Prince's Drummer Breaks Down 5 Iconic Grooves

Hannah Welton worked with Prince from 2012 until his passing in 2016 as part of his backing band, 3RDEYEGIRL.

A product of the social age, she got her big break when Prince discovered her on YouTube, so it’s no wonder Welton emphasizes the importance of practicing regularly and sharing your playing online (“Because you never know who’s going to come across your work!”)

A bonus of working with Prince was that he was an exceptional drummer and groove writer himself, so when you were playing parts he’d written, you knew they’d be perfect for each song.

Enough of the backstory. Bring on Hannah Welton’s 5 favorite Prince grooves!

0:00 - Intro
0:40 - "Let's Work"
3:36 - "Purple Rain"
6:45 - "777-9311"
9:46 - "Mountains"
11:57 - "Musicology"
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[Borszczuk]

Whoever decided to illuminate the set with this purple light is a bloody genius :) The effect is fantastic!

[Silent-Lucidity]

I can't even imagine being in the presence of Prince. To be selected as his drummer says volumes about your talent!!! Well done!!

[PNWGuitar]

If princes musical ability is not already obvious, you can tell talking to anyone who played with him. They always speak about how he made them better and increased their musicality and dynamic range

[dreamerrt]

This was absolutely amazing! Hannah is an excellent orator which compliments her versatility on the kit. Her enthusiasm is genuine and she is magnetic. I would love to see her break down Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad some day. Great video!

[billbigler]

Very nice lesson. Some parts of the grooves are fairly simple. But the nuances she employs are great musicianship.

[arothmanmusic]

I remember following her on YouTube back before she was married and before Prince found her. I am so happy to see Hannah getting her recognition. Such a talented player and a cool person.

[e.j.leonard]

I like how Hannah is just as enthusiastic and focused when talking about the (more apparently) `easier' grooves as the `harder' ones. That kind of professional attention to detail and precision, while still keeping it all about the feel, is really important for students (and we're all students) to hear and see modeled

[TheSentinel]

The intentionally inconsistent, swelling hihat in Musicology was SO cool - as Hannah herself says, the small things make the biggest difference! Such a great lesson, thanks so much

[jamesmonroe]

A most skillful percussionist breaking down the rhythm tracks of a VERY MUCH missed master musician-the LATE GREAT Prince Rogers Nelson! He left us almost five years ago-hearing Hannah playing these beats composed by Prince makes one think of the music he could have given us if he were still here on Earth! This man left us MUCH too soon!!!

[NeonRadarMusic]

As a music teacher, I wish kids realized how goddamn cool it is to be a *musician* and not just a star who hogs the spotlight and gets all the Instagram likes. Hope a few kids watch this and ask their parents for a practice kit.

[darkbluebossa]

so cool that she explains the way Prince told her, that sometimes are different from how most drummers would play (like the hi hat on ´Let´s work´).

[iamairsoft]

She's so humble and down to earth, and as a weaker drummer I feel like I can easily relate to her description of her process of learning, which makes her a good teacher. But she shreds the a humble badass.

[andybltt]

The video clip of Prince playing “Let’s Work” live is actually the track “Cool” that he wrote for The Time. Be great if someone broke down the drum intro on “Shhh” from The Gold Experience as that is an overlooked classic for me.

[Romans]

Always have loved knowing how to play Prince's compositions. I knew Prince was a genius from day one. RIP Prince

[socalrenegal]

I appreciate the way she thinks about learning different groves and explains them. She is a GREAT representative for Prince’s music. She is so respectful and not egotistical. Excellent teacher.

[rafriley]

I had the honour of seeing Prince live before he passed and I distinctly remember thinking the band was one of the best I’d ever heard. Never over playing or egoistic - always rock solid but still super groovy. This woman is a shining example of how musicians should support the artist 👏

[markchristopher]

🥁 OMG mad skills!! Your technique
is impeccable & your enthusiasm
contagious. Thank you so much for
a phenomenal breakdown video! 😊

[jacquimoore]

Thank you Hannah for breaking down these amazing songs. Hearing the background information makes the enjoyment of the songs even better. I wish Prince had made videos like this!!! Thank you again Hannah.

[charmcitytoe]

Nice to hear your work solo Hannah. Having seen y'all live, it was really easy to tell why he chose you as you fit right into the groove. You and Ida keep that funk line straight and I'm sure he had a great time working with you. RIP Prince. May y'all keep groovin on! Happy New Year!

[Blackriver]

I already consider Prince the greatest musical mind of my lifetime and somehow I'm still always finding even more evidence to support that statement. Amazing.