The Black Keys Offer Hilarious Career Secrets in Funny or Die ‘MasterCourse’ Video

The Black Keys lay out pompous career goals, flaunt expensive guitars and teach fans how to achieve a “sultry” bongo tone in their hilarious Funny or Die trailer for a fake musical “MasterCourse.”

The clip opens with singer-guitarist Dan Auerbach musing on the more practical rewards of his creative process. “Every song on a record is trying to accomplish something,” he says, gently plucking an acoustic guitar. “That song, in particular, was trying to trying to get me a new pool.”

Later, the frontman instructs students to take inspiration from their surroundings: “I wrote that song while eating caviar with Michael Jordan in Paris,” he says, adding with a grin that the basketball legend “cheats at Blackjack.”

Drummer Patrick Carney adopts a quirkier, more self-deprecating persona in the trailer. “I come from a long line of drummers,” he says. “And I’m not talking about the Nick Cannon Drumline, although I wish I came from that line too.”

Elsewhere, he teases rhythmic mysteries: “A very interesting time signature is 4/7 –– I couldn’t tell you much about it beyond that, but it is very interesting.” And he reveals a rarely spoken truth of drumming: “It means a lot to be a drummer. One of the things it means is that you’re not a good guitar player –– or as good as someone else that you know who’s in your band.”

The video hypes the band’s recently issued ninth LP, “Let’s Rock.” The duo will promote the album on a North American tour with Modest Mouse that launches September 21st at the Life Is Beautiful Festival in Las Vegas, Nevada.