{"id":46221,"date":"2023-06-09T05:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-06-09T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/?p=46221"},"modified":"2023-06-09T08:22:03","modified_gmt":"2023-06-09T15:22:03","slug":"tommy-lee-motley-crue-genius","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/tommy-lee-motley-crue-genius\/","title":{"rendered":"Tommy Lee: 5 Reasons Why He&#8217;s A Drumming Genius"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/l36QbFiqX8A\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Is Tommy Lee a good drummer?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He isn&#8217;t just good &#8211; he&#8217;s great. And we&#8217;re here to show you why.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>M\u00f6tley Cr\u00fce wouldn&#8217;t be the same without Tommy Lee, the rockstar poster child. His personality and energy are off the charts and he&#8217;s influenced countless drummers for decades. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>From hard-hitting drum solos and unique cymbal techniques to signature grooves and fills, let&#8217;s break down why he&#8217;s such a legendary monster.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"box-snippet\">\n<div class=\"shadow\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div class=\"content\">\n<div>&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div class=\"text-container\">\n<h4><strong>What is Tommy Lee known for?<\/strong><\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Tommy Lee is the longtime drummer for <strong>M\u00f6tley Cr\u00fce<\/strong>, having co-founded the band with Nikki Sixx and Greg Leon in 1981.<\/li>\n<li>He&#8217;s played drums with Rob Zombie, the Smashing Pumpkins, Post Malone, Jack&#8217;s Mannequin, Methods of Mayhem and more.<\/li>\n<li>He was married to Pamela Anderson, receiving media attention for his wild lifestyle and &#8211; uh &#8211; racy videos.<\/li>\n<li>Tommy is one of the few drummers who&#8217;s dared to perform upside down (joining the likes of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=fPigtMeVstc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Travis Barker<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=bYE-Ij_lbXg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Joey Jordison<\/a>).<\/li>\n<li>He has done time on reality TV, starring in shows like <em>Tommy Lee Goes To College <\/em>and <em>Rock Star: Supernova <\/em>and hosting others like <em>Battleground Earth<\/em>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-rank-math-toc-block\" id=\"rank-math-toc\"><nav><ul><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#grooves-baby\">Grooves, baby<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#every-cymbal-gets-special-attention\">Every cymbal gets special attention<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#hes-a-master-of-all-things-theatrical\">He&#8217;s a master of all things theatrical <\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#the-heaviest-and-sometimes-biggest-bass-drum-in-all-the-land\">The heaviest (and sometimes biggest) bass drum in all the land<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#more-drum-fills-than-you-can-shake-a-stick-at\">More drum fills than you can shake a stick at<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"grooves-baby\">Grooves, baby<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Tommy Lee has created some of rock&#8217;s sleaziest, tastiest grooves, and you can hear them on tracks like &#8220;Sick Love Song&#8221; (the intro ride bell groove is LA perfection):<\/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=\"Motley Crue - Sick Love Song\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/SttS6LNeuWY?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-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/app\/uploads\/2023\/06\/qt-the-genius-of-tommy-lee-01-1685959543.svg\" alt=\"Motley Crue &quot;Sick Love Song&quot; drum notation\" class=\"wp-image-46326\" width=\"843\" height=\"268\" title=\"\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>And then there&#8217;s &#8220;Kickstart My Heart&#8221;, which features one of Tommy Lee&#8217;s most famous grooves. He plays a flam on every back beat, and always keeps consistent spacing between his hands. And maintaining that beat with maximum energy? Not as easy as it seems!<\/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=\"M\u00f6tley Cr\u00fce - Kickstart My Heart (Official Video)\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ybcxIpb-R_0?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-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/app\/uploads\/2023\/06\/qt-the-genius-of-tommy-lee-02-1685960121.svg\" alt=\"Motley Crue &quot;Kickstart My Heart&quot; drum notation\" class=\"wp-image-46325\" width=\"839\" height=\"127\" title=\"\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Let&#8217;s not forget about the intro of &#8220;City Boy Blues&#8221; &#8211; a recognizable groove for any Cr\u00fce fan:<\/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=\"City Boy Blues\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/5hxF4Q7GmyY?