmy &#8220;The Rev&#8221; Sullivan passed away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But his bandmates pushed back, so he stepped down from the band entirely. His last show with Dream Theater was in Chiba,&nbsp;Japan&nbsp;on August 8,&nbsp;2010.<\/p>\n\n\n<p><center><\/p>\n<div class=\"getty embed image\" style=\"background-color:#fff;display:inline-block;font-family:Roboto,sans-serif;color:#a7a7a7;font-size:11px;width:100%;max-width:594px;\">\n<div style=\"padding:0;margin:0;text-align:left;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/106380420\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"color:#a7a7a7;text-decoration:none;font-weight:normal !important;border:none;display:inline-block;\" rel=\"noopener\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><\/div>\n<div style=\"overflow:hidden;position:relative;height:0;padding:66.66667% 0 0 0;width:100%;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/embed.gettyimages.com\/embed\/106380420?et=jX5jM8AbSRRjzcZvga9hrg&#038;tld=com&#038;sig=ym0MvCq_NX2ma_u84abTDRDw7QaeTzJddkwnR45zPRU=&#038;caption=true&#038;ver=1\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" width=\"594\" height=\"396\" style=\"display:inline-block;position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;margin:0;\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/center><\/p>\n\n\n<p>While he enjoyed playing less &#8220;mathy&#8221; music (&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/drummagazine.com\/mike-portnoy-is-free-at-last\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">My brain just needed a break<\/a>&#8220;), he was only set to work with Avenged Sevenfold until the end of the year. The media explosion surrounding his Dream Theater departure also made things messy for the A7X camp &#8211; especially while they were grieving the loss of their bandmate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When he tried to come back to Dream Theater shortly after, it was too little too late: they&#8217;d already invited <a href=\"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/mike-mangini-slicing-up-time\/\">Mike Mangini<\/a> &#8211; a seasoned world class drummer and Berklee professor &#8211; to fill the role following an extensive and well-publicized <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=L609JsPFmmI\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">audition process<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Mike Portnoy - Wikipedia: Fact or Fiction?\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/aLRo9RT539k?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"what-other-bands-has-mike-portnoy-played-with\">What other bands has Mike Portnoy played with?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>After leaving Dream Theater, he burst out of the gate with new bands Adrenaline Mob and Flying Colors (members include alumni from Deep Purple and Spock&#8217;s Beard) and stayed busy during the years that followed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2020, he tracked drums on John Petrucci&#8217;s solo album and would appear live with the project on tour dates in 2022, causing fans to speculate about a possible return to Dream Theater.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"92\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/drumeoblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/beat\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/31131420\/Screenshot-2023-10-31-160757-1024x92.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-48943\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/drumeoblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/beat\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/31131420\/Screenshot-2023-10-31-160757-1024x92.png 1024w, https:\/\/drumeoblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/beat\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/31131420\/Screenshot-2023-10-31-160757-300x27.png 300w, https:\/\/drumeoblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/beat\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/31131420\/Screenshot-2023-10-31-160757-768x69.png 768w, https:\/\/drumeoblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/beat\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/31131420\/Screenshot-2023-10-31-160757.png 1222w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"737\" height=\"90\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/drumeoblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/beat\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/31131431\/Screenshot-2023-10-31-161359.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-48944\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/drumeoblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/beat\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/31131431\/Screenshot-2023-10-31-161359.png 737w, https:\/\/drumeoblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/beat\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/31131431\/Screenshot-2023-10-31-161359-300x37.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 737px) 100vw, 737px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"John Petrucci - Terminal Velocity (Official Video)\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/VjahLtBeElE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Both before and after his DT departure, Mike Portnoy has enjoyed a huge roster of bands with whom he&#8217;s either collaborated, played live\/recorded with, or which he&#8217;s co-founded. Many have been supergroups that have given Portnoy the chance to work alongside some of the top musicians in metal, prog, and rock:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Sons of Apollo<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Winery Dogs<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Transatlantic<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Flying Colors<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Neal Morse Band<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Metal Allegiance (With Alex Skolnick, David Ellefson and more)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Liquid Tension Experiment<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Avenged Sevenfold<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Twisted Sister<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Adrenaline