John "JR" Robinson won a Grammy in 1983 for his performance on the Rufus and Chaka Khan hit, "Ain't Nobody". This is a great groove, harder than it looks, and one that many a cover-band drummer will be faced with at some point in their career.

You'll notice that the only difference between the verse and chorus drum grooves is the added HiHat notes in the chorus. In fact it is this chorus groove that poses some interesting coordination challenges between the Kick drum and open HiHat parts.

Suggestions to learning and tightening up this groove ...

• Practice slowly and with a metronome.
• Get the coordination down with consistency in the sound production (e.g. open HiHat) before increasing the tempo.

After working on this groove for awhile, and listening to the original track, you'll come to appreciate even more the flawless groove and feel that JR laid down on "Ain't Nobody."

Now watch JR perform this tune live!

Recorded on August 2, 2010 (with JR's permission) in Nashville, TN during the 2010 DW Woodology Tour.