Neil Peart

An Introduction to His Drumming Style

Francesco Vecchio
Table of Contents

• About the Author.........................................................................................5

• Introduction.................................................................................................6
• Biography.....................................................................................................9
• Drum Influences........................................................................................11
• The Interview.............................................................................................19
• Hemispheres..............................................................................................41
• Cygnus X-1 Book II: Hemispheres............................................................44
Drum Set..................................................................................................46
Transcription...........................................................................................48
Grooves and Fills Analysis......................................................................59
• Further Listening 1977-1981....................................................................63
• Photo Gallery.............................................................................................67
• Useful Links...............................................................................................73
• Acknowledgments......................................................................................75
• Bibliography...............................................................................................77
• More Products - From the Author.............................................................81
Introduction

Neil Peart is acknowledged as one of the greatest drummers of all time. The impact he
had on the drumming community was huge. He inspired a generation of drummers
and is still a formative influence. He was nicknamed “The Professor” for his
musicality, precision and accuracy on the drums.

At the beginning of my journey to play drums, Neil Peart was one of my first
influences: a true inspiration for his musical approach. Creativity, perfectionism and a
huge sense of timing are some unforgettable aspects of his drumming. Neil Peart's
most important works were recorded with the Canadian rock band Rush, playing all
the drums and percussion parts and becoming the primary lyricist, from the second
album Fly by Night (1975) to the latest Clockwork Angels (2012). Neil Peart was a true
artist, a perfect example of what a man can do with a life. He wrote lyrics, books,
essays and short stories with a timeless variety of themes.

The conception of this book comes from the transcription and study of one of
Neil Peart's most remarkable works: “Cygnus X-1 Book II: Hemispheres,” which is the
first track on the sixth album Hemispheres (1978) by Rush, where Neil also wrote the
lyrics. The rhythmic ideas and grooves inspired me to write an entire book about Neil
Peart, his life, musical influences and style. This is nothing short of a dedication to his
legacy.
Neil Peart's biography, his drum influences, an interview, a photo gallery and
the history of the album are included to introduce the complete drum sheet music of
the song, written and notated entirely note-per-note. The main grooves and fills,
played during the 18 minutes of the song, are shown and analyzed separately in order
to better understand the sticking and the dynamics. Every example is also
accompanied by an audio file.
This book is intended both for drummers and Rush fans: a guide for all the
drummers who want to understand the basics of the extraordinary Neil Peart's
drumming, and a document to collect for all the Rush fans.
Drum Influences

Neil Peart's father, Glen Peart, provided the first musical influences in his son, who
listened to big band jazz: Glen Miller, Duke Ellington, Count Basie and the great
drummers who played with them. Neil recounted how drummers like Gene Krupa,
Buddy Rich, Sonny Payne and Kenny Clare influenced him greatly. As he said in an
interview to Zildjian:

“The first time I remember feeling a desire to play the drums was while watching the
movie 'The Gene Krupa Story', at the age of eleven or twelve. The film's dramatization
of his life and Sal Mineo's portrayal managed to make the idea of being a drummer
seem exciting, glamorous, elegant, and dangerous. I started beating on the furniture
and my baby sister's playpen with a pair of chopsticks, and for my thirteenth birthday,
my parents gave me drum lessons, a practice pad, and a pair of sticks. They said they
wouldn't buy me real drums until I showed that I was going to be serious about it for
at least a year, and I used to arrange magazines across my bed to make fantasy arrays
of drums and cymbals, then beat the covers off them!” (Zildjian.com, January 2003)

Gene Krupa was the first idol who influenced Neil Peart's choice of drumstick,
the Pro-Mark 747s, which allowed him to play with the butt end of the stick. Asked by
Rush fan Douglas Whelan in a DRUM! article (where the fans interviewed Peart)
what he would have talked to Krupa about if he'd had the chance to meet him, Neil
replied:

“With Gene, I would have asked about Dave Tough to me, somehow the most intriguing
of the old-time drummers, and a contemporary and fellow Chicagoan of Gene's. Dave
Tough was a frustrated poet, though he did publish one book, which I would love to
find. He was beloved by other drummers, and the musicians he accompanied with
consummate musicality and taste, but he felt drumming was beneath his higher
calling. Those conflicts activated the demons that destroyed his career and, by age 40,
laid him low. If you judge a person by how much he was loved, though, then Dave
Tough was a truly gifted man. But like some other gifted-but-conflicted drummers, like
Dennis Wilson and Keith Moon, perhaps he just didn’t know how much he was loved or
felt unworthy of it. Sad, but it happens.” (DRUM!, September 2013)

