In 1987 Australian band INXS rocked the world with their 6th studio album that eventually sold over 20 Million copies. New Sensation was one of 4 songs to reach the US Billboard Charts top 10. Here’s my attempt at playing this song:

Drummer Jon Farris lays down a straight forward groove on the verses of this song and then a driving snare groove on the chorus of the song. Playing quarter notes on the snare is a great way to change the feel of a song, drive it more, and make it more aggressive.

What I’ve always enjoyed about Jon Farris’ playing is his drum fills and his drum fill placement. He creates memorable moments in songs with his choice & placement of fills. The fill on the 8th bar of the first verse is easy to play but fits the song perfectly. Check the fill at the start of the 5th verse, it really punctuates the lyrics and creates a memorable moment.  At a couple of points in the song he uses a ghost note to give the groove a little push. Some drummers would have been tempted to add more, but he showed great restraint and as a result the ghost notes are very effective.

Here’s a copy of the score courtesy of our friends at DrumLessonResources.com. Have a go at playing it yourself!

Things to focus on when learning this song:

1. Playing a consistent groove during the verses. The verse groove may be simple, but playing it accurately and with conviction takes practice. Record yourself playing the groove & nail it with a metronome first.
2. For the chorus, the focus has to be on not flamming the snare and bass drum. Play the beat slowly at first and really concentrate on getting hi-hat, snare and bass hitting at exactly the same time. Slow and careful practice will reap rewards that you’ll be able to take forward with you onto to other songs.
3. Getting the fills and crashes in the correct spots… they aren’t always where you’d expect them. Concentrate & listen to the song 1000 times! (Check out the whole Kick album, it’s a classic!)

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