{"id":46929,"date":"2023-06-30T05:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-06-30T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/?p=46929"},"modified":"2023-07-06T12:48:42","modified_gmt":"2023-07-06T19:48:42","slug":"meshuggah-tomas-haake-genius","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/meshuggah-tomas-haake-genius\/","title":{"rendered":"Meshuggah&#8217;s Tomas Haake: 5 Reasons He&#8217;s A Drumming Genius"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/-MwInJNGZrI\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen=\"\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n\n\n<p>Meshuggah&#8217;s drummer was only 19 when he joined the award-winning band. Tomas Haake is now known as one of the most influential drummers in heavy music, and for good reason.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>From his double kick skills and technical prowess to originating one of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/5-iconic-beats-every-metal-drummer-should-know\/\">most iconic metal drum parts of all time<\/a>, let&#8217;s talk about why Tomas Haake has become such a legend in the drumming world.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"box-snippet\">\n<div class=\"shadow\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div class=\"content\">\n<div>&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div class=\"text-container\">\n<h4><strong>Who is Tomas Haake?<\/strong><\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>He&#8217;s the Grammy-nominated drummer for Swedish metal band Meshuggah. Having joined in 1990, he&#8217;s one of the group&#8217;s longest standing members.<\/li>\n<li>Tomas Haake has landed on multiple &#8220;Top Drummer&#8221; lists, including <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/music\/music-lists\/100-greatest-drummers-of-all-time-77933\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Rolling Stone<\/a> and Drumeo&#8217;s &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/the-top-100-drummers-of-all-time\/\">The 100 Greatest Drummers Of All Time<\/a>&#8220;.<\/li>\n<li>Modern Drummer named Tomas &#8220;Best Metal Drummer&#8221; in their <a href=\"https:\/\/www.drummerworld.com\/drummers\/Tomas_Haake.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">2008 Readers&#8217; Poll<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>Tomas Haake writes most of the lyrics for Meshuggah.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-rank-math-toc-block\" id=\"rank-math-toc\"><nav><ol><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#1-double-bass-mastery\">Double bass mastery<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#2-unconventional-drum-grooves\">Unconventional drum grooves<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#3-polymetric-madness\">Polymetric madness<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#4-a-shifting-backbeat\">A shifting backbeat<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#5-ghost-notes-everywhere\">Ghost notes everywhere<\/a><\/li><\/ol><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"1-double-bass-mastery\">1. Double bass mastery<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Tomas has been dominating the double kick since day one. If you&#8217;ve heard tracks like &#8220;The Abysmal Eye&#8221; and &#8220;New Millennium Cyanide Christ&#8221;, you&#8217;ll know what we mean:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"MESHUGGAH - New Millennium Cyanide Christ (Official Music Video)\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/4A_tSyJBsRQ?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>In &#8220;Clockworks&#8221;, the snare follows chaotic guitar rhythms while the right-left kicks follow in a triplet formation: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"MESHUGGAH - Clockworks (Official Music Video)\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/oFiDcazicdk?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/drumeoblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/beat\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/27105141\/qt-the-genius-of-tomas-haake-01.svg\" alt=\"meshuggah clockworks drum notation\" class=\"wp-image-46916\" width=\"840\" height=\"1047\" title=\"\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">&#8220;Clockworks&#8221; by Meshuggah<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>And then there&#8217;s his relentless consistency, which you can hear in songs like &#8220;The Demon&#8217;s Name Is Surveillance&#8221; &#8211; one of the most &#8216;badass&#8217; shuffles ever:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"The Demon&#039;s Name Is Surveillance\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/YupejUfzRSg?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>We can&#8217;t talk about Tomas Haake&#8217;s insane double bass skills without mentioning one song in particular. Released in 2008, the kick pattern is often referenced alongside beats decades older as one of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/5-iconic-beats-every-metal-drummer-should-know\/\">best metal drum beats<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\">\n<p>&#8220;It was one of those songs that we didn&#8217;t know if I was gonna be able to do it. So for a few months, we didn&#8217;t know if we were gonna have it on the album or not.&#8221;<\/p>\n<cite>Tomas Haake<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>The song in question, of course, is &#8220;Bleed&#8221; &#8211; a track metal drummers like to dare each other to play, much like how classic rock guitarists taunt their friends with &#8220;Freebird&#8221;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Bleed&#8221; is comprised of a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/gavin-harrison-double-bass-groove\/\">herta<\/a> on the feet (RLR L RLR L) with a straight forward beat on the hands. It sounds like two time signatures against each other as the herta moves over the barline &#8211; but people can still groove and headbang to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"MESHUGGAH - Bleed (Official Music Video)\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/qc98u-eGzlc?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>As a hard-hitting metal drummer, Tomas says he had to change his approach on this song. Instead of pushing through using straight power, he needed to &#8216;tap dance&#8217; more softly to keep his feet going for 5 minutes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He apparently spent just as long working out the drums for this track as all the other tracks on the album combined &#8211; probably because the herta keeps evolving throughout the song.