Drums › Grooves › March & Film Score
The March & Film Score 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.
Marching
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kick | ● | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · |
| Snare | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · |
- Kick · 4 hits · steps 1, 5, 9, 13 · beats 1, 2, 3, 4 · quarter notes
- Snare · 8 hits · steps 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15 · beats 1, 2, 3, 4 · eighth notes
Epic Cinematic
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kick | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
| Snare | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · |
| Clap | ● | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · |
| Ride | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● |
| Crash | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
- Kick · 1 hit · steps 1 · beats 1
- Snare · 2 hits · steps 5, 13 · beats 2, 4
- Clap · 4 hits · steps 1, 5, 9, 13 · beats 1, 2, 3, 4 · quarter notes
- Ride · 8 hits · steps 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16
- Crash · 1 hit · steps 1 · beats 1
Where to start
For the march, even sixteenths on the snare with a clear accent on every beat. For film, the opposite: very few strokes, widely spaced, very loud.
What the hands and feet actually do
Film music plays on apparent size: few elements, plenty of reverb, and low toms doubled at the octave. It is as much a production effect as it is drumming.
The trap
In a march, holding a strict tempo over time is harder than it looks: that is exactly why marching bands rehearse to a metronome more than rock bands do.
Listen to this
To hear the March & Film Score groove in its element:
The Liberty Bell (Sousa) · Mombasa (Hans Zimmer, Inception)
Neighbouring 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 March & Film Score groove on drums?
For the march, even sixteenths on the snare with a clear accent on every beat. For film, the opposite: very few strokes, widely spaced, very loud.
What tempo is March & Film Score played at?
The usual range runs from 70 to 120 BPM. The hub's 2 pattern(s) are set to 110 BPM, 80 BPM, and the tempo stays free inside the drum machine.
Is March & Film Score 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 March & Film Score?
Military bands, Hans Zimmer. Worth hearing: The Liberty Bell (Sousa) · Mombasa (Hans Zimmer, Inception)