Mob<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>PSMS (With Tony Macalpine, Billy Sheehan, Derek Sherinian)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Bigelf<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>BPMD<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Hail! (With ex members of Megadeth, Judas Priest, Slipknot and more)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Stone Sour<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Fates Warning<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>OSI<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Overkill<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Haken<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>G3 (Joe Satriani)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Yellow Matter Custard (Beatles tribute band with Paul Gilbert)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Hammer Of The Gods (Led Zeppelin tribute band with Paul Gilbert)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Amazing Journey (The Who tribute band with Paul Gilbert)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Cygnus &amp; The Sea Monsters (Rush tribute band with Paul Gilbert)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<p><center><\/p>\n<div class=\"getty embed image\" style=\"background-color:#fff;display:inline-block;font-family:Roboto,sans-serif;color:#a7a7a7;font-size:11px;width:100%;max-width:594px;\">\n<div style=\"padding:0;margin:0;text-align:left;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/142633909\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"color:#a7a7a7;text-decoration:none;font-weight:normal !important;border:none;display:inline-block;\" rel=\"noopener\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><\/div>\n<div style=\"overflow:hidden;position:relative;height:0;padding:66.498314% 0 0 0;width:100%;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/embed.gettyimages.com\/embed\/142633909?et=So5NO1wySxBKA58QCa9ccg&#038;tld=com&#038;sig=foCIFp0cEZX7FDDU3dhyS3XNDJ_yvWpuibvCEIYX2Pc=&#038;caption=true&#038;ver=1\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" width=\"594\" height=\"395\" style=\"display:inline-block;position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;margin:0;\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/center><\/p>\n\n\n<p>With over 50 albums under his belt, Portnoy has had the chance to flex his creative muscle in a ton of projects across multiple genres.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>13 years later, Mike Portnoy is back with Dream Theater, set to record with the band for the first time in 15 years (and with a 40th anniversary just around the corner!).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"CYMBAL VOTE - Mike Portnoy Performs &quot;Indifferent&quot;\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/sgavesijLKU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Mike Portnoy Drum Cam - Avenged Sevenfold Nightmare - Sacramento CA 9\/22\/10\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/4wrnNTydIIA?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"mike-portnoys-drum-kits\">Mike Portnoy&#8217;s drum kits<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>A TAMA, Sabian, ProMark and Remo artist, <a href=\"https:\/\/dreamtheater.fandom.com\/wiki\/Mike_Portnoy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Portnoy has had a number of epic drum kits<\/a> over the years &#8211; especially when playing with Dream Theater.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Naming many of them &#8220;monsters&#8221;, he originally had a few identical kits in the &#8217;90s meant for touring in different regions: the &#8220;Green Monster&#8221; in Europe, the &#8220;Red Monster&#8221; in Asia, and the &#8220;Purple Monster&#8221; (1996-2000) in North and South America.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Outside of these, his most notable kits were the &#8220;Siamese Monster&#8221; (2001-2004), the &#8220;Albino Monster&#8221; (2005-2006), the &#8220;Mirage Monster&#8221; (2007-2008) and the &#8220;Black &amp; Silver Monster&#8221; (2009-2010):<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Albino Monster Drumkit\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/TyjCrnpxeJA?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Mike Portnoy Black &amp; Silver Monster\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/oJm4rYo1C6U?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Most recently, he&#8217;s been touring with a clear acrylic TAMA Silverstar Mirage, a smaller configuration of his &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/MikePortnoy\/status\/610129928961568769?s=20\">Mirage Monster<\/a>&#8220;. It&#8217;s the kit he was playing with the live John Petrucci dates and with The Winery Dogs:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Mike Portnoy - Winery Dogs - Tour Kit Rundown\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/yE6LzolfnZc?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Here&#8217;s one of his setups according to his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tama.com\/usa\/artists\/detail\/152.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">TAMA.com profile<\/a>, which features a variation on his &#8220;Black &amp; Silver Monster&#8221; (a Starclassic Bubinga kit in <em>Black Clouds &amp; Silver Linings<\/em>):<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"624\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/drumeoblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/beat\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/31123647\/Screenshot-2023-10-31-153628-1024x624.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-48918\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/drumeoblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/beat\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/31123647\/Screenshot-2023-10-31-153628-1024x624.png 1024w, https:\/\/drumeoblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/beat\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/31123647\/Screenshot-2023-10-31-153628-300x183.png 300w, https:\/\/drumeoblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/beat\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/31123647\/Screenshot-2023-10-31-153628-768x468.png 768w, https:\/\/drumeoblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/beat\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/31123647\/Screenshot-2023-10-31-153628.png 1286w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Portnoy takes you on a tour of some of his more recent kits here:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"The Winery Dogs&#039; Mike Portnoy - GEAR MASTERS Ep. 54\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/T3Lzj13Hy1c?