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here&#8217;s the intro to &#8220;Bleed&#8221;:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/drumeoblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/beat\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/27105143\/qt-the-genius-of-tomas-haake-02.svg\" alt=\"meshuggah bleed drum notation\" class=\"wp-image-46917\" width=\"839\" height=\"1047\" title=\"\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">&#8220;Bleed&#8221; by Meshuggah<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Can you play it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"2-unconventional-drum-grooves\">2. Unconventional drum grooves<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Meshuggah&#8217;s drum parts are intriguing but &#8220;still have a flow&#8221;, according to Tomas Haake. He typically <a href=\"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/why-you-should-learn-to-program-drum-parts\/\">programs his drum ideas<\/a>, which gives him more time and control to play around with the parts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Tomas&#8217; kicks or snare often follow the guitar rhythms, which can be chaotic and seemingly disjointed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Check out &#8220;Qualms Of Reality&#8221;:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Qualms Of Reality\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/JQ4vtSh5JRs?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/drumeoblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/beat\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/27105145\/qt-the-genius-of-tomas-haake-03.svg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-46918\" width=\"840\" height=\"524\" title=\"\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">&#8220;Qualms Of Reality&#8221; by Meshuggah<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=rCBuNEfADuo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">&#8220;Pineal Gland Optics&#8221;<\/a>, or the groove around the 3-minute mark in &#8220;ObZen&#8221;:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"ObZen\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/MW9WeSpwWjE?start=177&#038;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Spasm&#8221; has an unusual groove that uses the kick and snare to outline the low-pitched guitar patterns: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Spasm\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/FOsKabXOelo?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/drumeoblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/beat\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/27105147\/qt-the-genius-of-tomas-haake-04.svg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-46919\" width=\"838\" height=\"511\" title=\"\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">&#8220;Spasm&#8221; by Meshuggah<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>At the beginning of &#8220;I Am Colossus&#8221;, Tomas has his left foot on the hi-hats and keeps the snare drum steady while his accents follow the guitar through an offbeat triplet rhythm:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"MESHUGGAH - I Am Colossus (Official Music Video)\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/fTYXbFsWg-M?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/drumeoblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/beat\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/27105149\/qt-the-genius-of-tomas-haake-05.svg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-46920\" width=\"840\" height=\"645\" title=\"\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">&#8220;I Am Colossus&#8221; by Meshuggah<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>For even more accented chaos, listen to &#8220;Phantoms&#8221; around the 3-minute mark:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Phantoms\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/L9m6us1dfMs?start=170&#038;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n<p><iframe class=\"email-form-include-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/weeklyemail\" frameborder=\"none\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"3-polymetric-madness\">3. Polymetric madness<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Meshuggah&#8217;s style is built on unconventional rhythms you can still headbang to. Listen to &#8220;New Millennium Cyanide Christ&#8221; &#8211; it&#8217;s almost entirely in 4\/4, even though the patterns go over the bar line. Believe it or not, there&#8217;s only one bar in odd time:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/drumeoblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/beat\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/27105151\/qt-the-genius-of-tomas-haake-06a.svg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-46921\" width=\"839\" height=\"521\" title=\"\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Rational Gaze&#8221; is in 4\/4, but it may not feel like it:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"MESHUGGAH - Rational Gaze (OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO)\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/9IiP-Vdx_F8?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Here&#8217;s some more over-the-bar line madness in &#8220;Future Breed Machine&#8221;:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/drumeoblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/beat\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/27105155\/qt-the-genius-of-tomas-haake-07.svg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-46923\" width=\"840\" height=\"399\" title=\"\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">&#8220;Future Breed Machine&#8221; by Meshuggah<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>And in &#8220;Do Not Look Down&#8221;, the guitar line is in 17\/16 &#8211; until you get to the verse where Tomas makes it clear he&#8217;s playing in 4\/4:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"MESHUGGAH - Do Not Look Down (OFFICIAL LYRIC VIDEO)\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/CUuXiAsV7BQ?