The Metal 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.
Metal Double
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kick | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · |
| Snare | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · |
| Hi-hat | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| Crash | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
- Kick · 8 hits · steps 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15 · beats 1, 2, 3, 4 · eighth notes
- Snare · 2 hits · steps 5, 13 · beats 2, 4
- Hi-hat · 16 hits · steps 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 · beats 1, 2, 3, 4 · sixteenth notes
- Crash · 2 hits · steps 1, 9 · beats 1, 3
Metal Groove
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kick | ● | · | ● | · | · | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · |
| Snare | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · |
| Hi-hat | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| Crash | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
- Kick · 5 hits · steps 1, 3, 7, 9, 11 · beats 1, 3
- Snare · 2 hits · steps 5, 13 · beats 2, 4
- Hi-hat · 16 hits · steps 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 · beats 1, 2, 3, 4 · sixteenth notes
- Crash · 1 hit · steps 1 · beats 1
Where to start
Double pedal in eighths at 100 BPM only, for five minutes straight. Metal is not practised fast, it is practised long: endurance before speed.
What the hands and feet actually do
Heels up, the motion comes from the ankle, not the whole leg. A drummer playing from the thigh lasts thirty seconds; one playing from the ankle lasts a whole gig.
The trap
Believing louder means heavier. The worst metal drumming is the kind where everything is played flat out: with no dynamic range, a wall of sound becomes white noise.
Listen to this
To hear the Metal groove in its element:
Master of Puppets (Metallica) · Raining Blood (Slayer) · Walk (Pantera)
Drummers of this groove
Dave Lombardo
Made the fast double pedal the norm of extreme metal while keeping a musical hand technique.
On "Angel of Death", Lombardo holds a tempo most drummers cannot sustain for thirty seconds. His distinctive trait lies elsewhere: despite the speed, he plays with dynamics and a Latin foundation inherited from his Cuban origins. That is what separates him from purely athletic players.
Angel of Death (Slayer)Raining BloodSeasons in the AbyssNeighbouring 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 Metal groove on drums?
Double pedal in eighths at 100 BPM only, for five minutes straight. Metal is not practised fast, it is practised long: endurance before speed.
What tempo is Metal played at?
The usual range runs from 120 to 180 BPM. The hub's 2 pattern(s) are set to 160 BPM, 130 BPM, and the tempo stays free inside the drum machine.
Is Metal 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 Metal?
Dave Lombardo, Vinnie Paul. In the hub, Dave Lombardo is attached to this groove.