Frank Zappa Drummer Hears The Mars Volta For The First Time
Take a sneak peek into the mind of Chad Wackerman – drummer for Frank Zappa, Allan Holdsworth, and many more! Watch as he listens to “Inertiatic ESP” by The Mars Volta for the very first time and attempts to play along. How does he immediately craft an appropriate drum part? Tune in and find out!
Try 7 Days Of Drumeo FREE
► https://www.drumeo.com/trial-yt?vid=ExNXgYeDjig
_____________________
Chapters:
00:00 – Intro
00:41 – Who Is Chad Wackerman?
01:28 – First Listen
02:19 – Song Analysis
03:16 – Charting Out The Song
04:59 – Learning Songs w/ Frank Zappa, Allan Holdsworth & James Taylor
06:28 – Final Take
11:22 – Listening To The Original
12:16 – Final Thoughts
_______________
Follow @chadwackermanofficial
►Website: https://chadwackerman.com/
►Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chadwackerman/
►Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chadwackermanofficial/
►Twitter/X: https://x.com/chadwackerman
Follow @BrandonToews
►Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brandon.toews.drums/
►Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brandon.toews/
►TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@brandon.toews
►Twitter/X: https://x.com/btoews_drums
Follow @DrumeoOfficial
►The Drumeo Beat: https://www.drumeo.com/beat/
►Facebook: http://facebook.com/drumeo/
►Instagram: http://instagram.com/drumeoofficial/
►TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@drumeoofficial
___________________________
#ChadWackerman #FrankZappa #TheMarsVolta #DW #Evans #Paiste #VicFirth
Comments
Latest news
@rickmanondrumsandbass9292
April 21, 2026 at 7:01 pm
why Chinese subtitle?
@murluk3232
April 21, 2026 at 7:01 pm
Scorreggioni
@TimeOfTroubles73
April 21, 2026 at 7:01 pm
Jon Theodore will be honored to watch this, I’m sure.
@fanciscodegodoi5064
April 21, 2026 at 7:01 pm
Shut up eloy you just killed, iss eay better for a 6 take inly
@rickb1387
April 21, 2026 at 7:01 pm
Chad is my drumming hero along with Bozzio. Did you notice he barely broke a sweat. He learned from a teacher who taught him to relax. Amazing drumming for a first go at a complicated piece. Millions Of dollars above my pay grade.
@AleBresca
April 21, 2026 at 7:01 pm
It's incredible how this version perfectly works.
@kelkelley6100
April 21, 2026 at 7:01 pm
It was clean, he definitely knows what he's doing & I was delightfully surprised how he was able to catch a couple of riffs that matched up at the end.
Favorite band OAT, I can imagine their sound would stump a lot of people.
X
@Ragnvaldr89
April 21, 2026 at 7:01 pm
Absolutely phenomenal.
@rizzlerazzledazzle
April 21, 2026 at 7:01 pm
This is amazing.
@samuel.winn1
April 21, 2026 at 7:01 pm
Brandon: I feel you should get into disc golf. If you do.. look up Eagle McMahon.. I swear you’re his older brother.. I can’t unsee it! Love the channel 👍👍🫡
@pabloortizdelatorre3530
April 21, 2026 at 7:01 pm
Legend
@starshiiine_
April 21, 2026 at 7:01 pm
Absolute Chad energy!
@rickylahey9248
April 21, 2026 at 7:01 pm
haha I love how his expressions changed as time signatures changed while listening to it
@Blandyman
April 21, 2026 at 7:01 pm
Watching him react to the flourishes in the original drums was wildly satisfying. I absolutely loved this album and it feels timeless.
@Pauly421
April 21, 2026 at 7:01 pm
You gave him a super easy one lol.
@tim4s
April 21, 2026 at 7:01 pm
Suck music. Remember me Panic at the disco. At the drive in was beter.
@leizinha21
April 21, 2026 at 7:01 pm
His version is better than the original.
