How To Play John Bonham Triplets (Drum Lesson)

If you're a fan of John Bonham and "good times, bad times" on the drums (well, good times at least), check out this video for how to really nail those Bonzo-style triplets on the kit.

The story behind his trademark triplets is that he heard something like it in a Carmine Appice track and started mimicking it. But when Led Zeppelin played with Vanilla Fudge and Bonham told Appice he got the lick from him, Appice told him that's not quite what he'd done, and that it might've been a little double kick lick instead. Either way, Bonham made it his own, played it on a single pedal, and the rest is history.

0:00 - Introduction
1:20 - Bonham Bass Drum Triplet Groove
3:45 - Bonham Triplet Fill

In this first lick, you'll want to keep the 8ths going on the hi-hat and 2 and 4 on the snare, essentially playing Time, and sporadically dropping in the bass drum hits. If you're struggling with the double strokes, try using your toes on the first hit and using your full leg on the second hit.

If you need to really solidify the kick, remove the snare and just try to play the triplets between the hi-hat and bass drum for a while.

Another example of the Bonham triplets is between the hands and feet: left hand, right hand, kick. Keep time with your hi-hat foot to really feel the downbeat. You'll end up with a shuffle between your left and right foot. Bonham led with his left hand, which might be a challenge for righty drummers, but it's important to do if you want to mimic his exact sticking and orchestration.

Now let's take these triplets around the kit as crossovers. As for where your hands should go, start with left right on the snare, then left right on the rack and floor toms. Cross over so you're playing the floor and rack, then cross back and swap hands on the same toms. Tichy calls this the 'Bonzo Fury' lick - and it sounds and looks awesome!

If you liked this video, it's actually a lesson clip from a whole course called "The Grooves Of Bonham", which is available for Drumeo Edge members. Check it out!

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[sm_]

Brian explains bonham stuffs way better and easily than other drum coach
Respect to this guy 🤘

[Drnardinov]

for those of you who think that this is impossible. i finally got it after about 7 months practicing it about 2 hours a week. Most of it in 15 minute shots focusing only on that excercise left right kick. This is the most useful drum lesson i've benifited from on utub.

[dr.doolittle]

Ive watched this.video so many times I've lost count. I've tried and tried. I cried. I threw my sticks across the room. I begged Jesus to bless me with tne ability to learn the techniques showcased in this video. I practiced every single day. My leg hurt so badly. Finally...after 41/2 weeks....i did it. I got it. I can do Thank you for this video. Wonderful. To anyone reading this and about to begin your Bonham triplet quest and you've decided it's now or dont give up. Do exactly how this guy says. Do it real slow everyday. Everyday!!! One day you sit at your kit and you're just doing it. It happens. Listen to the vid and practice everyday. It took me about 4 n a half or 5 weeks.counting the days i had to learn to do a double first. Which this guy teaches you the easiest way. I am so proud. Thank you again for the vid.

[caseyaylward]

I don't play drums at all and I watched this whole video absolutely amazed. I don't know how drummers can do that, it's so awesome

[mediumcoolpictures]

I’ve never seen Bonham’s magic demystified quite so well.

[LowCountryMack]

Since first hearing Zeppelin from my sisters bedroom and playing drums in the marching band at the time.
Bonzo got my attention.
The power and serious cool beats, and tricks that man had just kept you standing there with your mouth open.
I'm 60 years old now and still play. John Bonham stays in my Heart and Brain constantly to this day along with a lot of us.
Thanks for this.👍🥁

[taylorjones]

About as good of an explanation of each of these as I’ve ever heard. Not to mention the kit is tuned perfectly. All respect, sir!

[jford]

I love the way how at 4:48 he slows it right down for us mere mortals to understand, instead of just showing us how amazingly fast he can play this stuff - which he then works up to around 5:22. I really appreciate this approach, helps me get the confidence to have a go!

[kingkillah]

I'm an amateur drummer of 25 years and never was able to crack these two properly. I had the right hand order but wrong toms - and never realized the "a let" on the first groove was two bass drums. I played it more like Purdie shuffle. I will be able to straighten this out quickly now - thank you so much. It's funny how you can play something for years and it just be a smidge off ... you never stop learning. Edit: Whoops I had the wrong hand order as well. I'm lefty so I need to start these with my right hand.

