We Dared A Funk Drummer To Learn “Schism” By Tool

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What if funk/fusion drummer Dennis Chambers was the drummer for Tool?

(Don’t tell Danny Carey.)

Dennis is known for his legendary backbeat and funky style. So of course we felt mischievous and we dared him to try playing “Schism”, one of Tool’s biggest tunes. It’s full of odd time signatures, quick, complex changes and unexpected accents, and Dennis had never heard it before.

But we didn’t ask him to learn the real drum parts: we wanted to see what he’d come up with on his own after hearing the song once. While you’ll hear the song with drums in this video, Dennis was actually listening to a drumless track.

“This is not me,” he warned us as he listened through the track, but “in my younger days, this would’ve been up my alley!”

How will Dennis Chambers not only learn a song he’s never heard before, but in a style he’s unfamiliar with – and in odd time, at that?

Since the song doesn’t have a drum track, he listens for two things: the style and the time signature. Watch Dennis’ playthrough where he gives it his own spin. It’s solid, it’s groovy, and there’s some unexpected footwork later on. It’s amazing how much a song can change with a different approach on the drums.

You’ve never heard Schism played like this before!

We’ve challenged other pro drummers to play songs after hearing them once. See how they did here:

• Larnell Lewis (“Enter Sandman”)
• Greg Bissonnette
• Rashid Williams
• Gil Sharone

If you like Dennis Chambers, he has an entire 12-lesson course on funk drumming for Drumeo members. Join today and learn from the best!

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Dennis Chambers is a legendary drummer who has recorded and performed with artists such as Santana, Steely Dan, Parliament/Funkadelic, John Scofield, Carl Filipiak, John McLaughlin, Niacin, Mike Stern, and many others.