Education
How to Play Tool on Drums: Danny Carey’s Parts in Four Songs
Oct
Danny Carey is one of the most respected drummers in rock, and Tool songs are on almost every serious drummer’s wish list. They are also intimidating: shifting time signatures, polyrhythms, long build-ups and a huge, powerful sound. The good news is that Tool’s music is very logical once it is written down. With accurate drum sheet music you can count every bar instead of guessing.
Here are four Tool songs in the order we recommend learning them, with what each one teaches and how to practise it.
What makes Danny Carey’s drumming special
Carey combines rock power with influences from jazz, tabla and world music. He often plays patterns that cross the bar line or group notes in fives and sevens, so the groove seems to float over the riff before it lands again. He also plays with real dynamics – the quiet sections of a Tool song matter as much as the loud ones. Learning his parts improves your independence, your counting and your control of volume.
1. Sober (Undertow, 1993)
Sober is the best first Tool song. At around ♩ ≈ 72 it is slow and heavy, mostly in a feel you can count easily, and it teaches the band’s trademark contrast between quiet, hypnotic verses and crushing choruses.
How to practise: subdivide in sixteenths to keep the slow tempo steady, and practise the jump from the quiet verse to the heavy chorus until the change in volume is big but the tempo doesn’t move.
2. Schism (Lateralus, 2001)
Schism won the Grammy for Best Metal Performance and is famous for its constantly changing meters. It is the perfect song for learning odd time, because the groove is hypnotic and repetitive enough to internalise once you understand the counting.
How to practise: before playing, count each section out loud with the record. Then set an eighth-note click and play one section at a time. Mark every meter change on the sheet music – it makes the song far less scary.
3. The Pot (10,000 Days, 2006)
The Pot is groovier and more aggressive, with a big, swinging feel and lots of drive. It teaches you to keep a heavy groove consistent through long sections – a test of stamina as much as technique.
How to practise: play the main groove for several minutes without stopping, focusing on a steady kick pattern and relaxed hands. Then add the fills one at a time.
4. Forty Six & 2 (Ænima, 1996)
Forty Six & 2 is the classic Tool drum workout: odd groupings, polyrhythmic ideas and a famous build towards the end, where Carey’s playing becomes more and more intense. Save it for when the first three songs feel comfortable.
How to practise: learn the song in sections and use the record only when each section is solid. In the polyrhythmic passages, practise the hands and the feet separately before you combine them.
Counting tips for Tool songs
- Count in eighth notes rather than quarter notes in odd meters – it is easier to feel 7/8 as “1-2-3-4-5-6-7” than as three and a half beats.
- Find the riff’s pattern. Tool riffs often repeat in groups (for example 5+5+5+3); once you hear the grouping, the counting follows.
- Don’t rush the quiet parts. Steady time in the soft sections is what makes the heavy sections hit.
Get all four songs
The Tool Ultimate Drum Collection includes the Tool songs in the store at 35% off the single prices. Or start with one song – buy any three songs and the fourth is free. See all Tool drum sheet music here.
When you’re ready for more prog, try the Dream Theater songs or Rush’s YYZ.
Frequently asked questions
What is the easiest Tool song on drums?
“Sober” is the most approachable: it is slow, heavy and mostly easy to count.
Is Schism hard to play?
It is challenging mainly because of the meter changes. With the sheet music you can count every bar, which makes it much easier to learn than by ear.
Is this drum notation or drum tabs?
It is full drum notation, transcribed note-for-note from the original recordings – including every meter change.
Browse the Tool drum sheet music, or order a custom drum transcription of another Tool song.
Drum sheet music from this article
Buy any 2 songs and get a 3rd free. Can't find a song? Order a custom drum transcription.
Buy 2 songs, get a 3rd free
Mix & match any songs from this list (or the whole store) – the cheapest one is free, applied automatically in your cart.
