This month’s transcription highlights the incredible drumming of Tool’s Danny Carey. The song “Chocolate Chip Trip,” from their 2019 album Fear Inoculum, serves in part as a tribute to the legendary Billy Cobham. “Chocolate Chip Trip” mirrors the opening of Cobham’s Stratus from his album Spectrum, where a repeated sequence lays the foundation for an extended solo before the full band joins in. A few notes on the transcription: I chose to notate it in 7/8 rather than 7/4—not just because of the tempo but also to better capture the speed and precision of Danny’s playing. Additionally, at this tempo, distinguishing between 16th-note triplets and a 16th note followed by two 32nd notes can be nearly impossible by ear. While both interpretations could be valid, I prefer to rely on the phrasing and the surrounding context. With that in mind, I notated measures 84 through 88 as triplets to best reflect the feel of […]

April 2025 Issue