Question about Will's drumming.

[fakfak]

I just realized that Will almost never plays Tom fills in any of his drum parts. Does he have any songs where he actually plays a full on Tom fill? The ending of Fix You sounds like toms in the recorded version, but I noticed live he plays this on the snare as well. I'm not a drummer, so I'm no expert and can't really tell the tonal nuances. I just find this to be an unusual style of drumming.

[Batman]

I don't think so, no :thinking:

 

But I'm not an expert either, but I really can't think of any song where he plays a full one.

[Mollyxyloto]

Don't think so

[fakfak]

I don't think so, no :thinking:

 

But I'm not an expert either, but I really can't think of any song where he plays a full one.

 

 

It's a really weird style.

[Batman]

It's Coldplay style :charming:

[fakfak]

It's Coldplay style :charming:

 

I'm not saying it's bad, I just find it unusual. Will definitely has a signature style to his playing. He's far from the most accomplished drum technician, but many players would struggle to replicate his style nonetheless.

[MosesTheMarshmallow]

Toms don't show up in every song, but I think it's erroneous to say they're not so.

 

These are my favourite tom moments that come to mind:

Fix You - he DOES play the toms in the end live.

Violet Hill - There's a big tom fill in the 2nd verse.

What If - Big fill in the song's climax.

Speed of Sound - There's a lot of tom in the verses, and a lot of fills in the choruses

Lost! and Strawberry Swing - should be obvious

The Scientist and Trouble - There are toms in the (relatively simple) fills

 

That said, Will wasn't formally trained in drums, and as a drummer who also never received formal instruction, I do feel like toms are difficult to integrate compared to snares/cymbals. There are also songs where there distinctly aren't toms, and I feel like that's especially the case for MX - Charlie Brown, Paradise, HLH, DLIBYH, ETIAW, UIF, POC, UATW don't seem to have toms. Major Minus has an important toms part though. Now that I think about it then, maybe it's just that MX the album hasn't got a lot of toms, and that's because some of them are very bass and cymbal driven.

[fakfak]

Toms don't show up in every song, but I think it's erroneous to say they're not so.

 

These are my favourite tom moments that come to mind:

Fix You - he DOES play the toms in the end live.

Violet Hill - There's a big tom fill in the 2nd verse.

What If - Big fill in the song's climax.

Speed of Sound - There's a lot of tom in the verses, and a lot of fills in the choruses

Lost! and Strawberry Swing - should be obvious

The Scientist and Trouble - There are toms in the (relatively simple) fills

 

That said, Will wasn't formally trained in drums, and as a drummer who also never received formal instruction, I do feel like toms are difficult to integrate compared to snares/cymbals. There are also songs where there distinctly aren't toms, and I feel like that's especially the case for MX - Charlie Brown, Paradise, HLH, DLIBYH, ETIAW, UIF, POC, UATW don't seem to have toms. Major Minus has an important toms part though. Now that I think about it then, maybe it's just that MX the album hasn't got a lot of toms, and that's because some of them are very bass and cymbal driven.

 

I didn't say he never uses them, only that he uses them very sparingly compared to most drummers, and often doesn't play them in places where other drummers would. Paradise in the hands of most drummers would've ended with a big f^%k off Tom fill, but Will's part is very tasteful and restrained.

[42JTR]

Yeah Will isn't the most technical advanced drummer with thousands of fills , but then again I don't think many fills will suite on a Coldplay song:) But as a drummer myself I love to drum Coldplay songs, and you can be surprised by the complexity of some songs, for example 42, DLIBYH and Major Minus(not the studio version though).42 is in my opinion an absolute masterpiece of drumming. But he actually uses quite some tom fills but they're just not so notable.

And I have to say this, Will is my big example, because of him I'm a drummer now:D

[The Champion]

What about White Shadows?

[Brent]

So on the first page it cuts off at: "Question about Will's..."

 

And I thought it would say "Sexuality" for some reason.

 

ok bye

[Mollyxyloto]

So on the first page it cuts off at: "Question about Will's..."

 

And I thought it would say "Sexuality" for some reason.

 

ok bye

 

Bye Brent

[86Timewarp]

Toms don't show up in every song, but I think it's erroneous to say they're not so.

 

These are my favourite tom moments that come to mind:

Fix You - he DOES play the toms in the end live.

Violet Hill - There's a big tom fill in the 2nd verse.

What If - Big fill in the song's climax.

Speed of Sound - There's a lot of tom in the verses, and a lot of fills in the choruses

Lost! and Strawberry Swing - should be obvious

The Scientist and Trouble - There are toms in the (relatively simple) fills

 

That said, Will wasn't formally trained in drums, and as a drummer who also never received formal instruction, I do feel like toms are difficult to integrate compared to snares/cymbals. There are also songs where there distinctly aren't toms, and I feel like that's especially the case for MX - Charlie Brown, Paradise, HLH, DLIBYH, ETIAW, UIF, POC, UATW don't seem to have toms. Major Minus has an important toms part though. Now that I think about it then, maybe it's just that MX the album hasn't got a lot of toms, and that's because some of them are very bass and cymbal driven.

 

Agreed. The only real application I can associate with the toms is a Jazz song called Zoot Suit :P