Learn to playChameleonas made famous by Herbie Hancockon drums
Chameleon locks into a laid-back funk groove with steady hi-hat timekeeping, syncopated kick patterns, and a relaxed snare that keeps the pocket deep and hypnotic.
With our step-by-step drum lesson you can recreate the beat behind Chameleon. We’ve broken down the main sections of the song and will take you through each part beat by beat, with video demonstrations.
Chameleon
Drums Tutorial - Step by Step
Intro
After the 4 bar intro, come in with the groove, playing 1/4 notes on beat 1 in the first 2 bars. Slightly swing your 1/16s and watch for the fills.
A section
Mark the start of the melody with a crash, and continue the groove. Watch for the fills in bars 8 and 16.
A section repeat
Crash, and vamp for 4 bars. The A section melody repeats again, with fills in the middle and at the end.
Outro
Move to the B section melody. Play fills every 4 bars, and the third time, play the triplet fill, and play the hits with the horns to finish.
Combine and play
Now combine the sections to play the full arrangement.
Learn to play
Chameleon
with Melodics
Behind the track
Chameleon
by Herbie Hancock
Herbie Hancock’s Chameleon is a masterclass in funky jazz fusion. The composition revolves around a simple but infectious two-chord vamp that stretches over a spacious groove, giving each instrument room to shine. The bass lays down a hypnotic, repeating line that drives the track, while keyboards, guitar, and horns weave syncopated riffs and textures, creating a rich, layered sound. Rhythmically, it’s all about tight interplay and syncopation, with the drums anchoring the groove without overpowering it.
Vocally, Chameleon is mostly instrumental, but the occasional vocal effects and chants are used sparingly, functioning more like another rhythmic or textural element than a traditional melodic vocal line. This keeps the focus squarely on the groove, the improvisation, and the dynamic interaction between instruments.
Tips for learning Chameleon on drums
Tip 1: Slow it down
Break it down: Tackle each section of Chameleon individually for precision mastery. With Melodics, you can slow the pace of the song and work up to full speed.
Tip 2: Review your performance
Identify growth areas: Listen to playback of your performance to learn where you need to develop your timing, technique & rhythm. Melodics provides instant feedback on your performance.
Tip 3: Practice makes perfect
Stay consistent: With regular, focused practice you'll see rapid progress when learning the song. Even a short session each day will make a huge difference.
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FAQs
- Chameleon is an advanced level song. Fortunately, there are beginner versions of the song available on Melodics to check out!
- You will need advanced dexterity and syncopation skills.
- 102 bpm
- 4/4
- New songs are released every week on Melodics! And we love to take requests - the best place for this is within our Discord community where you can also connect with other music learners around the world. Check out https://melodics.com/info/community.