Larnell Lewis Hears 'Enter Sandman' For The First Time

  • 🎬 Video
  • ℹ️ Published 2 years ago
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0:00 - Introduction
Remember the first time you heard "Enter Sandman" by Metallica?

Or maybe you've never heard the song at all.

It's one of the most popular metal tracks of all time, but those outside the metal or rock world might not recognize it.

The last time Larnell Lewis came out to Drumeo, we challenged him to write a drum part - on the spot - to a song he'd never heard before (click here to watch) and he blew everyone away.

This time, Larnell wanted to try a style he's not known for playing: metal!

If you want to see a fusion drummer try to play one of the most popular metal songs of all time, don't miss this video (you can skip to 9.33 if you just want to watch Larnell play).

01:08 - Active listening
When learning a song, he practices active listening, which includes looking for these things:

Song form: How many measures are in each section?
Tone: How does the song feel? Is it aggressive or calm?
Specifics: Any shots you should look out for?

Larnell takes an analytical approach and breaks down all the details, noticing patterns and themes and how the different instruments play off each other. Because of this, he can already hum the chorus' melody and drum part after only hearing the song once, and remembers most of the structure as well.

09:33 - Performance
While he's known for his great drumming skills, he also has excellent listening skills and a strong memory. Larnell knows what to prioritize when learning, so he's able to learn quickly. You can learn how to do it too!

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#drums #metallica #drumeo #larnelllewis #drumcover

💬 Comments
Author

Not quite sure which is more unbelievable: His extraordinary talent OR the fact that he never heard of Enter Sandman.

Author — Olcayto Cengiz

Author

The performance is INSANE! After one listen, Like clearly you can tell the discomfort and uncertainty.. and yet, if he uploaded it alone as a cover, no one would ever know the difference. It sounds so well rehearsed. Larnell is absolutely a generational talent.

Author — iitsTre_

Author

Larnell is extraordinary. I love watching him start to feel what he’s listening to. It’s like a painting is being made that only he can see

Author — UnicornWrangler

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I love that when he hits his groove he starts to sneer a bit. Very metal.

Author — kellehm1

Author

Some musicians get to a level where music becomes their second language. Him describing the drums before even playing was impressive.

Author — Antonio Rios

Author

12:08 that fill he created to end on the downbeat of the first beat of the guitar solo sounds way better than ending on the previous measure's last upbeat

Author — Palooza

Author

Larnell: "That half time will get ya"
Me, not a musician, never played drums in my life: "He's right that half time will get ya, people don't realize that."

Author — The Brothers Murph

Author

Even with the mistake, (which he called beforehand, ) and a few different fills, that was outstanding.

I know a lot of us rock fans at first find it hard to understand how one could possibly have avoided Sandman, but ask yourselves, how many Miles Davis songs do you know? There you go.

Author — Craig Robertson

Author

Takes a lot of courage to put yourself out there like that too millions of people after hearing a song just one time. Excellent drumming and video.

Author — Jimmy

Author

And here we are over thirty years after the world first heard this song and Larnell Lewis makes metal fans jelous for hearing this song for the first time, but then he also makes one of the most overplayed metal songs in history magical again. At least for me... Thank you good sir!

Author — BorderFarmGames

Author

el tipo es muy talentoso, cualquiera que interprete tan bien una canción que nunca escuchó es muy talentoso, pero vengo del video de Dennis Chambers tocando Schism de Tool, eso sí que es dificultad nivel Dios

Author — Patricio Gac

Author

I love how at around 11:25 he starts making stank face! He's really getting into it. It's so fascinating to watch these ultra professional musicians process and learn, especially when pushed a bit out of their comfort zone.

Author — Lela Boswell

Author

I don't know what's more impressive, his musical abilities, or the fact he made it to adulthood WITHOUT hearing enter sandman

Author — spikerbrad23

Author

Can I just say that I love the attitude in the end, where he says it is all about expression and definitely people should just embrace checking stuff out? Thanks, Larnell, that is the right one. As a metal dude, I did not know of you and now I really want to check what you typically play

Author — SusaVile TW

Author

He heard it more than once for sure... Mindblown!

Author — Umaid Gupta

Author

The man, the myth, the Legend. The sheer knowledge and expertise shown in the active listening part is amazing. I didn't even know you can deduce that much information during that activity! And played it out like a boss. Unbelievable it all happened after a single listen. Nothing short of Amazing!

Author — VlaD

Author

O nome disso é dom. Talento nato. Que baterista espetacular!

Author — W. Nascimento

Author

If I ever was to hire a drummer, for whatever kind of music project, I'd hire Larnell Lewis!
Absolutely fantastic drummer. A musical and rhythmic talent of epic proportions!

Author — Torbjørn Svendsen

Author

I can imagine Metallica gathering around to watch this video:
James: “Wow this guys pretty good!”
Robert: “Yeah not bad huh?”
Kirk: “silently nods with approval”
Lars: “sweats profusely”

Author — Zack Thompson

Author

Damn he basically nailed it in 2 listens, it's impressive 👏

Author — Justin Finch