Buddy Rich was another important influence for Neil Peart's early drumming.
The Buddy Rich performances on the Tonight Show impressed Neil, who couldn't
understand what Buddy was playing. He reported in a 2003 interview to Zildjian.com:

“It would be a long time before I even began to understand what I was seeing and
hearing when Buddy played, but eventually I would know as well as anyone why he
was so revered.” (Zildjian.com, January 2003)

In 1991 Neil Peart rediscovered Buddy Rich, taking part at the Buddy Rich
Memorial Concert in New York. This was an important occasion to play with a big
band, his long-time ambition. His performance of the jazz standard “Cotton Tail” is
legendary.
 On July 29, 1974, Neil joined Rush, beginning his lifetime journey to his career
of becoming a drumming legend. In the recording studio, he helped Alex Lifeson and
Geddy Lee into a more progressive approach, while also writing the lyrics of the songs.
During the first tour, Rush opened for bands like Kiss, Uriah Heep, Manfred Mann,
Rory Gallagher, Hawkwind, Nazareth, Blue Oyster Cult and ZZ Top. Neil learned
from every single one of these bands' drummers these.

Other drumming influences of that period included Michael Giles (who was the
first King Crimson drummer), Alan White, Harold Fisher, Tommy Aldridge, Nick
Mason and Mark Craney. About Nick Mason, Neil reported to Modern Drummer:

“Nick Mason from Pink Floyd has a different style. Simplistic yet ultra tasteful. Always
the right thing in the right place. I heard concert toms from Mason first, then I heard
Kevin Ellman who put all his arms into it. You learn so many things here and there.”
(Modern Drummer, April/May 1980)

Photo courtesy of Tom Bronkema

From the album Fly by Night (February, 1975), the popularity of the band had
grown, and with the next album, Caress of Steel (September, 1975), their shows were
opened by other bands like Ted Nugent, Artful Dodger, Mainline, Heyoka, and Max
Webster.
Max Webster opened for Rush on every tour from Caress of Steel through
Moving Pictures (1981). He also collaborated with Rush for the track “Battlescar” from
the album Universal Juveniles (1980). Max Webster lyricist Pye Dubois co-wrote the
lyrics for four Rush songs with Peart, including “Tom Sawyer,” “Force Ten,” “Between
Sun & Moon” and “Test for Echo.” Max Webster's drummer Gary McCracken was
highly respected and admired by Neil Peart for his drumming.
where I have to deal with people on a daily basis and there’s constant interaction. It
hurts me, it makes me uncomfortable where I don’t need to be uncomfortable. It
makes me nervous when I don’t need to be nervous. But I probably wouldn’t have been
together with these two guys for nine years if I hadn’t learned to control that. You
can’t just build the foundation for the kind of relationship that we have, based upon
swearing at each other. You have to base it on respect and you have to maintain that
respect. You can never afford to lose control of somebody. You might feel remorse for it
and say, “I’m sorry I did that.” It doesn’t matter. It’s always there.

Photo courtesy of Daniel Manweller

Our band has a special relationship. I see a lot of other bands at our level, and
they literally are never together except when they have to be. They’ll even be
recording an album and never all be in the studio at the same time and when they’re
on the road, they don’t travel together. They have different dressing rooms. I couldn’t
go on in a relationship like that. We have an equal share of everything. We collaborate
on the arrangements. If I write something they don’t like, they say so. If I can fix it so
they’ll like it fine. If I can’t, I keep it in my notebook. You have to open yourself up.
When I bring a new idea to those guys, it’s a vulnerable thing. I’m a bit tense about it
because I’m baring my soul. “Here’s something I worked on and believe in. What do
you guys think?” If they like it great. But if they have doubts of any kind, there’s a bit
of insecurity and vulnerability involved there. It’s incumbent upon them or me in the
opposite circumstance to be careful about that. You have to say, “There’s something
about this that doesn’t ring true.” It’s important to be specific too. They can say, “I like
what you’re trying to say here, but a couple of lines are a little bit obscure or could
mislead people. A cynical person could read something totally different into it.” I have
to respond to that and say, “Yeah, that’s true,” and I go back to the drawing board.
There’s a give and take that’s really critical to us. We’re rare in that respect.
Almost every successful band you can think of has one person. That person
either writes all the songs, or if that isn’t admitted and they say that the songs are
Cygnus X-1 Book II: Hemispheres