[lordseth]

Best drum sound from a Ludwig Vistalite i ever hear! That snare makes me goosebumps.

[vladderman]

Can we please talk about how beautifully these drums were tuned? That kick sounds great. Never got my 26" to work quite right...same for the toms. Just the perfect balance between that open clear sound and the muddiness from the big sizes

[bobbybvbv]

I bet this guy is one of the nicest people a person can ever meet.

[Soaptoaster]

BRO, I was 12 years old when I first heard Good Times Bad Times and my right bass foot was never, EVER the same!

[Rick-mc]

The truth is what Carmine was doing with his foot he got from the most innovative rock drummer I ever heard, GARY DRISCOL. Gary was Ronnie Dio's drummer when they were Ronnie Dio and the Profits and later the Electric Elves. Ronnie grew up in Cortland, ny, where I spent my freshmen and sophomore years in college. I realize now that I wasn't majoring in psychology, I was majoring in Gary Driscol.
I first heard Ronnie and Gary in 1965. Every drummer that heard GARY was absolutely mesmerized by him. His drumming was hypnotic. He had the fastest foot I had ever heard and his accenting was incredible.
Both Carmine and John were excellent drummers but they couldn't do what Gary could with his foot.
His influence on me was both a blessing and a very frustrating curse because as hard as I tried I could never do with my foot what Gary could. He was like a great athlete who could do something biomechanically with his body (in his case, his ankle and foot) that no one else could. And it wasn't some technique he did with his pedal.
I was listening to the prophets one night at a local bar in Cortland. He did something with his foot that even for him was incredible. They finished their set and Gary came over and sat at the table. I looked at him with a smile and said 'What the f--k was that?' He looked at me with his typical shy grin and while sitting on this rickety bar room chair he started playing with his hands on his thighs and his foot, heel down, on a sticky bar room floor and did it right in front of me.
The truth was/is that most drummers couldn't create the sounds with two feet that Gary could with one.
Tragically he was killed in 1987. It is listed as an 'unsolved' murder.
It is just extremely frustrating to me that Gary has never received the credit and accolades he deserves for his contribution to drumming and rock and roll. Every drummer that is trying to do something with one or two pedals, owes Gary a debt.
Back in the 1960s Carmine was one of my favorite drummers. Every cover band I was in covered the Fudge's version of the Supreme's You keep me hanging on. Every drummer I knew loved playing that song.
The Fudge were a ny group and they would play in NYC and long island all the time. About a year after their version of hanging on was off the charts I heard them and Carmine did a drum solo during that song and I heard him do a Triplett ala Gary's style.
The next day I called a friend in Cortland and asked him if the Prophets had played with the Fudge and he said yeah. I told him about Carmines solo and he asked how it sounded. I said 'really good but it wasn't Gary.' He said, 'nobody is Gary.'
I do hope that someday, in our 'living years, ' Carmine will create some good karma for himself and give Gary the credit he deserves. The universe (and Gary) are listening Carmine.

[danjf]

Carmine Appice is so underrated! I learned early on with my drum teacher through one of Carmine's early teaching books (c. 1986) - I learned much studying through his books and of course through John Bonham and many others! RIP CA & JB 🙏

[wheelie]

not only is this fella a good drum pretty epic.

[ktmvinny]

Lifelong guitar player that demands good drumming. Won’t even listen to a song without it. Thanks to these videos I’ll probably have to play drums too. I can’t get enough of these awesome clips, you, and the kit sound AMAZING. You’re the best and coolest example on the tube. Thank you.

[UpNorthRob]

man, this is one of the most beautiful Bonzo sounds of all. What made him so unique...was playing hard rock..with a swing. No better example than the Bonzo triplets.

[roxxo]

You got ALL my attention with that shirt

[damiancafarella]

I must say, BRAVO!! Not only is the playing and instruction amazing on this video (which it certainly is), but the capture is just stunning! The openness of that drum kit, the ring, the way you aren’t burying the beater the whole time….the tuning, the micing, the fact that it hasn’t been ott crushed with compression….it just sounds and feels amazing! Just huge love!