@JuanVasquez-hc8cm
April 21, 2026 at 7:01 pm
You guys should bring RX Bandits drummer or make someone play RX Bandits songs. Such an amazing band with some similar vibes to The Mars Volta
@TKWCreative
April 21, 2026 at 7:01 pm
He did a great job I think…that double time cymbal work is unique I'd be hard for anybody to get in just a couple of listens
@JFRED_254
April 21, 2026 at 7:01 pm
It's so wild to watch this and notice the differences between him and his brother… just by names alone you would think that Chad would be the Avenged Sevenfold drummer and Brooks would be the Zappa guy… but nonetheless! lol
@dopetone
April 21, 2026 at 7:01 pm
just realizing how good of a name that Wackerman is for a drummer
@satevo462
April 21, 2026 at 7:01 pm
HE NAILED THE ENDING!!!
@satevo462
April 21, 2026 at 7:01 pm
They could have given him a little tip like "psst, double time it"….
@HumanoidMachine
April 21, 2026 at 7:01 pm
He sounds just like Jello Biafra
@francoisduvert7555
April 21, 2026 at 7:01 pm
"je pense que c'est en 4". "ah aha ah " .
blague de batteurs lol
@Erowid801
April 21, 2026 at 7:01 pm
Get Jess Bowen in there 😂
@MohoPmohoP-rn
April 21, 2026 at 7:01 pm
Play with his own style!
@Thebol101
April 21, 2026 at 7:01 pm
This guy is a genius. Just awesome. Amazing.
He's got it all and is chill and cool
@SRBL87
April 21, 2026 at 7:01 pm
This dude is a badass!
@user-er4xo2zl4r
April 21, 2026 at 7:01 pm
Fleas bass on that album absolutely RIPS
@sfure
April 21, 2026 at 7:01 pm
He looks like he could be my chiropractor…and he rocks like this?!
@jacobwiggle3681
April 21, 2026 at 7:01 pm
Not gonna lie, in my opinion: I'm actually considering this over the original! Despite never hearing the original song, it seems better with Wackerman's drums! (In my opinion)
@r3dm4il
April 21, 2026 at 7:01 pm
Jon Theodore , drummer of that song
@mugogrog
April 21, 2026 at 7:01 pm
That. Is. Insane :p I mean that in a good way.
@carriedunn950
April 21, 2026 at 7:01 pm
Yo that breakdown was smooth as fuck. Sounds like the cerpin taxt breakdown with those drums.
@scottavenged7x
April 21, 2026 at 7:01 pm
This is so impressive. To get this much insight into the design of this song with no input from the composer. This man is worth his weight in gold.
@scottavenged7x
April 21, 2026 at 7:01 pm
This guy is such a pro.
@WellSwayed
April 21, 2026 at 7:01 pm
Mindblowing is short of what I've just witnessed holy effin shit
@JohnDoe-nt5nd
April 21, 2026 at 7:01 pm
He played in his own way, but with such mastery. Sometimes better than the original, sometimes exactly like the Volta drummer. Simply amazing.
@coreybrooks2105
April 21, 2026 at 7:01 pm
I loved this version. Somehow more melodic
@James-u1y2x
April 21, 2026 at 7:01 pm
Not even close.
@codyrountree2517
April 21, 2026 at 7:01 pm
Bro that first take was so clean..wtf..ONE TAKE
@hellomyfriend219
April 21, 2026 at 7:01 pm
Saw him at the BMW clinic
@Deebs-a-Palooza
April 21, 2026 at 7:01 pm
Jon Theodore FOREVER
@Sames713
April 21, 2026 at 7:01 pm
Dude looks like he could be Austin Reave’s father 😅
@jtms1200
April 21, 2026 at 7:01 pm
I'm not a drummer so I don't know what its called, but I love how in his version he would occasionally kinda fall back behind the beat on purpose and then catch back up… super cool vibe. I hear it in Jazz quite often – I know TMV would love it too!
@killion_shoots
April 21, 2026 at 7:01 pm
He killed it! So laid back
@leonardoluna1727
April 21, 2026 at 7:01 pm
Una ejecución totalmente diferente pero con mucha personalidad, increíble las diferentes interpretaciónes que puede darse en un solo tema
@dtheb25
April 21, 2026 at 7:01 pm
Absolute cinema 🎦 🎉
@boardernut
April 21, 2026 at 7:01 pm
He is good