Part 4 · Rock Grooves · Chapter 48

Snare Variations

The backbeat on 2 and 4 is the anchor, but adding an extra snare note here and there creates movement.

EXAMPLE 48.1Snare on the & of 4
TEMPO
EXAMPLE 48.2Snare on the & of 2
TEMPO
EXAMPLE 48.3Two-bar phrase
TEMPO

A plain bar, then a bar with extra snare notes.

Less is moreTIP

Extra notes sound best when they are rare. Play a plain beat for three bars and add the variation in the fourth.

← 47. Bass Drum Variations49. Quarter-Note Hi-Hat →