Learn how to play warped and off-kilter rhythms, and how you can use them to craft more compelling, head-turning beats.
It's easier than ever to make a beat these days — but how about one that surprises listeners, turns heads, and serves the music in just the right way? That's Ian Chang's specialty: writing and playing highly distinct drum parts and beats that push and pull the song in interesting and emotive ways. He's done it for his bands Son Lux and Landlady, for artists like Moses Sumney, CHVRCHES, and Matthew Dear, and in his own solo electronic music — and it's one reason he's one of the most sought-after drummers on the scene today.
So, how does Ian do it?
In his course, Ian explores the unique style of genre-defying playing and composing he's adopted over years of experimentation behind a drum kit. He'll guide you to improve your internal clock and explore polyrhythms, to write off-kilter drum parts and learn how to play them, and to expand your sonic palette. He'll load you up with exercises that will challenge and push you, and break down a few of his most intriguring rhythmic treatments.
Whether you're a drummer looking to improve your skills or a producer wanting to make more interesting beats, this course is all about upping your rhythmic game to unlock and harness the emotional power of rhythms and beats. Ready to get started?
Ian Chang is a Hong Kong-born, U.S.-raised journeyman drummer/producer/composer. He makes forward-looking experimental electronic music using technology that allows him to control samples directly from his drum kit. He’s a full-time member of Academy Award® and BAFTA-nominated band Son Lux, and has contributed live drums and recorded tracks to a wide range of artists, including Matthew Dear, Moses Sumney, Landlady, Body Language, Chvrches, Rubblebucket, Woodkid and Kazu Makino.
From age nine, Chang studied classical percussion and piano at Hong Kong's Academy for Performing Arts. In 2011, he was awarded a degree in jazz drumming by NYU. By 2017, he was playing drums-only live sets inspired by Sunhouse's Sensory Percussion technology, in turn leading to the release of his debut EP, Spiritual Leader. 2020 saw indie mainstay City Slang Records issue Belonging, a full-length realization of Chang's vision, which incorporated vocals from Kiah Victoria, Kazu Makino, and Hanna Benn.
Ian's online course, Ian Chang: Warped Rhythms & Abstract Beats, is available now exclusively on Soundfly.
How do you take something familiar and make it unique? For Ian, it's about constantly experimenting to find the right balance of broken and stable. Watch how he brings unique and emotionally-resonant music to life with his drumming.
Learn how Ian Chang takes simple ideas and transforms them into interesting, warped, and emotionally-powerful beats & rhythms.
This course is primarily for drummers, but it may also be useful for anyone interested in deepening their relationship with rhythm and learning how to make more interesting beats, such as producers or other instrumentalists.
This course is part one of a two-part series. The second will focus more on production.
You'll learn topics such as:
And much more.
You'll get the most from this course if you have a drum kit, but you can also do it as a producer using the DAW. This course requires a basic knowledge of rhythms and note values, like quarter notes and eighth notes.
This course was designed for you to go through at your own pace. If you wanted to do all the content linearly from start to finish, you could probably finish it in a few sittings.
You're also welcome to just skip around to the lessons and sections most relevant to you, your music, and your career.
You can start the course anytime.
This course includes 45 lessons, including videos, graphics, text, activities, creative prompts, and much more.
As a subscriber, you'll get unlimited access to all courses on Soundfly.com, including this and all our other premium courses, to go through at your own pace. This includes all the videos, tutorials, demos, quizzes, activities, downloads, and other materials within our full suite of courses.
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