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Drumming Discipline & Improvisation

John Blackwell  /  UPDATED Nov 21, 2023

John Blackwell was an amazing drummer who played with Prince, Patti LaBelle, Cameo, and Justin Timberlake – and he was kind enough to visit our studio for a special drum lesson on Drumming Discipline & Improvisation. His passion for sharing drumming knowledge was inspirational, and it was an honor to have him out at Drumeo.

Video Index:

  • Intro Song – 00:00
  • Drum Solo – 07:20
  • Jared Intro – 17:45
  • Discipline – 19:53
  • Squirrel – 34:44
  • Improvisation – 35:23
  • Drum Solo – 39:00
  • Song “Father Daughter – 49:54
  • Questions – 55:35
  • Drum Solo – 1:28:00

A big thank you to Tama Drums, Yamaha DTX Drums, and Zildjian Cymbals & Sticks.


John Blackwell (1973-2017) was an extraordinary live and studio musician whose infectious groove and jaw-dropping showmanship techniques helped him seize the drum chair for some of the biggest names in the music industry: Prince, Justin Timberlake, Cameo, Patti LaBelle, and Hikaru Utada, just to name a few. John found in the world of education another outlet for his love for music and drumming, as seen through his performance at the Modern Drummer Festival and the release of two instructional DVDs.

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