THE KIT · TIME FEEL 1 · 4/4

Straight-Eighth Rock

The rock beat is the foundation of most popular music. The hi-hat keeps steady eighth notes, the bass drum anchors the strong beats, and the snare cracks on 2 and 4. That snare on 2 and 4 is called the backbeat, and it is what makes people nod their heads.

Everything else on the kit page is built on this groove, so it is worth getting it really solid.

Open this feel on the kit →

Reading it

Read the staff from left to right. Notes stacked on the same stem are played at the same moment.

On count 1 you play hi-hat and bass drum together. On 2, hi-hat and snare together. Notes on the & are hi-hat alone unless something else is written under them.

Counting

Count eighth notes out loud: 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &. Say it even when it feels silly. Counting out loud is how you will learn to read any new rhythm, not just this one.

The four steps

Each step changes one thing. Get each one comfortable before moving on.

1. The basic beat. Bass drum on 1 and 3, snare on 2 and 4, hi-hat on every eighth note.Play variation 1 →
2. The bass drum adds the & of 3. Listen for it pushing forward into beat 4.Play variation 2 →
3. The bass drum moves to 1, the & of 2, and 3. The & of 2 kick comes right after the snare, so keep your foot relaxed.Play variation 3 →
4. A busier foot: bass drum on 1 & and 3 &, plus a snare on the & of 4 that leads back to the top.Play variation 4 →

Common mistakes

• Stopping the hi-hat hand when the snare plays. The right hand never stops.
• Rushing the & notes. They go exactly halfway between the numbers.
• Hi-hat and bass drum sounding like two hits (a flam). On count 1 they should sound as one.

Practice plan

5 min	Hi-hat alone, counting 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & out loud.
5 min	Add the bass drum on 1 and 3.
5 min	Add the snare on 2 and 4 (step 1). Use the metronome at 70.
10 min	Steps 2, 3 and 4, ten times each without stopping.

Always start slower than you think you need to. Speed comes from playing it right many times, not from playing it fast once.