Drums › Grooves › Country Train Beat
The Country Train Beat drum groove
The pattern, step by step
One cell per sixteenth note, sixteen cells to the bar — exactly what the hub's drum machine plays. Downbeats are shown in bold.
Country Train
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kick | ● | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · |
| Snare | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · |
| Hi-hat | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · |
- Kick · 4 hits · steps 1, 5, 9, 13 · beats 1, 2, 3, 4 · quarter notes
- Snare · 2 hits · steps 5, 13 · beats 2, 4
- Hi-hat · 8 hits · steps 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15 · beats 1, 2, 3, 4 · eighth notes
Where to start
Even sixteenths on the snare, right and left hands alternating, accenting beats 2 and 4. The whole pattern fits in that single gesture.
What the hands and feet actually do
With brushes the gesture is a circular sweep rather than a stroke. Buddy Harman played this pattern on thousands of Nashville records without ever being credited on the sleeve.
The trap
Accenting too hard. The train beat should roll, not thump: if every stroke stands out clearly, the rail illusion dies and all that is left is a noisy roll.
Listen to this
To hear the Country Train Beat groove in its element:
Folsom Prison Blues (Johnny Cash) · Jolene (Dolly Parton)
Drummers of this groove
Buddy Harman
The train beat, played across more than eighteen thousand sessions: probably the most recorded drummer in history.
Harman played behind Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline, Roy Orbison and hundreds more, almost always uncredited. He embodies a category of musicians whose work is everywhere and whose name is nowhere: the Nashville sound is, in large part, his wrist.
Ring of Fire (Johnny Cash)Crazy (Patsy Cline)Pretty WomanNeighbouring grooves
Play it right now
The Drum Hub's drum machine loads this pattern, plays it at any tempo and lets you edit it cell by cell.
Open the Drum Hub →Frequently asked questions
How do you play a Country Train Beat groove on drums?
Even sixteenths on the snare, right and left hands alternating, accenting beats 2 and 4. The whole pattern fits in that single gesture.
What tempo is Country Train Beat played at?
The usual range runs from 110 to 140 BPM. The hub's 1 pattern(s) are set to 120 BPM, and the tempo stays free inside the drum machine.
Is Country Train Beat straight or shuffled?
Straight: the eighth notes are even, with no delay on the offbeats. That is what the hub's pattern plays.
Which drummer should you listen to for Country Train Beat?
Buddy Harman, Nashville. In the hub, Buddy Harman is attached to this groove.