Ulysses Owens Jr. is one of my favorite drummers. His playing is extremely technically proficient and his speed is out of this world. However, even with all his technical finesse – the music never seems to get lost. I’m always amazed at drummers who can display musicality and technical prowess at the same exact time. That is why I love these two solos I’ve transcribed.

Below you can download two of my favorite solos I’ve heard of Ulysses’ playing. The first is a solo on a tune called “Good and Terrible” from Ulysses’ solo album Unanimous. The second transcription is a brush solo from a Christian McBride Trio album called Out Here – the tune Ulysses takes the solo on is “East of the Sun (and West of the Moon)”.

Both of these solos will keep you busy in the practice room for weeks (if not months). Be sure to not only learn what Ulysses is playing but really dig-in and study HOW he is playing it. Learning the notes is the first step – learning the phrasing and feel of the performance …THAT is the tricky part.

After learning the two transcriptions, the next (and last) step is probably the MOST important part of the process: take what you’ve learned and make it your own. Download the sheet music for these two solo transcriptions below and get started!