Chad Smith

≈ 108 · 4/4

Prep with: Stage 1 — Foundations: pocket and touch

Primary technique:

16th-note hi-hat funk

Also trains:

Ghost notes, Kick variations

Key groove:

Driving 16th-note funk groove supporting the Stevie Wonder cover's energy.

Signature fill:

Punchy snare fill leading into each chorus.

Transition:

Verse groove tightens into a bigger backbeat for the chorus.

Listen for:

How tightly the hi-hat 16ths lock with the bass groove.

Training:

Builds 16th-note hi-hat stamina and evenness.

Challenge:

Add ghost notes throughout without losing hi-hat evenness.

• Intro: Hi-hat 16ths establish the groove.
• Verse: Tight funk groove locks with bass.
• Chorus: Backbeat opens up, more crash.
• Outro: Groove drives to the fade.

≈ 100 · 4/4

Prep with: Stage 1 — Foundations: pocket and touch

Primary technique:

Deep funk pocket

Also trains:

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

Key groove:

Iconic funk-rock groove with a huge pocket and syncopated kick work.

Signature fill:

Simple, explosive snare fill into the chorus.

Transition:

Verse groove locks in before opening into a bigger chorus feel.

Listen for:

The laid-back placement of the backbeat against the driving bass.

Training:

Core pocket-building exercise for funk-rock feel.

Challenge:

Play the whole song without rushing a single backbeat.

• Intro: Groove locks in with bass immediately.
• Verse: Deep pocket, syncopated kick pattern.
• Chorus: Bigger backbeat, more crash accents.
• Bridge: Groove drops to just hi-hat and kick.

≈ 104 · 4/4

Prep with: Stage 1 — Foundations: pocket and touch

Primary technique:

Ghost notes

Also trains:

Kick variations, Big rock backbeat

Key groove:

Ghost-note-heavy funk groove that explodes into a heavy rock backbeat for the chorus.

Signature fill:

Aggressive tom fill into the heavy chorus riff.

Transition:

Sudden shift from funk verse to hard rock chorus.

Listen for:

The contrast in dynamic and feel between verse and chorus.

Training:

Trains quick transitions between funk pocket and rock power.

Challenge:

Nail the dynamic jump without rushing the tempo.

• Verse: Ghost-note funk groove, tight and quiet.
• Chorus: Heavy backbeat, full crash and open hats.
• Bridge: Groove drops back to funk feel.
• Outro: Full power to the end.

≈ 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.

≈ 96 · 4/4

Prep with: Stage 1 — Foundations: pocket and touch

Primary technique:

Simple killer fills

Also trains:

Deep funk pocket, Big rock backbeat

Key groove:

Understated verse groove that lets the guitar melody breathe, building to a full chorus.

Signature fill:

Short, memorable fill into the chorus using just snare and one tom.

Transition:

Dynamic lift from sparse verse to full-band chorus.

Listen for:

How little Chad plays in the verse, and how effective it is.

Training:

Trains restraint and the impact of a simple, well-placed fill.

Challenge:

Play the fill exactly the same way every single chorus.

• Intro: Minimal groove, mostly hi-hat and kick.
• Verse: Sparse backbeat leaves space for vocals.
• Chorus: Full backbeat with crash accents.
• Outro: Returns to the sparse verse feel.

≈ 90 · 4/4

Prep with: Stage 1 — Foundations: pocket and touch

Primary technique:

Laid-back feel

Also trains:

Ghost notes, Big rock backbeat

Key groove:

Moody, laid-back groove with ghost notes filling space under a restrained verse.

Signature fill:

Rolling tom fill leading into the powerful chorus.

Transition:

Slow build from verse restraint to a heavier chorus backbeat.

Listen for:

The relaxed, unhurried placement of every ghost note.

Training:

Trains laid-back feel and controlled dynamic builds at slower tempo.

Challenge:

Keep the same relaxed feel even as the chorus gets heavier.

• Verse: Laid-back groove, ghost notes fill the space.
• Pre-chorus: Dynamics build gradually.
• Chorus: Big, open backbeat with heavy crash.
• Outro: Returns to the moody verse feel.

≈ 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.

≈ 94 · 4/4

Prep with: Stage 1 — Foundations: pocket and touch

Primary technique:

Deep funk pocket

Also trains:

Big rock backbeat, Simple killer fills

Key groove:

Confident, driving groove that anchors the song's rock-radio energy.

Signature fill:

Iconic short fill launching straight into the chorus.

Transition:

Verse pocket opens directly into a big, anthemic chorus.

Listen for:

How consistent the pocket stays across the whole song.

Training:

Endurance and consistency training across a full song performance.

Challenge:

Play the entire song at a consistent tempo feel, verse to verse.

• Intro: Groove establishes the driving pocket.
• Verse: Steady backbeat, laid-back feel.
• Chorus: Big, anthemic backbeat with crash accents.
• Outro: Groove rides out at full energy.

≈ 92 · 4/4

Prep with: Stage 1 — Foundations: pocket and touch

Primary technique:

Ghost notes

Also trains:

16th-note hi-hat funk, Laid-back feel

Key groove:

Groovy, modern-production funk groove with subtle ghost-note texture.

Signature fill:

Understated fill that keeps momentum without breaking the groove.

Transition:

Smooth dynamic lift into the chorus with added cymbal work.

Listen for:

How the ghost notes sit under a more polished production.

Training:

Trains ghost-note subtlety in a contemporary funk context.

Challenge:

Match the groove's feel using a more open, ringing hi-hat sound.

• Intro: Groove establishes with subtle ghost notes.
• Verse: Laid-back funk pocket under the vocal.
• Chorus: Groove opens with more cymbal energy.
• Outro: Returns to the subtle verse feel.