Drummer Jon Dette ( Testament, Slayer, Anthrax ) posted an eight-minute video in which he offers a "small but powerful tip" on what he believes is essential to Slayer's drum sound: the most delicate and graceful notes.
Dette, 51, was a full-time member of Slayer from 1996 to 1997 and a touring member in 2013.
“A tip for this week is a tip from Slayer, for the band's songs. In my opinion, it's one of the coolest little things you hear on Slayer's drums, especially Dave [ Lombardo ]'s drumming. We can call it a ruff or diddle or graceful notes. Whatever you want to call them. It's just one of those little things, almost like you hear it, but even if you don't, it makes sense,” he explained.
“It’s brilliant, incredible; I love it. It’s one of my favorite things to do, whether it’s playing a Slayer song, or even Anthrax, or any other song. But what I wanted to highlight is not just what was done, but a mistake I see some people making. I made the same mistake early in my journey as a drummer,” he said.
In the video, he demonstrates the correct way to make the sound he tries to explain with great effort. Furthermore, he also shows the "incorrect" way, as it's a matter of personal preference. "Again, there's no right or wrong way to do things [...] I'm going to show you how it's done. Then, with that, you can do it however you want at that point."
Check out the full video by Jon Dette:
