Easy drum beats for beginners

1. Money beat (92 BPM)

Eighths on the hi-hat, kick on 1 and 3, snare on 2 and 4. Most of rock is this. Right hand on the hat, left on the snare, right foot on the kick.

Tempo

92 BPM

Level

Beginner 1 of 5

Time signature

4/4

Feel

Straight 16ths

Run

21 s · 8 bars

Limbs

Both hands and the kick foot

Each column is a sixteenth. x is a hit, a bold X an accent.

▶ Hear itPlay it on your kit

Count: 1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a

Kick on 1 and 3, snare on 2 and 4, hi-hat on every eighth. Said aloud: 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &

12 notes a bar, 4 of them between the beats. Both hands and the kick foot. The money beat on its own page →

2. 3/4 groove (96 BPM)

Three beats to a bar: kick on one, snare on two and three, as in a waltz. Count one-two-three and back to the one, never to four. The hat keeps six eighths a bar.

Tempo

96 BPM

Level

Beginner 1 of 5

Time signature

3/4

Feel

Straight 16ths

Run

30 s · 16 bars

Limbs

Both hands and the kick foot

Each column is a sixteenth. x is a hit, a bold X an accent.

▶ Hear itPlay it on your kit

Count: 1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a

Kick on 1, snare on 2 and 3, hi-hat on every eighth. Said aloud: 1 & 2 & 3 &

9 notes a bar, 3 of them between the beats. Both hands and the kick foot. The 3/4 groove on its own page →

3. Half-time groove (88 BPM)

Snare on 3 instead of 2 and 4: the bar feels twice as long. Same hands, half the snares. Do not rush the 3.

Tempo

88 BPM

Level

Beginner 2 of 5

Time signature

4/4

Feel

Straight 16ths

Run

22 s · 8 bars

Limbs

Both hands and the kick foot

Each column is a sixteenth. x is a hit, a bold X an accent.

▶ Hear itPlay it on your kit

Count: 1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a

Kick on 1, the & of 2 and the & of 4, accented on 1; snare on 3; hi-hat on every eighth. Said aloud: 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &

12 notes a bar, 6 of them between the beats. Both hands and the kick foot. The half-time groove on its own page →

4. Ride cymbal groove (96 BPM)

The money beat moved to the ride, with the hi-hat foot on 2 and 4. Right hand to the ride. The left foot steps the hat closed on the backbeat.

Tempo

96 BPM

Level

Beginner 2 of 5

Time signature

4/4

Feel

Straight 16ths

Run

20 s · 8 bars

Limbs

Both hands and the kick foot

Each column is a sixteenth. x is a hit, a bold X an accent.

▶ Hear itPlay it on your kit

Count: 1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a

Kick on 1 and 3, snare on 2 and 4, ride on every eighth. Said aloud: 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &

12 notes a bar, 4 of them between the beats. Both hands and the kick foot. The ride cymbal groove on its own page →

5. Rock beat with an extra kick (96 BPM)

The money beat with a kick on the and of 3, which is where the push comes from. The extra kick falls between two hi-hats. Keep the hat steady.

Tempo

96 BPM

Level

Beginner 2 of 5

Time signature

4/4

Feel

Straight 16ths

Run

20 s · 8 bars

Limbs

Both hands and the kick foot

Each column is a sixteenth. x is a hit, a bold X an accent.

▶ Hear itPlay it on your kit

Count: 1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a

Kick on 1, 3 and the & of 3; snare on 2 and 4; hi-hat on every eighth. Said aloud: 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &

13 notes a bar, 5 of them between the beats. Both hands and the kick foot. The rock beat with an extra kick on its own page →

6. Four on the floor (118 BPM)

Kick on every beat, hi-hat opening on the ands. Disco, dance, a lot of pop. Open the hat as the foot comes off the pedal, close it on the next kick.

Tempo

118 BPM

Level

Beginner 2 of 5

Time signature

4/4

Feel

Straight 16ths

Run

24 s · 12 bars

Limbs

Both hands and the kick foot

Each column is a sixteenth. x is a hit, a bold X an accent.

▶ Hear itPlay it on your kit

Count: 1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a

Kick and hi-hat on every beat, snare on 2 and 4, open hi-hat on the & of every beat. Said aloud: 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &

14 notes a bar, 4 of them between the beats. Both hands and the kick foot. The four on the floor on its own page →

7. Motown beat (112 BPM)

Snare on every beat, not just 2 and 4, over eighths on the hat. Every snare the same weight, landing with the hat. Kick on 1, the and of 2, and 3.

Tempo

112 BPM

Level

Beginner 2 of 5

Time signature

4/4

Feel

Straight 16ths

Run

34 s · 16 bars

Limbs

Both hands and the kick foot

Each column is a sixteenth. x is a hit.

▶ Hear itPlay it on your kit

Count: 1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a

Kick on 1, the & of 2 and 3; snare on every beat; hi-hat on every eighth. Said aloud: 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &

15 notes a bar, 5 of them between the beats. Both hands and the kick foot. The Motown beat on its own page →

8. 6/8 groove (80 BPM)

Two big beats a bar, each split in three. Kick on 1, snare on 4, every eighth on the hi-hat. Feel it in two.

Tempo

80 BPM (quarter note)

Level

Beginner 2 of 5

Time signature

6/8

Feel

Straight 16ths

Run

27 s · 12 bars

Limbs

Both hands and the kick foot

Each column is a sixteenth. x is a hit. The shading changes with each group of eighths, 3 + 3.

▶ Hear itPlay it on your kit

Count: 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 5 & 6 &

Kick on 1, snare on 4, hi-hat on every eighth. Said aloud: 1 2 3 4 5 6

The six eighths of each bar are counted in two groups of three. At 80 BPM a quarter note, the eighths go by at 160 a minute.

8 notes a bar, all of them on the eighths. Both hands and the kick foot. The 6/8 groove on its own page →