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-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/app\/uploads\/2023\/06\/qt-the-genius-of-tommy-lee-03-1685960753.svg\" alt=\"Motley Crue &quot;City Boy Blues&quot; drum notation\" class=\"wp-image-46324\" width=\"842\" height=\"263\" title=\"\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>We&#8217;ve got hi-hat barks, cymbal shots and accents on the china; a great groove with lots of cymbal action.<\/p>\n\n\n<p><iframe class=\"email-form-include-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/weeklyemail\" frameborder=\"none\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n\n\n<p>If you&#8217;re familiar with Tommy&#8217;s drumming on Cr\u00fce albums from the &#8217;80s, you&#8217;ll know how much he loves the cowbell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Listen for it on &#8220;Public Enemy #1&#8221; and &#8220;Come On And Dance&#8221; (the latter having a killer <a href=\"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/how-to-play-4-on-the-floor\/\">four on the floor<\/a> groove with triplets on the cowbell):<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/app\/uploads\/2023\/06\/qt-the-genius-of-tommy-lee-04-1685960935.svg\" alt=\"Motley Crue &quot;Come On And Dance&quot; drum notation\" class=\"wp-image-46323\" width=\"840\" height=\"126\" title=\"\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>M\u00f6tley Cr\u00fce is known as &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.motley.com\/about-motley-crue\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The world&#8217;s most notorious rock band<\/a>&#8221; largely for their party lifestyle and over-the-top antics, so it makes sense that they didn&#8217;t always take the road most traveled. Most bands in their scene would never have thought of alternating between a straight and swung feel, but you can hear it on tracks like &#8220;Take Me To The Top&#8221; and &#8220;Wild Side&#8221;:<\/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=\"M\u00f6tley Cr\u00fce - Take Me To The Top (Official Music Video)\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/7RoP1uXIdwM?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-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=\"M\u00f6tley Cr\u00fce - Wild Side [Official Music Video]\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/IlRDZUaJ8fs?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>Tommy Lee has branched out from his main gig in the past, going into recording sessions with other bands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here&#8217;s a cool groove in 9\/8 that Tommy Lee played on the Smashing Pumpkins&#8217; 2014 song &#8220;Tiberius&#8221;:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/app\/uploads\/2023\/06\/qt-the-genius-of-tommy-lee-05-1685961402.svg\" alt=\"smashing pumpkins tiberius drum notation tommy lee\" class=\"wp-image-46322\" width=\"842\" height=\"260\" title=\"\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"every-cymbal-gets-special-attention\">Every cymbal gets special attention<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Tommy Lee doesn&#8217;t shy away from anything, especially his cymbals. His creative use of chokes helped set him apart from what other rock drummers were doing in the &#8217;80s (other than, say, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/how-to-play-drums-like-alex-van-halen\/\">Alex Van Halen<\/a>). <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Shout At The Devil&#8221; has some great examples:<\/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=\"M\u00f6tley Cr\u00fce - Shout At The Devil (Official Audio)\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/tiqY2Mf0nIw?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-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/app\/uploads\/2023\/06\/qt-the-genius-of-tommy-lee-06-1685961584.svg\" alt=\"Motley Crue &quot;Shout At The Devil&quot; drum notation\" class=\"wp-image-46321\" width=\"841\" height=\"263\" title=\"\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>And then there&#8217;s &#8220;Live Wire&#8221;:<\/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=\"M\u00f6tley Cr\u00fce - Live Wire (Official Music Video)\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Ahq4blDfU5s?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-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/app\/uploads\/2023\/06\/qt-the-genius-of-tommy-lee-07-1685961768.svg\" alt=\"Motley Crue &quot;Live Wire&quot; drum notation\" class=\"wp-image-46320\" width=\"840\" height=\"1010\" title=\"\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Of course, we can&#8217;t forget about all the hi-hat openings and barks baked into &#8220;Dr. Feelgood&#8221;:<\/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=\"M\u00f6tley Cr\u00fce - Dr. Feelgood (Official Music Video)\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/trGX3ET3jTQ?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-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/app\/uploads\/2023\/06\/qt-the-genius-of-tommy-lee-08-1685962048.svg\" alt=\"Motley Crue &quot;Dr Feelgood&quot; drum notation\" class=\"wp-image-46319\" width=\"838\" height=\"250\" title=\"\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>One reason this groove is so cool is how the hi-hat opening shifts from being on the beat to the offbeat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Tommy basically inverts the &#8220;Dr. Feelgood&#8221; groove on &#8220;Rattlesnake Shake&#8221;, where starts it on beat three instead of beat one:<\/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=\"Rattlesnake Shake (2021- Remaster)\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/o5HNB-5YCJ0?