Subdivisions by Rush, is the drumming in that song truly hard to play?

I’ve heard from a few drummers that Rush songs are really hard to play because they’re so technical. As for the best drummer in the world – I know that there are diehard Peart fans but there seem to be more in the John Bonham camp.

If you’re a beginner, Niel Pert us setting the bar real high.

Better to go smaller to start and work your way up. That guy is possibly one of the most talented drummers in history.

I agree, John Bonham is/was one of the greatest drummers…
Along with Keith Moon (The Who)
Buddy Rich
Neil Peart (Rush)
John Densmore (Doors)
Clyde Stubblefield (James Brown)

One must not forget Danny Carey (Tool).

@Silence04 I was going to say Danny. I got to see them last summer. Unreal.

Absolutely, and I’m about intermediate. If you listen to the fill out of the first, it’s all triplets, which are not really easy. The beginning drum part is pretty straightforward minus the snare syncopation, which isn’t really all that difficult, but the verse part of the song where he switches to the ride cymbal instead of the hi-hat can be very difficult because of the pure speed he can play with one hand instead of the other.

The keyboard/guitar solo is probably the most difficult part of the song on drums, though, with the sixteenth notes on the ride with one hand. That is difficult, especially for a beginner not yet establishing stick control.

For the song itself, though, I can personally say there’s no way I could play much more than the first few minutes of it note for note, and there’s a lot of Bonham stuff and Moon songs that I can play.

Personally, I think Neil Peart is better than Keith Moon or John Bonham just because of the pure technicality he plays with, but I think Moon had better fills and more speed and Bonham had a better groove.

That being said, I don’t think Bonham is that good.

I’m a drummer myself and I’m surrounded by drummers all day.
I gotta say, they all worship him.

Well, kids, I’ll get to see him this summer (with Geddy and the boys). Looking forward to that.