Mario Duplantier

≈ 90 (building) · 4/4

Prep with: Stage 1 — Foundations — dynamics from the ground up

Primary technique:

Long-form dynamic build

Also trains:

Tribal toms, Orchestrated fills, Restraint

Key groove:

A slow, tribal groove that gradually builds from sparse toms into a huge climax

Signature fill:

Extended tom crescendo building from single hits into a full roll

Transition:

Gradual dynamic swell rather than a sudden cut into the climax

Listen for:

How much tension is created purely through the slow dynamic build

Training:

Controlling a long dynamic build across an entire song without peaking early

Challenge:

Play the whole song mapping the exact dynamic level of each section

• Intro: Sparse tom hits at very low volume
• Verse: Tribal groove slowly building
• Build: Steady dynamic climb with fuller orchestration
• Climax: Full-band roar with maximum dynamics
• Outro: Fading back to a sparse pulse

≈ 96 · Polyrhythmic 4/4

Prep with: Stage 3 — Signature techniques — polyrhythmic riff-locking

Primary technique:

Polyrhythmic riff-locking

Also trains:

Metric modulation, Odd groupings, Ostinato independence

Key groove:

A groove that tracks a riff implying a different pulse than the underlying meter

Signature fill:

A fill that resolves the polyrhythm exactly back onto the true downbeat

Transition:

Deliberate metric pivot handled with total rhythmic confidence

Listen for:

How the groove and riff seem to disagree yet always resolve together

Training:

Tracking a riff's implied polyrhythm while holding the true meter steady

Challenge:

Play the full riff section counting only the true meter, ignoring the riff's implied pulse

• Intro: Establishing the polyrhythmic riff figure
• Verse: Groove locking the polyrhythm to the riff
• Bridge: Metric modulation into a new felt pulse
• Outro: Resolves back to the main groove to close

≈ 100 · 4/4

Prep with: Stage 2 — Core grooves — tribal tom-driven pulse

Primary technique:

Melodic tom orchestration

Also trains:

Sparse crash accents, Groove-to-fill transitions, Dynamics

Key groove:

A groove that leaves space for orchestrated fills to answer the riff melodically

Signature fill:

Tom run that mirrors the guitar's melodic phrase note for note

Transition:

Smooth pivot from groove into fill and back with no dropped beat

Listen for:

How each fill seems to answer a specific melodic phrase in the riff

Training:

Composing fills that musically respond to what the riff is doing

Challenge:

Write and play an original fill that answers a new riff the same way

• Intro: Establishing groove with light orchestration
• Verse: Groove with tom fills answering guitar phrases
• Bridge: Extended orchestrated section
• Outro: Groove returns, fading with a final fill

≈ 135 · 4/4

Prep with: Stage 5 — Advanced coordination — double kick with jazz-like touch

Primary technique:

Double kick with dynamic shading

Also trains:

Kick bursts, Four-limb independence, Groove consistency

Key groove:

A driving double-kick groove that shifts dynamically rather than staying flat

Signature fill:

Double-kick burst placed as musical punctuation between riff phrases

Transition:

Groove holds through the transition with a dynamic lift as the only marker

Listen for:

How the double-kick pattern varies in intensity to match the riff's energy

Training:

Playing double kick that stays musical and dynamically shaded rather than flat

Challenge:

Play the full double-kick verse with deliberate dynamic shading throughout

• Intro: Establishing the double-kick groove
• Verse: Dynamically shaded double-kick groove under the riff
• Bridge: Kick burst punctuating a riff change
• Outro: Groove sustained to the final bar

≈ 95 (shifting) · 4/4 with dynamic sections

Prep with: Stage 1 — Foundations — dynamics from the ground up

Primary technique:

Shifting dynamic sections within one song

Also trains:

Tribal toms, Orchestrated fills, Restraint

Key groove:

A groove that moves between quiet, tom-led verses and huge, open choruses

Signature fill:

Tom-led build bridging a quiet verse into a loud chorus

Transition:

Clear dynamic contrast marking every section change

Listen for:

How distinct each dynamic level feels despite using the same core groove vocabulary

Training:

Shaping clearly different dynamic levels across sections of the same song

Challenge:

Play the whole song exaggerating the dynamic contrast between every section

• Intro: Quiet, tribal tom pulse
• Verse: Restrained groove building gradually
• Chorus: Full, open groove with crash accents
• Bridge: Tom-led build back into the chorus
• Outro: Fading back to the quiet pulse