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Mike Portnoy Drum Kit Tour (Neal Morse Band)\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/wZFFFmp6D20?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"RIGGED - Mike Portnoy on The Winery Dogs Tour 2015 | GEAR GODS\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/GvwN6y-KUTg?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Mike Portnoy: 2020 Drum Kit Walkthrough and More\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/4OLnIyz-SeE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>With a cymbal setup as diverse as his ever-changing kits, Portnoy has used a variety of configurations over the years. He typically uses a combination of AAX\/HHX series crashes and chinas, Max Stax and Max splashes.<\/p>\n\n\n<p><center><\/p>\n<div class=\"getty embed image\" style=\"background-color:#fff;display:inline-block;font-family:Roboto,sans-serif;color:#a7a7a7;font-size:11px;width:100%;max-width:594px;\">\n<div style=\"padding:0;margin:0;text-align:left;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/102286751\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"color:#a7a7a7;text-decoration:none;font-weight:normal !important;border:none;display:inline-block;\" rel=\"noopener\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><\/div>\n<div style=\"overflow:hidden;position:relative;height:0;padding:68.85522% 0 0 0;width:100%;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/embed.gettyimages.com\/embed\/102286751?et=gQk9ytxERytUULVauJDdRw&#038;tld=com&#038;sig=q1SiMfvsh5QA1rTQ2zfpcEIH0nC35885G_JQ9visg1A=&#038;caption=true&#038;ver=1\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" width=\"594\" height=\"409\" style=\"display:inline-block;position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;margin:0;\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/center><\/p>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"mike-portnoys-best-drum-beats-with-dream-theater\">Mike Portnoy&#8217;s best drum beats with Dream Theater<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Portnoy composed the drum parts for many of Dream Theater&#8217;s biggest singles before his 2010 departure. Here are a couple of cool sections you should learn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong>&#8220;6:00&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A drummy, technical solo somehow still packed to the gills with groove, the song&#8217;s intro includes 32nd notes on the hi-hat, barks, Octoban rolls and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"6:00\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ElgXCB4exGU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"927\" height=\"398\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/drumeoblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/beat\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/01093341\/Screenshot-2023-11-01-123335.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-48997\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/drumeoblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/beat\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/01093341\/Screenshot-2023-11-01-123335.png 927w, https:\/\/drumeoblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/beat\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/01093341\/Screenshot-2023-11-01-123335-300x129.png 300w, https:\/\/drumeoblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/beat\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/01093341\/Screenshot-2023-11-01-123335-768x330.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 927px) 100vw, 927px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">&#8220;6:00&#8221; by Dream Theater (1994)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>If you&#8217;re a longtime Dream Theater or Mike Portnoy fan, you&#8217;re probably familiar with this drum solo where you hear a version of the &#8220;6:00&#8221; intro about halfway through:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Mike Portnoy Drum Solo (Live at Le Bataclan, Paris, France, 6\/25\/1998)\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/aAnLIhXKziM?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong>&#8220;The Dance Of Eternity&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A cool proggy riff with constantly changing time signatures and off-beat hi-hats, this intro features one of Portnoy&#8217;s most memorable parts:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Scene Seven: I. The Dance of Eternity\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/eYCYGpu0OxM?start=42&#038;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"928\" height=\"295\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/drumeoblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/beat\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/01093046\/Screenshot-2023-11-01-123039.png\" alt=\"dream theater the dance of eternity mike portnoy drum notation\" class=\"wp-image-48994\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/drumeoblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/beat\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/01093046\/Screenshot-2023-11-01-123039.png 928w, https:\/\/drumeoblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/beat\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/01093046\/Screenshot-2023-11-01-123039-300x95.png 300w, https:\/\/drumeoblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/beat\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/01093046\/Screenshot-2023-11-01-123039-768x244.