Francesco Vecchio - Neil Peart: An Introduction to His Drumming Style

Neil Peart: An Introduction to His Drumming Style

Francesco Vecchio

Neil Peart: An Introduction to His Drumming Style

Transcriptions by Francesco Vecchio

Design and cover art by Francesco Vecchio

Cover Photo by Igor Vidyashev/ZUMA Press/Alamy Live News

Copyright 2021 by Francesco Vecchio

All rights reserved. Unauthorized copying, arranging, adapting or recording is an infringement of copyright. Infringers are liable under the law.

www.francisdrummingblog.com

2021 Francesco Vecchio

About the Author

F rancesco Vecchio (born August 6, 1989, Brindisi, Italy) is a musician, drummer, percussionist, composer and music producer. He started to play drums at 16 years old, taking private tuitions with Roberto Cati. In 2013, he moved to Rome to attend the Saint Louis College of Music, studying drums with Gianni Di Renzo, Claudio Mastracci, and Roberto Gatto, graduating with a bachelors degree of jazz course in drums and percussion, with a thesis in melodic drumming. In September 2018, he completed a masters degree in music for video games at the Santa Cecilia Conservatory in Rome.

Throughout the years, he worked as a drummer and percussionist in different music situations, from rock to funk, to samba and jazz, playing in many music festivals and Italian television shows. As a composer and music producer, he created a wide variety of music from electronic to jazz, to pop and classical, which frequently has been featured in various video games, mobile apps and advertising promos.

With his solo project Francis V, he released EPs and singles for various music labels as Neele Records, Epic Tones Records and Rehegoo Music, selling also audio contents for royalty-free music marketplace and managing the music library Free Soundtrack Music.

Author of the drum book Jeff Porcaro Grooves , he is the owner and founder of the remarkable Francis' Drumming Blog, which serves as a huge resource of drum transcriptions, drum books, exercises and everything related to drums and percussion.

Introduction

N eil Peart is acknowledged as one of the greatest drummers of all time. The impact he had on the drumming community was huge. He inspired a generation of drummers and is still a formative influence. He was nicknamed The Professor for his musicality, precision and accuracy on the drums.

At the beginning of my journey to play drums, Neil Peart was one of my first influences: a true inspiration for his musical approach. Creativity, perfectionism and a huge sense of timing are some unforgettable aspects of his drumming. Neil Peart's most important works were recorded with the Canadian rock band Rush , playing all the drums and percussion parts and becoming the primary lyricist, from the second album Fly by Night (1975) to the latest Clockwork Angels (2012). Neil Peart was a true artist, a perfect example of what a man can do with a life. He wrote lyrics, books, essays and short stories with a timeless variety of themes.

The conception of this book comes from the transcription and study of one of Neil Peart's most remarkable works: Cygnus X-1 Book II: Hemispheres, which is the first track on the sixth album Hemispheres (1978) by Rush, where Neil also wrote the lyrics. The rhythmic ideas and grooves inspired me to write an entire book about Neil Peart, his life, musical influences and style. This is nothing short of a dedication to his legacy.

Neil Peart's biography, his drum influences, an interview, a photo gallery and the history of the album are included to introduce the complete drum sheet music of the song, written and notated entirely note-per-note. The main grooves and fills, played during the 18 minutes of the song, are shown and analyzed separately in order to better understand the sticking and the dynamics. Every example is also accompanied by an audio file.

This book is intended both for drummers and Rush fans: a guide for all the drummers who want to understand the basics of the extraordinary Neil Peart's drumming, and a document to collect for all the Rush fans.

In loving memory of Neil Ellwood Peart

Biography

N eil Peart was born on September 12, 1952 in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. He first lived on the family dairy farm, near Hagersville, and after the family moved to nearby St. Catharines, Neil began drum lessons at age thirteen. He studied with local teacher Don George, and then played in a succession of rock bands. His early influences included Gene Krupa, Keith Moon, Mitch Mitchell, Ginger Baker, Michael Giles, John Bonham, and Michael Shrieve. At eighteen, he moved to London, England, a time about which he has said, I was seeking fame and fortune, and found anonymity and poverty. But I learned a lot about life.

Returning to Canada in 1972, Neil began working at his fathers farm equipment dealership, playing part-time in local bands. His influences then included Phil Collins, Bill Bruford, and Billy Cobham. In 1974 Neil auditioned for the Toronto-based band Rush, who needed a drummer for their upcoming North American Tour. He officially joined the band on July 29, 1974.

Neil appeared on Rushs second album Fly By Night (1975), contributing most of the lyrics, as he would throughout their career. It was Rushs fourth album, 2112 , released in 1976, that brought the band their first measure of success. They gradually built on that modest popularity with A Farewell to Kings , Hemispheres and Permanent Waves , then cemented their classic rock status with the enduring favorite Moving Pictures in 1981. Along the way, Rush earned a reputation for their elaborate live shows and became a perennially popular touring band.

On August 10, 1997, Neil Peart's 19-year-old daughter Selena Taylor died in a car accident. The following year, on June 20 Peart's wife Jacqueline Taylor passed away from terminal cancer. These two tragic event changed Neil Peart's life. He told his bandmates to consider him retired, and he then embarked on a solitary motorcycle trip across the United States and Mexico, covering 55,000 miles. He remarried in 2000, then found his way back to Rush by 2001.