Meet Darth Ear

SONG TITLE:

MEET DARTH EAR

GENRE:

PROGRESSIVE METAL

TEMPO:

120 BPM

TECH FEATURES:

q =120

FAST DOUBLES
VARIED NOTE VALUES
ODD TIME SIGNATURES
CHARLIE GRIFFITHS
& JASON BOWLD

PERSONNEL:

CHARLIE GRIFFITHS (GTR)

JASON BOWLD (DRUMS)
DAVE MARKS (BASS)

OVERVIEW

[3]

STYLE FOCUS
Prog metal requires a great degree of focus and
accuracy to ensure the drums perfectly accentuate
specific guitar riffs and accents. Rhythmic changes
to the groove and time signature are a natural
occurrence in this style so you must be familiar with
the road map of the song before embarking on a full
performance of it.

drummers and is revered as one of the worlds most

influential players.

The prog tag comes from both genres use of

odd time signatures, complex structures and a wide
range of influences from jazz to classical. Prog metal
emerged as a genre in its own right during the mid
1980s. At this point, Queensrche, Dream Theater
and Fates Warning were born, all blessed with
talented drummers (Mike Portnoy of Dream Theatre
especially became widely respected).

Even bands of other genres of metal have injected

aspects of prog into their sound, including Megadeth
and Pantera, while prog metals spirit continues today
in Mastodon, Opeth and Coheed And Cambria.

A
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Prog metal is a sub-genre of metal with its roots

in progressive (prog) rock of the 1970s. Bands such
as King Crimson, Uriah Heep and Rush championed
[5]
the style commercially at that time and the latter
continue to do so to this day. Neil Peart of Rush set
the standard for all aspiring prog metal and prog rock
Rockschool Drums Grade 8

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Meet Darth Ear is a prog metal track celebrating

the style of bands in the vein of Dream Theater,
Megadeth and Annihilator. The track features time
signature changes, fast doubles with the right foot,
and complex fills that accelerate through different
note values among its techniques.

THE BIGGER PICTURE

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WITH RIGHT FOOT

COMPOSERS:

Progressive Metal

RECOMMENDED LISTENING

Portnoys drumming encompasses the modern

prog metal sound and Under A Glass Moon from
their 1992 album Images And Words is a good point
of reference. Brann Dailors drumming for Mastodon
is worth investigating, especially on their 2011 album
The Hunter. For something vintage that still stands
up, Pearts style cant be ignored. Spirit Of The Radio
and other songs display a broad range of styles and
techniques that are essential to the prog sound.

Copyright 2012 Rock School Ltd.

Meet Darth Ear

Double bass drum version

q =120

Charlie Griffiths & Jason Bowld

Progressive Metal

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Rockschool Drums Grade 8

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Copyright 2012 Rock School Ltd.

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[36]

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[39]

Bass Solo (8 bars)

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Rockschool Drums Grade 8

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Copyright 2012 Rock School Ltd.

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[47]

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Guitar Solo (16 bars)

Develop

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Rockschool Drums Grade 8

>

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Copyright 2012 Rock School Ltd.

 44

Drum Solo (8 bars)

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Rockschool Drums Grade 8

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Copyright 2012 Rock School Ltd.

Walkthrough
A Section (Bars 19)

F Section (Bars 4964)

Bar 4 | Dotted crash fill

This fill has a dotted eighth-note feel on the four crash
cymbals. Try the sticking outlined in Fig.1.

Bars 4956 | Developing the 7/8 cross stick groove

Musically, this section is similar to the first 7/8 ride groove
which was played in bars 1724, but with more room for
development. You have the freedom to play some dynamic
fills such as six stroke rolls or other rudimentary patterns.

This section features a groove featuring quick right foot

doubles and synchronisation with the guitar riff.

B Section (Bars 1016)

Odd time signatures lengthen and shorten the groove here

for dramatic rhythmic changes and fills.
Bars 1016 | Odd time signatures
In addition to 4/4 there are four other time signatures in
this section. The easiest to way to think of them is simply as
extra beats added on to 4/4. Bar 13 in 3/4 is a fill.

C Section (Bars 1732)

This section features a ride groove in 7/8 that develops.

Bars 1724 | 7/8 ride groove
In this groove, every bar is similar in that two bass hits are
always played on beats one and three, and the backbeat
always lands on beat five. Every other bar feels different
simply because it is displaced by an eighth note.
Bars 2532 | 7/8 development
Try increasing the bass drum hits for a development idea,
playing in between the eighth note ride beats and also
adding fills every other bar to increase the intensity.

The previous groove is developed dynamically and breaks

into a powerful build on the toms from bar 57 to 64.

G Section (Bars 6572)

It is important to explore possibilities such as playing over

the bar or creating two-bar phrases in this solo. Bar 72
should form a unison drum and guitar fill.

H & I Sections (Bars 7387)

Section H is a reprise of the A section with slightly different

fills. Section I is a reprise of the B section, except that the
ride bell is favoured over the hi-hats.
Bars 8687 | Changing gears
To end this song, you are required to switch from 16th notes
to eighth-note triplets. These final two bars can be counted
as 1e& 2& 3&a 4-trip-let 1 (Fig.2).
An alternative exam version of this tune, featuring double bass
drum, is available for download on the rockschool website.

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D Section (Bars 3340)

This section features a hard-hitting groove embellished by

fills that complement the guitar riff every four bars.
Bars 3340 | Rock groove and fills
In order to sound big, the crashes should not be over-hit in
this rock groove. Therefore, the backbeats, bass drum and
the fills in bars 36 and 40 should be played as powerfully.

E Section (Bars 4148)

The bass solo section features a cross-stick groove played in

7/8 that includes an evolving ride pattern.
Bars 4147 | 7/8 cross stick groove
Here, the cross stick plays on every quarter note. As it is in
7/8, be aware that this will displace onto the offbeat in every
other bar. The bass drum locks down with the bass and a
polyrhythm occurs during bar 44 as the ride breaks into a
shuffle pattern, effectively playing six over seven.
Rockschool Drums Grade 8

Fig.1: Dotted crash fill

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1 e & (a) 2 (e) & (a) 3 (e) & a 4 trip let

Fig.2: Changing gears

Copyright 2012 Rock School Ltd.