DAVE WECKL, STEVE GADD, & VINNIE COLAIUTA (BUDDY RICH MEMORIAL CONCERT) FULL DRUM TRANSCRIPTION!

Hands down, this is one of the greatest moments in drumming history.

This legendary performance features Dave Weckl, Steve Gadd, and Vinnie Colaiuta all trading drum solos with each other.

(This performance was originally seen on the Buddy Rich Scholarship Concert (Tape 2) in 1989 by DCI Music Videos.) 

In the video below, I’ve transcribed the entire solo section note-for-note so that you can follow along!

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Want to learn this transcription?
Download a printable transcription below:

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3 KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS PERFORMANCE:

#1 - MAIN GROOVE
Based on Steve Gadd’s “Mozambique” sticking pattern.

#2 - THEME
Pay attention to how each solo builds from the previous one, and how they all listen to each other for inspiration. 

#3 - PHRASING
There’s a lifetime of phrases in this video to study that you can use in your own playing (download a PDF here).

Lastly, a big thanks to Dave, Steve, and Vinnie for the never-ending inspiration… when watching, consider how cutting-edge this performance would have been at the time, and even 30 YEARS LATER the video is still as mind-blowing as it was in 1989. A testament to their true mastery on the instrument.

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