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>He keeps going with his trademark hi-hat openings in &#8220;Wild Side&#8221;, where he opens the hi-hats on beats one and three during a 16th note groove:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/app\/uploads\/2023\/06\/qt-the-genius-of-tommy-lee-09-1685962304.svg\" alt=\"Motley Crue &quot;Wild Side&quot; drum notation\" class=\"wp-image-46318\" width=\"842\" height=\"247\" title=\"\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>In &#8220;Primal Scream&#8221;, he incorporates a cymbal choke and hi-hat barks on the left hand while his right hand grooves on the ride. This groove rules:<\/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=\"Primal Scream\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ZhT1AKxn2Fg?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-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/app\/uploads\/2023\/06\/qt-the-genius-of-tommy-lee-10-1685962544.svg\" alt=\"Motley Crue &quot;Primal Scream&quot; drum notation\" class=\"wp-image-46317\" width=\"838\" height=\"266\" title=\"\"><\/figure>\n\n\n<div class=\"box-snippet\">\n<div class=\"shadow\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div class=\"content\">\n<div><i class=\"fas icon fa-solid fa-drum\"><\/i><\/div>\n<div class=\"text-container\">\n<h4><strong>Who are Tommy Lee&#8217;s influences?<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>Tommy has said in interviews that some of his favorite drummers are Tommy Aldridge (Ozzy Osbourne, Whitesnake), Alex Van Halen (Van Halen) and Terry Bozzio (Frank Zappa), but his biggest influence is Led Zeppelin&#8217;s John Bonham.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"hes-a-master-of-all-things-theatrical\">He&#8217;s a master of all things theatrical <\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If you&#8217;ve never seen Tommy Lee play drums &#8211; in person or in a video &#8211; <em>stop what you&#8217;re doing and watch this right now:<\/em><\/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=\"Tommy Lee&#039;s Epic Upside Down Drum Solo\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/buv1hEb0rdI?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>No one walks away from a M\u00f6tley Cr\u00fce show without having one of Tommy&#8217;s theatrical drum solos blow their mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One of his biggest influences is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/heavy-metal-grooves-fills-tommy-aldridge\/\">Tommy Aldridge<\/a>, who played drums with Ozzy Osbourne, Whitesnake, Pat Travers and more. Known for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/how-to-twirl-your-drumsticks\/\">twirling drumsticks<\/a>, criss-cross sticking, cymbal grabs and other &#8220;big moves&#8221;, both Tommies have built showmanship into their performances, making their drum solos impossible to ignore and difficult to forget.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It wasn&#8217;t just about looking cool, though &#8211; it was also about being seen. Literally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Tommy Lee loved Tommy Aldridge&#8217;s wild drum solos but he was hidden behind a wall of drums. &#8220;I gotta figure out a way where people can see what&#8217;s going on!&#8221; <\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>&#8220;The plan was, let&#8217;s build something so sick that this&#8217;ll probably never, ever be done again. I think we achieved it.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>The theatrics all started on the <em>Theatre Of Pain<\/em> tour in 1985 with a rotating cage. But it didn&#8217;t stop there. For the next tour, he decided it was time to fly his drum kit over the audience. <\/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=\"Motley Crue - Tommy Lee Spinning Drum Solo - 10-15-1987- Tacoma, Wa\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/a3Eo6htO4t8?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>During the 2000s, Tommy showed M\u00f6tley Cr\u00fce fans that he could fly from the stage to ceiling-suspended risers. Later, he played a 360-degree roller coaster drum solo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And then he gave us the &#8220;Cr\u00fcecifly&#8221;&#8230;<\/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=\"Tommy Lee - Cr\u00fcecifly LIVE\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/KqmLjmNMjjs?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<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=\"the-heaviest-and-sometimes-biggest-bass-drum-in-all-the-land\">The heaviest (and sometimes biggest) bass drum in all the land<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Tommy Lee&#8217;s double bass playing stands out on M\u00f6tley Cr\u00fce&#8217;s &#8217;80s records in particular, as well as his heavy syncopated bass drum grooves (like in &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=eToD9aMTizc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Louder Than Hell<\/a>&#8220;). He&#8217;s serious about his low end: you might catch him playing a 26&#8243; &#8211; or even 32&#8221; &#8211; bass drum!