Download the unredacted HD PDF for the full transcription of the drum break from “Amen, Brother” by The Winstons! Pair it with our free YouTube practice loop and the practice tips below, and you’ll be blessing your drums with “The Amen Break” in no time.
All thanks to the great Gregory Coleman for blessing music with this iconic drum break!
🤓 Practice tips:
Use the playback speed function on our YouTube practice loop. Start @50-75% speed.
Use a voice count metronome “1 E & A - 2 E & A - 3 E & A - 4 E & A” to lock in your 16th notes start at 40BPM working your way up to the goal tempo of 140BPM. Once you have your straight 16th notes locked in, experiment with various tempos and varying degrees of 16th note swing.
About "Amen, Brother":
The Amen break is a drum break that has been widely sampled in popular music. It comes from the 1969 track "Amen, Brother" by the American soul group the Winstons, released as the B-side of the 1969 single "Color Him Father". The drum break lasts seven seconds and was performed by Gregory Coleman.
With the rise of hip-hop in the 1980s, the Amen break was used in hits including "Straight Outta Compton" by N.W.A and "Keep It Going Now" by Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock. In the 1990s, it became a staple of drum and bass and jungle music. It has been used in thousands of tracks of various genres, making it one of the most sampled recordings in music history.
The Winstons received no royalties for the sample. The bandleader, Richard Lewis Spencer, was not aware of its use until 1996, after the statute of limitations for copyright infringement had passed. He condemned its use as plagiarism, but later said it was flattering. He said it was unlikely that Coleman, who died homeless and destitute in 2006, realized the impact he had made on music. - Wikipedia
🙏 Proceeds go to employing musicians to create more transcriptions by hand. Can we get an Amen!
Download the unredacted HD PDF for the full transcription of the drum break from “Amen, Brother” by The Winstons! Pair it with our free YouTube practice loop and the practice tips below, and you’ll be blessing your drums with “The Amen Break” in no time.
All thanks to the great Gregory Coleman for blessing music with this iconic drum break!
🤓 Practice tips:
Use the playback speed function on our YouTube practice loop. Start @50-75% speed.
Use a voice count metronome “1 E & A - 2 E & A - 3 E & A - 4 E & A” to lock in your 16th notes start at 40BPM working your way up to the goal tempo of 140BPM. Once you have your straight 16th notes locked in, experiment with various tempos and varying degrees of 16th note swing.
About "Amen, Brother":
The Amen break is a drum break that has been widely sampled in popular music. It comes from the 1969 track "Amen, Brother" by the American soul group the Winstons, released as the B-side of the 1969 single "Color Him Father". The drum break lasts seven seconds and was performed by Gregory Coleman.
With the rise of hip-hop in the 1980s, the Amen break was used in hits including "Straight Outta Compton" by N.W.A and "Keep It Going Now" by Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock. In the 1990s, it became a staple of drum and bass and jungle music. It has been used in thousands of tracks of various genres, making it one of the most sampled recordings in music history.
The Winstons received no royalties for the sample. The bandleader, Richard Lewis Spencer, was not aware of its use until 1996, after the statute of limitations for copyright infringement had passed. He condemned its use as plagiarism, but later said it was flattering. He said it was unlikely that Coleman, who died homeless and destitute in 2006, realized the impact he had made on music. - Wikipedia
🙏 Proceeds go to employing musicians to create more transcriptions by hand. Can we get an Amen!