“Cygnus X-1 Book II: Hemispheres” is the first song of the album and the second part
of the Cygnus duology. Neil Peart wrote the lyrics for the song, and in referring to the
title, he describes the brain as being divided into two hemispheres: The left deals with
rationality and the analytical perception of reality, the right with intuition, creativity,
and emotions. He uses Greek mythology to make these abstract notions tangible.
Cygnus X-1 Book II is divided into six parts: “Prelude,” “Apollo (Bringer of Wisdom),”
“Dionysus (Bringer of Love),” “Armageddon (The Battle of Heart and Mind),” “Cygnus
(Bringer of Balance),” “The Sphere (A Kind of Dream).”

I. Prelude introduces us to the age-old struggle between the champions of the

two hemispheres, Apollo, the God of Reason, and Dionysus, the God of Love. The
music slowly fades in, and rises to a crescendo before launching into a powerful part,
that sets the tone for the rest of the song. Alex Lifeson's guitar is everywhere, filling
the hemispheres, alternating between raw metal and melodic rock. Peart's tight
drumming keeps this violence under control while Geddy Lee's Rickenbacker gives the
music its depth. It's only after three minutes into the song that Lee's voice can be
heard for the first time, singing the first stanza. His is a high voice, but it is rarely
gentle or soft, and it has a special quality to it that you either love or hate. There is no
bridge between “Prelude” and the next part of the song. Instead, it just fades out.

II. Apollo (Bringer of Wisdom) is the first to get a chance to convince the
people to join his side. He tells them how they can take care of themselves and how
they can improve their minds and lives by learning and building great things. The
first part of Apollo is the second stanza. It is musically similar to the final part in
“Prelude,” but features a guitar solo by Lifeson. At first, the people are content, but
gradually, they discover they're missing something.

III. Dionysus (Bringer of Love) is musically similar in structure to "Apollo.”

Dionysus tells the people how they can rid themselves of their worries and just live
their lives in revelry, making music, making love, giving the people back the joy in
their lives. For a while, this works out fine, but then winter comes and the people,
having abandoned their homes, are unprepared for its savagery. So, once again, the
war has not been concluded.

IV. Armageddon (The Battle of Heart and Mind) brings a sudden change in
rhythm with a guitar solo, which weaves its way through the octaves like a sinus.
Lee's voice is somewhat aloof as he relates how the people begin fighting each other,
and how both their minds and their world are split asunder into two hemispheres. The
music becomes more frantic, working toward a climax, and the story of “Cygnus X-1
Book I” is introduced as an old tale. In the final part of “Armageddon,” things get more
hectic by the moment, with Lifeson's wall of guitar and Lee's effective use of synths
depicting the horror of the struggle. The ending is powerful, forming a huge contrast
with the next atmospheric part.

V. Cygnus (Bringer of Balance) is a beautiful piece, carried by some

atmospheric synth sounds. In the background a sample of a bit of music from Book I
 Rush
Cygnus X-1 Book II: Hemispheres

I. Prelude
x− x− x− x− x− x−
01
œ− Œ− Ó− −− œ Ó − œ− Œ− Ó− −− œ Ó −
q.= 134
∑
X3

Drum Set ã 7 − œ− − œ−
ε
x x− x x− x x− x− x− x x− x x− x x
hi-hat loose

ã −− œ ‰ œ œ − œ ‰ œ œ − œ ‰ œ œ − œ − œ − −− œ ‰ œ œ − œ ‰ œ œ − œ ‰ œ œ œ œ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ
6

ν ν ν
10 x −
x − œx − œx œ œ 8 œx − œx − œx œ œ 01 œx − œx − œx − œx œ œ œx − œx − œx œx œx
ã œ− − −
œ − œ 7 − − 7 − − − − −
x œx œ
œ ‰ œ Œ − œ ‰ œ Œ − œ ‰ œ Œ − œ ‰ œ œ − − œx ‰ œ Œ − œ ‰ œ Œ − œ ‰ œ Œ − œ ‰ œ œ − 5
1.