≈ 110 · Polyrhythmic 4/4

Prep with: Stage 3 — Signature techniques — polyrhythmic riff-locking

Primary technique:

Precise polyrhythmic riff tracking

Also trains:

Metric modulation, Double kick, Odd groupings

Key groove:

A tightly locked polyrhythmic groove matching the main riff exactly

Signature fill:

Fill that resolves a complex polyrhythm exactly on the true downbeat

Transition:

Confident metric pivot executed with total precision

Listen for:

How exactly the groove locks to the riff's implied pulse at this tighter tempo

Training:

Holding complex polyrhythms steady with precision at a brisker tempo

Challenge:

Play the main riff groove at performance tempo with zero rhythmic ambiguity

• Intro: Establishing the polyrhythmic main riff
• Verse: Tightly locked groove under the riff
• Bridge: Metric modulation into a new felt pulse
• Outro: Resolves back to the main groove to close

≈ 120 · 4/4

Prep with: Stage 1 — Foundations — dynamics from the ground up

Primary technique:

Dynamic contrast between verse and chorus

Also trains:

Crash accents, Snare-tom combinations, Groove consistency

Key groove:

A restrained verse groove opening into a driving, crash-heavy chorus

Signature fill:

Snare-tom fill building the dynamic lift into the chorus

Transition:

Clear dynamic and textural lift marking the chorus entrance

Listen for:

How the chorus feels bigger through dynamics rather than just extra notes

Training:

Building convincing dynamic contrast between verse and chorus sections

Challenge:

Play the whole song exaggerating the dynamic gap between verse and chorus

• Intro: Establishing the restrained verse groove
• Verse: Restrained groove building tension
• Chorus: Driving, crash-heavy groove
• Fill: Snare-tom fill building the dynamic lift
• Outro: Groove sustained to the final bar

≈ 105 · 4/4

Prep with: Stage 1 — Foundations — dynamics from the ground up

Primary technique:

Restraint and space as expressive tools

Also trains:

Ghost notes, Half-time pocket, Dynamics

Key groove:

A tight, groove-driven main riff pattern that leaves deliberate space

Signature fill:

A minimal, space-conscious fill that says more with fewer notes

Transition:

A quiet dynamic drop rather than a big fill marks the chorus entrance

Listen for:

How much impact comes from the notes left out rather than played

Training:

Using space and restraint as deliberate musical choices

Challenge:

Play the whole song using noticeably fewer fills than feels natural, for contrast

• Intro: Establishing the tight main groove
• Verse: Groove with deliberate space and ghost notes
• Chorus: Fuller groove with restrained dynamics
• Bridge: Half-time pocket for contrast
• Outro: Groove sustained to the final bar

≈ 100 · 4/4

Prep with: Stage 1 — Foundations — dynamics from the ground up

Primary technique:

Controlled, minimalist groove

Also trains:

Ghost notes, Half-time pocket, Dynamics

Key groove:

A stripped-back, half-time groove that lets the riff's weight do the work

Signature fill:

A single, carefully placed tom hit standing in for a full fill

Transition:

Minimal dynamic shift carries the transition rather than a busy fill

Listen for:

How the groove creates weight through space rather than note count

Training:

Committing fully to a minimalist groove without adding unnecessary notes

Challenge:

Play the whole song without adding a single extra fill beyond what's essential

• Intro: Establishing the minimalist half-time groove
• Verse: Stripped-back groove under the riff
• Chorus: Slightly fuller groove with restrained dynamics
• Outro: Groove fades to close

≈ 115 (shifting) · Polyrhythmic sections in 4/4

Prep with: Stage 2 — Core grooves — tribal tom-driven pulse

Primary technique:

Dense polyrhythmic sections sustained across a full song

Also trains:

Orchestrated fills, Four-limb independence, Endurance

Key groove:

A complex polyrhythmic groove sustained across multiple long sections

Signature fill:

Extended orchestrated fill bridging two different polyrhythmic sections

Transition:

Confident pivot between differently grouped polyrhythmic sections

Listen for:

How the groove's shape stays musical even through the most technically demanding parts

Training:

Sustaining musical shading and polyrhythmic accuracy over a long, demanding song

Challenge:

Play the whole song without ever losing the groove's musical shape under fatigue

• Intro: Establishing the polyrhythmic main groove
• Verse: Dense polyrhythmic groove under the riff
• Bridge: Orchestrated fill bridging two sections
• Climax: Full-intensity polyrhythmic groove
• Outro: Groove resolves to close the song