The Jazz Drum Soloing Formula - Steve Lyman

Faster Hands & Feet (in 10 days)

The drum set is just one avenue for musical communication. Steve Lyman shares his wisdom in this 50-minute lesson, “The jazz drum soloing formula.”

You’ll learn how to “deepen your storytelling capacity”, develop the ability to choose your narrative, and ultimately draw people in. Steve reveals his formula, which combines these four mechanisms (or components) into drum solo vocabulary:

1. Melodic: Deepening your melodic playing
2. Rhythmic: Building deep/challenging rhythmic connections
3. Textural: Creating soundscapes and dynamics for visualization
4. Harmonic: Layering vertically

Whether you’re matching the pitch of your drums to a melody, orchestrating sticking patterns around the kit in different subdivisions, building textures, or anchoring rhythms with ‘chords’, this lesson will help you develop the language you need to create meaningful jazz solos.

Lesson Index:
0:00 – SONG: “Pulsar” by Chase Baird
5:35 – Introduction
6:34 – Drum solo #1
9:25 – Overview of the four mechanisms
12:42 – The melodic mechanism
20:49 – The rhythmic mechanism
27:39 – The textural mechanism
31:53 – The harmonic mechanism
34:00 – Combining these concepts
42:00 – Drum solo #2
45:15 – Drum solo #3

Follow us:

[billbrandt]

At LAST! This is what I want to learn. Please have more jazz lessons that are as good as the ones Steve Lyman are giving us here OR have Steve back many more times.

[davidgibson]

This guy is zen. It's so good to hear a beautiful kit played so respectfully and efficiently. "I'm not dependent on phrases starting on a downbeat to keep my place". Wise words.

[ralves]

This kind of groove, i always had it in my head since child, but never had the hability to put into the drum. So that really gives me a nostalgic feeling, this solo.

[karldejong]

more jazz!!! it’s the only thing drumeo is missing!!! jazz drumming is big these days

[ricardolomeligomez]

I think a good example of a master of Textural drum soloing and playing in general is Brian Blade. Marcus Gilmore too of course, but I immediately thought of the countless Brian Blade moments that felt transcendent and genius to my ear, but in essence were nothing groundbreaking necessarily chops-wise, but the story being told and the mastery of his textural space on his kit is INSANE. His whole sound sounds so intentional and conscious the entire time. Great lesson Stevely Man!

[CaliforniaBushman]

Hey Steve! I played with Ben Johnson, Dave & Joe, Sam Bevin, in SLC around 20 years ago. As the drummer guy with the fro. Don't know if you remember. I used to play the 9th & 9th coffee shop with Doug and others before it moved. Saw you on the cover of Drumhead & was like "ALRIGHT STEVE!!" Bought it. Great interview and hangs with Jimmy Chamberlain. Love the stuff your doing for Drummeo & how far you've come 😲.

[b.p.]

This was amazing! I hate to say so little about such a brilliant performance and technique but all I can say is this is exactly what I've been looking for and more, to expand my abilities. I'm blown away.

[jaymeramirez]

Reminds me of Mark Guiliana with more cymbals. Love it.
My sound has always been these type of hats. I have always had my home kit setup with these holy style crashes as hats. I need to revisit that

[batwithglasses]

Wow, could be Mark Guilianas lost brother from another mother..
The parallels are astonishing.

[jhenlim]

woah! I can actually hear the melody! amazing

[sewolawen]

Thank you for this. More jazz lessons like this, please!

[ft.galpardo]

well that's a great lesson. so grateful this stuff is free

[owendurkin]

This was wicked. Definitely opened some new doors to peak through. Love how it is about sound and art and not just chops.

[olejakob]

I always wonder why people sounds like I’ve started on a big dangerous quest into the universe of lord of the rings or narnia when I say I’ve started exploring jazz as a beginner, then I watch this and understand that they think about modern jazz and bebop while I think about big band drumming, cause this? Yes this is difficult jazz drumming for sure! I wouldn’t know where to begin, this is a high level of jazz soloing 🤩🤩

[NV-Nevto]

Love this lesson. More drumming vocabulary has been added to my playing :).

Reminds me a little of Jojo Mayer kind of drumming since he also plays something jazzy.

[arjunchakraborty]

I mean.... why is he so underrated??!!!

[brendanleahy]

Holy moly! I enjoyed that immensely. Incredible insight. Thanks a million drumeo.

[devyneynes]

Hello, I would like to see classes on how to follow a jazz theme, from beginning to end, with all its parts, bridges etc. So far there are thousands of videos that teach to play the drums in jazz from the technical but none that explains and shows on a subject part by part from beginning to end and I think it is a good opportunity to teach that. Greetings from Argentina, thanks!

[StompL]

Makes think of ari hoenig. Damon its his teacher. I love this concept of having notes in front of you. Dan Weiss is killing it too

[freecitizen]

As far as being melodic and harmonious goes, I have my 5 toms and 18-inch bass drum tuned to an E minor 7 chord/arpeggio.
(E-B-E-G-B-D)
All combinations of those intervals are in harmony with each other.