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When the band remastered <em>Theatre Of Pain<\/em>, they included the bonus track &#8220;Tommy&#8217;s Drum Piece from Cherokee Studios&#8221;. Does it remind you of Led Zeppelin&#8217;s &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/when-the-levee-breaks-drum-beat\/\">When The Levee Breaks<\/a>&#8220;?<\/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=\"Tommy&#039;s Drum Piece From Cherokee Studios\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/jsA00x4w35o?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>Now listen to his bass drum work on &#8220;Let Us Prey&#8221;:<\/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=\"Let Us Prey\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/XHEs7aA86B0?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>Tommy&#8217;s double bass parts in the intro of &#8220;Use It Or Lose It&#8221; are peak hair metal:<\/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=\"Use It Or Lose It\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/78Z-AVHePTs?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-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/app\/uploads\/2023\/06\/qt-the-genius-of-tommy-lee-11-1685962702.svg\" alt=\"Motley Crue &quot;Use It Or Lose It&quot; drum notation\" class=\"wp-image-46316\" width=\"838\" height=\"510\" title=\"\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>With a syncopated ride bell pattern peppered with simple accents atop steady double bass, it&#8217;s a classic part.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These days, Tommy mostly saves his double bass work for fills and flourishes rather than grooves, like in &#8220;Hooligan&#8217;s Holiday&#8221;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/app\/uploads\/2023\/06\/qt-the-genius-of-tommy-lee-16-1685964298.svg\" alt=\"Motley Crue &quot;Hooligan&#039;s Holiday&quot; drum notation\" class=\"wp-image-46311\" width=\"841\" height=\"268\" title=\"\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"more-drum-fills-than-you-can-shake-a-stick-at\">More drum fills than you can shake a stick at<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Tommy has a distinct style, and specific ideas and concepts you can hear him using on a bunch of different albums.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He loves &#8220;sweeping&#8221; drum fills, especially 16th note triplets, in songs like &#8220;Looks That Kill&#8221; (chorus), the intro of &#8220;Save Our Souls&#8221;, the intro of &#8220;Red Hot&#8221;, or dropping into the first chorus of &#8220;Smokin&#8217; In The Boys Room&#8221;.<\/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=\"M\u00f6tley Cr\u00fce - Smokin&#039; In The Boys Room (Official Video)\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/-i6xO2K9AE0?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-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/app\/uploads\/2023\/06\/qt-the-genius-of-tommy-lee-15-1685963612.svg\" alt=\"Motley Crue &quot;Smokin In The Boys Room&quot; drum notation\" class=\"wp-image-46312\" width=\"841\" height=\"258\" title=\"\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Tommy will also use 30-second note bursts played as singles in a lot of drum fills. Listen to &#8220;Saints Of Los Angeles&#8221; (pre-chorus), &#8220;Home Sweet Home&#8221; (leading into the final chorus), and &#8220;Primal Scream&#8221;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/app\/uploads\/2023\/06\/qt-the-genius-of-tommy-lee-18-1685964622.svg\" alt=\"Motley Crue &quot;Primal Scream&quot; drum notation\" class=\"wp-image-46309\" width=\"843\" height=\"131\" title=\"\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">If you like Tommy Lee and M\u00f6tley Cr\u00fce, we&#8217;ve got all these songs (and <em>way<\/em> more) transcribed note-for-note inside the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/\">Drumeo members area<\/a>, along with drumless play-along tracks, practice tools and a supportive community.<\/p>\n\n\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a class=\"join blue\" href=\"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/\">Get a free 7-day trial<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Is Tommy Lee a good drummer? Here are 5 reasons why he isn&#8217;t just good &#8211; he&#8217;s great.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":46226,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4019],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-46221","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\/46221","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\/19"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=46221"}],"version-history":[{"count":88,"href":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46221\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":46416,"href":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46221\/revisions\/46416"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/46226"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=46221"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=46221"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=46221"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}