For me, it would have to be Mike Portnoy. I use his style for doing fills. What he does is this thing between the hands and feet. In one of Dream Theater's first famous songs, Pull Me Under, he does one leading out of the guitar solo and into the final chorus. It goes like this(these are all 32nd notes, and sound much faster and harder than they really are): Snare-Snare-Kick-Kick-Snare-Snare-Snare-Snare-Snare-Snare-Kick-Kick-Snare-Snare-Kick-Kick-Snare-Snare-Snare-Snare-Kick-Kick-Tom-Tom-Tom-Tom-Kick-Kick-Tom-Tom-Kick-Kick. It sound very cool. I also have incorporated his stick spinning technique(between the fingers) into my playing. I also like to do triplets on double bass like he does.

But aside from playing, I have many influences in tuning. I like to tune my toms like Mike Portnoy(with a really tight, deep, punchy, low-pitched sound), my snare like Portnoy's(with the snares a bit tighter), but with my bass drum, I go for more of a John Bonham type thing(a low pitched, boomy, punchy sound), but a bit lower pitched than him.

What are your influences in drumming?

Lots of drummers have influenced me, but in terms of specific techniques I've incorporated, I'd say Steve Gadd, Terry Bozzio, Tony Williams, Ringo, Russ Kunkel, Buddy Rich, Steve Smith, Vinnie Colaiuta, Stewart Copeland, John Von Ohlen, Peter Erskine, Jeff Porcaro, Larrie Londin, Hal Blaine, Liberty DeVitto, Myron Grombacher, Bill Stewart, Vinnie Appice, Steve Jordan, John Bonham, Mike Baird, Max Roach, Elvin Jones, and Carl Palmer. Off the top of my head, that is.

Ron Wilson.

Eddie Prevost, Gerry Hemmingway, Hamid Drake.   Intentionally anyway.   Any other moves I've copped have been accidental/subconcious.

Felix

 

I've borrowed from probably every drummer I'ver seen, heard, and admired, and although I don't do their techniques justice, these drummers still influence me today:

Ed Shaughnessey
Louis Bellson
Buddy Rich
Danny Seraphine
Karen Carpenter
Hal Blaine
Don Brewer
Steve Smith's jazz stuff
Steve Gadd
Tris Imboden
Any and all of Zappa's drummers

Sadly, I have no particular inspiration for stick twirling.  

Yeah, I can see your point.  But ya know what's cool?  When my students emulate my technique.  

Random, look at it this way. You just wrote a post that expresses how YOU feel. YOU - not somebody else. But you did it using letters, language, and grammar that you did not create. Somebody else did. Still, that didn't stop you from forming and expressing thoughts that are uniquely your own. And you did so without the hassle of having to invent your own alphabet, language, and syntax.

That's what we're talking about here. I can learn Steve Gadd licks all day long, but I still won't sound like he does. So when I combine those licks with Alex Van Halen licks, and John Von Ohlen licks, and Larrie Londin licks, and then play them using MY arms, legs, and musical instincts, it's gonna sound like ME.

Don't make the mistake of thinking that being influenced by somebody somehow contaminates you. All the great artists, thinkers, writers, etc., built their work on the influences of those whose work touched them most profoundly. It's the height of egotism to presume that everything you do is original. Be humble enough to admit that others influence you, and then take those influences and do something unique with them.

To be "revulsed" by this is to deny the impact of those who have doubtless already influenced you, either consciously or unconsciously.

I've seen your setup. It's not original. Other people put the snare between their legs, and play the bass drum with their right foot. You didn't think of that, nor invent that. But that's okay.

Similarly, it's okay to be influenced by other drummers. To pretend you're not is to be either naive or a hypocrite.

Lighten up, and admit that there's something to be learned from others.

dave lombardo

I play what I play. Various grooves, fills, quirks, and other nuiances from the drummers in the music to which I listen most frequently naturally slip in there. Very rarely do I ever literally copy one idea or another, though I do take the time to figure out how to play a particular lick or groove. I do this not so I can replicate it, but rather for the sake of exploring. To the extent that it's reasonably possibly, I do not play canned fills, whether I developed them or I stole them from somebody else. I just play what I play.

The most interesting influence in my development is probably that of listening to a considerable amount of Weird Al Yankovic. Since half of the songs are parodies for which Bermuda usually copies the original, I feel the influence of a whole assortment of drummers. Meanwhile, the originals also affect me.

Since I'm more of a concert percussionist who specializes in the drum set than a "drummer" that also greatly influences my style. Currently, I'm taking lessons at college with an emphasis on rudimental snare drumming. So probably the strongest of all influences in my style on the drum kit is my rudimental background.