Chad Smith

≈ 100 · 4/4

Prep with: Stage 1 — Foundations: pocket and touch

Primary technique:

Locking with a busy bassist

Also trains:

Kick variations, 16th-note hi-hat funk

Key groove:

Interlocking groove built directly around the syncopated bass line.

Signature fill:

Playful fill matching the bass's rhythmic accents.

Transition:

Groove shifts feel slightly for the sung bridge before returning to verse funk.

Listen for:

How the kick drum mirrors the bass line's syncopation.

Training:

Advanced independence work for locking kick to a busy bass part.

Challenge:

Play the kick pattern from memory without watching a chart.

• Verse: Kick locks tightly to the bass syncopation.
• Chorus: Groove opens with more backbeat emphasis.
• Bridge: Feel eases back, more space.
• Outro: Returns to the interlocking verse groove.

≈ 121 · 4/4

Prep with: Stage 1 — Foundations: pocket and touch

Primary technique:

Big rock backbeat

Also trains:

16th-note hi-hat funk, Simple killer fills

Key groove:

Punchy, driving groove alternating between tight verse funk and huge chorus backbeat.

Signature fill:

Sharp snare fill punctuating the pre-chorus build.

Transition:

Quick dynamic shift from verse to explosive chorus.

Listen for:

The power and precision of the chorus backbeat.

Training:

Trains quick dynamic shifts at a brisk rock tempo.

Challenge:

Play the full song maintaining energy without rushing.

• Verse: Tight, punchy funk-rock groove.
• Pre-chorus: Fill builds tension into the chorus.
• Chorus: Huge open backbeat, full energy.
• Outro: Returns to the driving verse feel.

≈ 116 · 4/4

Prep with: Stage 1 — Foundations: pocket and touch

Primary technique:

16th-note hi-hat funk

Also trains:

Laid-back feel, Kick variations

Key groove:

Fast, syncopated funk groove requiring precise 16th-note hi-hat control.

Signature fill:

Quick snare-tom combination fill into the chorus.

Transition:

Groove tightens further for the driving instrumental section.

Listen for:

How even the hi-hat 16ths stay despite the tempo and syncopation.

Training:

Endurance and evenness training for fast funk grooves.

Challenge:

Sustain the groove for the full song length without hi-hat drift.

• Intro: Syncopated groove establishes energy.
• Verse: Fast 16th-note funk pattern.
• Chorus: Groove opens with bigger backbeat.
• Instrumental: Full-energy groove with fills.

≈ 104 · 4/4

Prep with: Stage 1 — Foundations: pocket and touch

Primary technique:

Funk-rock hybrid groove

Also trains:

16th-note hi-hat funk, Big rock backbeat

Key groove:

Rolling 16th-note groove that grows from a delicate verse into a huge chorus.

Signature fill:

Building tom fill that signals the shift into the chorus.

Transition:

Extended dynamic build across verse and pre-chorus into a big payoff.

Listen for:

How the same basic pattern grows in weight without changing much.

Training:

Trains combining 16th-note funk work with a full rock backbeat.

Challenge:

Play the full dynamic arc from delicate verse to full chorus in one pass.

• Intro: Light, rolling 16th-note groove.
• Verse: Groove stays restrained, building slightly.
• Pre-chorus: Dynamics and density increase.
• Chorus: Full hybrid groove, huge backbeat.