Cobus Drums Workshop by Drum Tutor (13Aug25)
Thank you, Drum Tutor, for organising this incredible workshop with Cobus. It was heart-warming to see the local drumming community, various brands, musicians, and music lovers coming together.
Even as a non-drummer, I was greatly enriched by this experience. I'm especially grateful to Chow for allowing me to spend time with Cobus and for creating value for the music industry and community.
And Cobus, a huge thank you to you. You've inspired a generation with your drum covers. Your selfless sharing and commitment to being authentic were appreciated. We can't wait to see what your next adventure holds.
Here are some notes from the workshop:
Observations and Techniques
Cobus's performance in Singapore on August 13, 2025, showcased a variety of technical and stylistic choices. A notable observation was his cymbal technique, which included muting a cymbal with his hand immediately after a hit. Additionally, I enjoyed the variations in tone by hitting the bell of a cymbal with the side of the stick rather than the tip.
His drum kit setup was simple and yet effective for his expressions. Cobus also displayed pitch manipulation on the snare, toms, and cymbals, achieved by pressing on the drum skins with his sticks and tilting cymbals. His mastery is demonstrated in the consistent volume and tone of his bass drum and bell hits.
The Herta: A Versatile Drum Pattern
During the workshop, Cobus introduced the Herta, a four-note pattern popular with drummers like Mike Portnoy. The Herta is often played with a triplet feel, creating an interesting rhythmic pattern when looped. He demonstrated three main variations:
Variant 1: Placing the accent on the first sixteenth note.
Variant 2: Placing the accent on the last quaver. This creates a polyrhythm of three against four, which Cobus described as an accessible way to begin exploring polyrhythms.
Variant 3: Starting with a fast double-kick pair of demi semiquaver flourish just before the first note of the Herta. This technique, accomplished with a slide or heel-and-toe technique on the bass drum, can give a "rock solid" feel to the groove.
Cobus also noted that this pattern can be integrated with a straight feel on the hi-hats and ride cymbal, played on top of a slight swing, to create a more complex rhythmic feel.
Q&A Session
How do you teach groove to a young drummer?
Teaching groove should not be a rigid process. The focus should be on building a strong sense of internal timing by first mastering the fundamentals. Once a drummer can move within the beat confidently, they can develop their own musical "conversations" and play with more expressiveness, including the use of ghost notes. The ultimate goal is for the drummer to develop the ability to detect the feel of the music, trust their internal timing, and enjoy their playing.
What is the latest technique Cobus is working on?
Cobus's most recent focus is on a 16-beat fill that concludes with two sixteenth notes on the bass drum. This fill bridges the last beat of one measure into the first beat of the next.
How can a drummer develop stamina?
Stamina is crucial for playing at a high level and is something that requires intentional practice. Cobus emphasised that stamina is not something that comes naturally but must be actively worked on, especially as a drummer gets older. He stressed the importance of practising as if you are performing, and supplementing practice with a healthy lifestyle that includes proper diet and exercise.
How should drummers approach different music genres?
To incorporate different genres into one's playing, deep listening is key. Drummers should immerse themselves in the music by listening to influential players within a specific genre. Through repeated listening, the rhythms and feel of the music will become part of a drummer's subconscious, allowing them to naturally integrate those styles into their playing.
Mindset, Practice, and Career Insights
Thoughts on Playing and Performance
Cobus's creative process involves looping a song for extended periods to fully internalise it. His goal is to lose the need to impress and instead focus on getting into a "flow state," where the music becomes an honest expression of his creativity. When improvising, he encourages taking risks and believes the role of a drummer is to make people smile.
He highlighted the importance of emotional intelligence for musicians, emphasising that it's okay to take negative feedback positively and that all musicians possess a component of wildness and creativity. When in the recording studio, he noted that it's often best to play with a "less is more" mindset, allowing producers to ask for more.
Practice Philosophy
Cobus believes that practice should not feel like practice. He also shared that it's normal to feel a loss of control, such as when your hands freeze, and that the solution is to breathe and correct your grip. The drummer's primary role, he says, is to make the rest of the band sound great.
The YouTube Journey and Career
Cobus's journey on YouTube was not a strategic decision but rather the result of simply posting videos. He noted that it took a significant amount of time before drumming could be seen as a viable career path. He is currently exploring new ways of content creation, including combining his passion for music with engineering, filmmaking, and videography. His curiosity and willingness to experiment with unconventional ideas, like time-lapse photography and long exposure, are part of his experiments.
He acknowledged that despite having 1.5 million views, the ad revenue is a modest USD$200, which highlights the need to find other ways of creating value for companies and exploring multiple income streams. His ultimate message to aspiring drummers is to do what you love, identify what you do best, and be willing to do what it takes to achieve your dreams.
Conclusion
Cobus has experienced music fame & fortune through hard work and excellence. With a suit of authenticity, fun and kindness, his commercial success is well-deserved. He has inspired music lovers, musicians and drummers for many years, and long may this continue.
For all music lovers and musicians, may we find our path. Commercial achievement is a good byproduct and cannot be the only metric of success. I am thankful to Chow and Drum Tutor for this excellent & enjoyable event. It is such a feat to bring the drumming community together. I wish you success and look forward to the next.