Ralph Rolle occupies one of the grooviest drum chairs on the planet. As well as his job, holding down the foundation for disco/funk legends Nile Rogers & Chic, Ralph has also played for an impressive list of funk, soul, hip-hop artists and beyond, with a CV boasting Stevie Wonder, D’Angelo, Notorious B.I.G., Roger Daltrey, Bono and many, many more.

Ralph Rolle's kit

Thanks to Yamaha, Zildjian and Remo for supplying the gear used in this masterclass.

Drums
Yamaha Tour Custom (maple shells)
Toms: 10” x 7” 12” x 8”, 16” x 15”
Bass drum: 22 x 16”
Snare Drum: Yamaha Tour Custom 14 x 6.5”

Cymbals
Zildjian: 13” K hi-hats, 10” A Custom Splash, 16” A Custom Fast Crash, 16” A Custom Medium Crash, 17” K Custom Hybrid Crash, 17” K China, 20” A Custom Ride.

Heads
Remo Ambassador Coated, Powerstroke P3 Clear bass drum batter.

Electronics
Roland SPD-SX