If there was a snare drum “four on the floor” this is it. He plays the kick and hi-hat with tasteful fills and accents. For example, listen to Manu Katche on “In Your Eyes” from the Secret World Live video. Try out different tom or snare parts either in repetition ways or more randomly. This can make a set list or an album more interesting, especially when you begin to discover what you can do with the freedom from the backbeat. Since a lot of songs have snare drum backbeats, the kick and hi-hat groove is a simple way to make a contrast. He says it provides enough time and that we shouldn’t always go right to snare drum backbeats. Stewart Copeland is a huge fan of the kick and hi-hat beat. But be reverent toward the music when filling the space that simple drum beats like this one create in the groove. It’s tempting to add a lot of kick drum variations and fills with the cymbals, and that stuff sounds great. Out of all of the simple drum beats on this list, this has to be the most impactful variation on the “boom whack” beat.īe careful with the space in this beat. To me, the answer to this question makes such a difference for the groove. In fact, when I am not familiar with a song that comes up on a gig, I first ask if it’s half time or not. These three changes are very simple differences that make a big difference. One of the simplest differences you can make with a drum beat is whether it’s half time, common time, or double time. This changes the feel quite a bit in terms of a movement resolution in the rhythm, but the kick drum rhythm keeps the groove moving forward. The “boom chick boom” can be phrased with the “chick” exclusively on count four. But that doesn’t need to take away from the huge impact this beat can have on the groove. The big difference in the example below is the cymbal pattern is not as complex. The beat is carried by an upright bass, a cabasa, and a triangle.įor the Latin music students, this beat in Braziian music is similar to a baião. King’s song “Stand By Me.” That song doesn’t even have drums. This simple drum beat reminds me of Ben E. The simple drum beat with kick and snare allows listeners to focus on how interesting the cymbal accents feel in the groove. Try eighth notes with upbeat accents, downbeat accents, or a more syncopated accent pattern. You can play a variety of cymbal accent patterns over the top of the drum parts. These are played with a quarter note rhythm, which, for a 4/4 time signature, can’t get any simpler. The boom is the kick and the whack is the snare. It’s often called the money beat because it’s so simple and has been on a lot of songs that have made a lot of money. Songs like “Highway to Hell” by AC/DC or “Billy Jean” by Michael Jackson have a boom whack drum beat. So consider these simple drum beats as concepts that you can vary, combine, and use for inspiration to write drum beats that serve the music. Sometimes leaving out a kick drum or hi-hat makes the drum beat come alive. This could add complexity for musical reasons, not those that feed the drummer’s ego. Each example, however, includes some suggestions for variations that could make the drum beat more complex.Ĭomplexity should never be the goal, but sometimes taking a drum part to the next level means varying the rhythm or instrumentation. The goal of this article is to introduce these simple drum beats in musical contexts that would perhaps suffer with more complexity. For example, combine the halftime feel with a shuffle, and you’re almost to an iconic shuffle like the one Jeff Porcaro played on “Rosanna.” Simple Drum Beats as Building BlocksĪfter you play through these beats and consider the song examples mentioned, think about how many complex drum beats include two or more concepts from these simple beats. The variations are so simple that he just adds an extra sixteenth note after the downbeat to fill in the space and speak a little. It’s a boom whack beat with a few kick drum variations. John Bonham’s beat on “Kashmir” is a good example of a simple drum beat. But, most importantly, simple drum beats make a big difference for the music they serve. It could be that the kick, snare, and hi-hat are the only instruments involved in the beat. Most drummers wouldn’t read into these terms too much, but it’s important to think about what a simple drum beat really means.Ī simple drum beat is crafted from parts with consistent rhythms and drum set instrumental choices that don’t involve many changes. Simple drum beats are not necessarily the same as an easy drum beat or a basic drum beat.