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/drumeoblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/beat\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/27105157\/qt-the-genius-of-tomas-haake-08.svg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-46924\" width=\"840\" height=\"882\" title=\"\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">&#8220;Do Not Look Down&#8221; by Meshuggah<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"4-a-shifting-backbeat\">4. A shifting backbeat<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>We&#8217;re so used to hearing a backbeat on 2 and 4 (or only 3), and Tomas doesn&#8217;t always give that to us. Because he often uses the snare drum to emphasize other rhythms, Meshuggah&#8217;s grooves tend to have a ton of syncopation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the interlude of &#8220;Rational Gaze&#8221;, the rhythm is the same as in the intro &#8211; but without the backbeat, it feels completely different.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And then there&#8217;s &#8220;Stengah&#8221;, which is full of classic Tomas Haake phrasing:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Stengah\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/OKOgWe5C6Bc?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/drumeoblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/beat\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/27105159\/qt-the-genius-of-tomas-haake-09a.svg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-46925\" width=\"842\" height=\"509\" title=\"\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">&#8220;Stengah&#8221; by Meshuggah<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>In &#8220;Corridor Of Chameleons&#8221;, Tomas gives us a 5\/8 pattern punctuated by snare and kicks. The traditional backbeat is absent until around 3 mins into the track:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Corridor Of Chameleons\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/QqnwsF9JZ-0?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/drumeoblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/beat\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/27105138\/qt-the-genius-of-tomas-haake-10.svg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-46914\" width=\"840\" height=\"276\" title=\"\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=TnBMN-2wPKg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">&#8220;Concatenation&#8221;<\/a> has no traditional backbeat, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=_DrJxdczY0o\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">&#8220;Sum&#8221;<\/a> abandons the traditional song form altogether.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For another slew of syncopated snare hits, listen to &#8220;The Exquisite Machinery Of Torture&#8221;. There&#8217;s a 7-note pattern that hit the 1st, 4th, and 5th notes through triplets &#8211; which makes the backbeat seem like it&#8217;s coming in these crazy spots. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But it&#8217;s actually a normal halftime 4\/4! <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"The Exquisite Machinery Of Torture\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/uXsyDB3LTEE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/drumeoblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/beat\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/27105139\/qt-the-genius-of-tomas-haake-11.svg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-46915\" width=\"838\" height=\"507\" title=\"\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">&#8220;The Exquisite Machinery Of Torture&#8221; by Meshuggah<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"5-ghost-notes-everywhere\">5. Ghost notes everywhere<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Tomas Haake&#8217;s signature style wouldn&#8217;t be complete without his dedicated use of ghost notes. He often uses them to fill in between accents. Check out the funky, syncopated ghost notery in &#8220;Sickening&#8221;:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Sickening\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/VbR-EJFqaO4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Most of the songs in this article feature Tomas&#8217; ghost notes, but they&#8217;re especially fun to watch as he adds even more live, like in this drum cam footage of &#8220;Stengah&#8221;:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Tomas Haake - Wincent Drumcam Spotlight\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/cHfPj4RrHS4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Complex double bass action. Syncopated snare and chaotic accents. Over-the-bar line playing and ghost notes galore. Tomas Haake set a new standard for metal drumming, pioneering an entire style with Meshuggah in the process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you want to learn to play like Tomas &#8211; or play along to songs from other progressive metal and djent artists &#8211; grab a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\">7-day free trial with Drumeo<\/a>. With over 5000 play-along tracks from bands like Meshuggah, Sepultura, Periphery and Animals As Leaders, you&#8217;ll be able to slow down and loop songs while you learn. <\/p>\n\n\n<p><iframe class=\"email-form-include-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/weeklyemail\" frameborder=\"none\"><\/iframe><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Meshuggah drummer Tomas Haake helped pioneer a metal subgenre and create one of the most recognizable kick patterns of all time.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":52,"featured_media":46930,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4019],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46929"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/52"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=46929"}],"version-history":[{"count":52,"href":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46929\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":47155,"href":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46929\/revisions\/47155"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/46930"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=46929"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=46929"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=46929"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}