Matt Halpern on Learning Songs Intuitively, and Why Groove is a Universal

I just learned that being a “youtuber” is the number one career goal of elementary school children. If I could give them one tip it’s “study accounting unless you’re ready for a lot of hustle and at least a few sleepless nights.”

But one of the things that makes my “job” worth it is when I get to embark on learning a genre that’s not familiar to me as a science experiment, and when I get to speak directly to one of the leading artists of the genre for advice.

Such was the situation when Periphery’s Matt Halpern, one of the most storied prog rock drummers of the past decade, agreed to donate some of his time to sit down and answer my questions. Matt joined Periphery in 2010, and since then it’s been a fairytale whirlwind of records and tours.

Despite his busy tour schedule, Matt takes extra time to conduct group masterclasses in tour locations as often as he can, and is extremely passionate about teaching.

It was this combo of “cutting edge practitioner” and skilled communicator I couldn’t pass up, so that’s why I asked Matt to teach me - in at least a limited capacity. Part of the pretext for the interview was for Matt to listen to a recording I did of Periphery’s most recent - and most challenging - songs, and give me feedback and advice.

And he did not disappoint.

From practice psychology, to approaching songs, to body mechanics, to ice baths, he was comprehensive. And I tried to incorporate as much as I could into my final performance of the song.

But we also spoke about Matt’s unique approach to playing…well…”mathy” music, in a way that’s human and soulful, and evocative of a previous generation of drummers like Bonham. Then we spoke about teaching in general, and the healing power of jiujitsu.

I know prog rock isn’t at the top of the playlist for a big portion of my audience, but I highly encourage you to check out this interview even if Periphery isn’t your cup of tea, because Matt’s insights extend beyond any genre.

Know you’ll enjoy this one!

Chapters

3:48 - how does Matt approach learning complex prog songs 13:19 - is learning Dracul Gras in a short time a bad idea? 17:56 - the origin of Matt's old-school groove approach 22:00 - did Matt have to work hard to learn groove? 27:19 - how to play loud efficiently 42:00 - why is Matt so passionate about teaching 48:16 - how do you know if you have what it takes to be great at drums