−
14 X 4

ã − œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœœœ− − œ œ œ œ œ œ œœœœ− 7
ι
ritardando ----------
2.

x
5 œœ ‰ œœ ‰ œœ ‰ q = 134
2 Œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ 67
Œ
18

ã7 3 œ
e = 268 ν ν ν
R l l r r l l

6 x x x x x x 2 x x x x x x 6
21

ã7 œ œ
œ 3 œ œ œ œ ‘ 7
ν ν ν ν ν ν ν ν ν
x x x x x x x
6 − 2 x x x œx x x x x x œx x x 6
−− 7
24

ã7 − œ œ
œ
œ 3 œ œ œ œ
ν ν ν ν ν ν q = 134

6 x x x x œx x x 2 x x x œx x œx œ x œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ 3 x x x œx x x x
27

ã7 œ œ 3 œ œ œ 3 œ œ œ
3 3 νν νν νν
31
x x x x x œx x x x x x x x x œx x x x x œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œx œx œx œx œx œx x x x x œx x x x
㜠œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
l l r r l l
3 3 3
e = 268
x x x x x œx œx œx œx
35
xxx xx xxx x x
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ 67 x x x œx x x
㜠œ œ œ
œœ
œ œ œ œœ
l l r r l l

© 2021 Francesco Vecchio - francisdrummingblog.com

Grooves and Fills Analysis

This chapter analyzes some of the main grooves and fills transcribed, in order to
understand the orchestration, the sticking and the main aspects of Neil Peart's
drumming.

Audio Guidelines

Every transcription is accompanied by an audio

file. The audio samples are available for
download (both MP3 and WAV) by scanning
the QR code, and for streaming at this link.
soundcloud.com/neil-peart-drum-book

A slow fade-in introduces the first part

“Prelude,” with a powerful playing, alternating
a great variety of time meters: 12/8, 6/8,
9/8, 3/4 and 7/8. At measures 20, 33 and
37 Neil plays a seven stroke-roll to prepare
and “launch” the fill.
One of the aspects of Neil Peart's drumming is creativity. The middle section of
“Prelude” (measure 54) is played by Neil on a triangle, switching with the same
rhythm to the hi-hat. After this part, the band turns to a dynamic change: Neil plays a
syncopated groove reprised also on the next two sections “Apollo (Bringer of Wisdom)”
and “Dionysus (Bringer of Love). The hi-hat is open every upbeat, giving the listener
the sense of a push forward.

BPM: 134

Audio track 1 “Prelude Groove”

The two bars of groove shown above are repeated (with a drum fill on the fourth
bar), followed by an obbligato accented on the cymbals, as shown in the figure below.

The “Hemispheres” obbligato

 La Villa Strangiato (An Exercise in Self-Indulgence)

Album: Hemispheres
Year: 1978
Composer(s): Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson and Neil Peart

The instrumental composition of “La Villa Strangiato” is probably one of the

most beautiful tunes by Rush, and one the most feared by drummers. The composition
is inspired by a dream guitarist Alex Lifeson had, and is divided following the
occurrences in his dream into 12 sections.

I. “Buenas Noches, Mein Froinds!” (0:00 - 0:26)

II. “To sleep, perchance to dream...” (0:27 - 1:59)
III. “Strangiato Theme” (2:00 - 3:15)
IV. “A Lerxst in Wonderland” (3:16 - 5:48)
V. “Monsters!” (5:49 - 6:09)
VI. “The Ghost of the Aragon” (6:10 - 6:44)
VII. “Danforth and Pape” (6:45 - 7:25)
VIII. “The Waltz of the Shreves” (7:26 - 7:51)
IX. “Never turn your back on a Monster!” (7:52 - 8:02)
X. “Monsters! (Reprise)” (8:03 - 8:16)
XI. “Strangiato theme (Reprise)” (8:17 - 9:20)
XII. “A Farewell to Things” (9:20 - 9:37)

The different parts include a large variety of sounds and music styles. The
opening section played on a nylon classical guitar is followed by the main theme. The
intensity grows with a solo guitar and a successive reprise of the main theme to the
ending. It's curious how the band incorporated and elaborated, in the middle section, a
1930s Looney Tunes' song, with a big band approach emphasized by Neil Peart's
drumming.
Geddy Lee once joked that Rush spent more time recording “La Villa
Strangiato” than the entire Fly By Night album, and Peart's drumming, with its time
signature changes and complex patterns, drives the entire piece with masterful
assurance and control.

The Spirit of Radio

Album: Permanent Waves

Year: 1980
Composer(s): Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson
Lyricist(s): Neil Peart
 Clockwork Angels Tour

SECC - Glasgow, Scotland

May 30, 2013

Photos courtesy of Raza Rizvi and William Winsborough

 Francesco Vecchio
Contact info: francesco.vecchio89@gmail.com
Facebook: facebook.com/francesco.vecchio89

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