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 928px) 100vw, 928px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">&#8220;The Dance Of Eternity&#8221; by Dream Theater (1999)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong>&#8220;The Glass Prison&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This section right before the outro (at the end of &#8216;revelation&#8217;) has a cool snare and tom part over constant double bass:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"The Glass Prison\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/oGAHh0GPKRA?start=800&#038;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"919\" height=\"585\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/drumeoblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/beat\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/01090000\/Screenshot-2023-11-01-115853.png\" alt=\"the glass prison drum notation by dream theater, mike portnoy\" class=\"wp-image-48982\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/drumeoblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/beat\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/01090000\/Screenshot-2023-11-01-115853.png 919w, https:\/\/drumeoblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/beat\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/01090000\/Screenshot-2023-11-01-115853-300x191.png 300w, https:\/\/drumeoblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/beat\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/01090000\/Screenshot-2023-11-01-115853-768x489.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 919px) 100vw, 919px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">&#8220;The Glass Prison&#8221; by Dream Theater (2002)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong>&#8220;The Count Of Tuscany&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This section has Neil Peart written all over it, from the open-close hi-hats to the tom rolls and syncopated snare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"The Count Of Tuscany\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/vjoKyj51o_I?start=103&#038;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"930\" height=\"569\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/drumeoblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/beat\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/01093914\/Screenshot-2023-11-01-123851.png\" alt=\"the count of tuscany by dream theater drum notation mike portnoy\" class=\"wp-image-49000\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/drumeoblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/beat\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/01093914\/Screenshot-2023-11-01-123851.png 930w, https:\/\/drumeoblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/beat\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/01093914\/Screenshot-2023-11-01-123851-300x184.png 300w, https:\/\/drumeoblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/beat\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/01093914\/Screenshot-2023-11-01-123851-768x470.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 930px) 100vw, 930px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">&#8220;The Count Of Tuscany&#8221; by Dream Theater (2009)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>If Mike Portnoy is one of your favorite drummers, the best way to channel his energy is by learning the parts he&#8217;s written! There are <strong>over 30 Dream Theater songs (along with 5000+ other tracks)<\/strong> in the <a href=\"https:\/\/drumeo.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Drumeo members area<\/a> &#8211; with options to practice along without the drums, slow down and repeat sections and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Just like in this example:<\/p>\n\n\n<div style=\"width: 640px;\" class=\"wp-video\"><!--[if lt IE 9]><script>document.createElement('video');<\/script><![endif]-->\n<video class=\"wp-video-shortcode\" id=\"video-48847-1\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" preload=\"metadata\" controls=\"controls\"><source type=\"video\/mp4\" src=\"https:\/\/drumeoblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/beat\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/16122236\/Q0rR1pG-Imgur.mp4?_=1\" \/><a href=\"https:\/\/drumeoblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/beat\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/16122236\/Q0rR1pG-Imgur.mp4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/drumeoblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/beat\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/16122236\/Q0rR1pG-Imgur.mp4<\/a><\/video><\/div>\n\n\n<p>What are you waiting for? Try Drumeo free for 7 days. <a href=\"https:\/\/drumeo.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Let&#8217;s go<\/a>!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>(Feature image credit: &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/98430945@N03\/37281296834\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">MIKE PORTNOY @ Teatro ABC<\/a>&#8221; by&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/98430945@N03\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">www.factormetal.com<\/a>&nbsp;is licensed under&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/2.0\/?ref=openverse\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">CC BY 2.0<\/a>.<\/em>)<\/p>\n\n\n<p><iframe class=\"email-form-include-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/weeklyemail\" frameborder=\"none\"><\/iframe><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Mike Portnoy has returned as the drummer of Dream Theater! Here&#8217;s everything you should know about the prog metal master.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":124,"featured_media":49020,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4019],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-48847","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-drummers"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48847","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/124"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=48847"}],"version-history":[{"count":128,"href":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48847\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":50654,"href":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48847\/revisions\/50654"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/49020"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=48847"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=48847"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=48847"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}