The Rock 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.
Rock Basic
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kick | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
| Snare | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · |
| Hi-hat | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · |
- Kick · 2 hits · steps 1, 9 · beats 1, 3
- 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
Rock 8 temps
| 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
Driving Rock
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kick | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · |
| Snare | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · |
| Hi-hat | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · |
- 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 · 8 hits · steps 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15 · beats 1, 2, 3, 4 · eighth notes
Indie Rock
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kick | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · |
| Snare | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · |
| Hi-hat | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · |
| Open hi-hat | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · |
- Kick · 3 hits · steps 1, 9, 14 · beats 1, 3
- 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
- Open hi-hat · 2 hits · steps 7, 15
Where to start
Hi-hat alone in eighths until it is steady WITHOUT thinking about it. Add the snare on 2 and 4. The kick comes last, and only then.
What the hands and feet actually do
The hi-hat carries the time, not the kick. Relaxed right hand, let the rebound do the work. The snare hits HARD: it is what people hear at the back of the room.
The trap
Rushing. Rock sits behind the beat, not in front of it. When you speed up, it is almost always the hi-hat hand pulling — not the feet.
Listen to this
To hear the Rock groove in its element:
Back in Black (AC/DC) · Come As You Are (Nirvana) · Seven Nation Army (White Stripes)
Drummers of this groove
John Bonham
A huge sound obtained through microphone placement and wrist power, not kit size.
"When the Levee Breaks" was recorded with two microphones at the top of a stairwell: the legendary sound comes from the room, not from processing. Bonham played an ordinary four-piece kit. The lesson fits in one sentence: a drum sound is played before it is mixed.
When the Levee BreaksGood Times Bad TimesFool in the RainNeighbouring 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 Rock groove on drums?
Hi-hat alone in eighths until it is steady WITHOUT thinking about it. Add the snare on 2 and 4. The kick comes last, and only then.
What tempo is Rock played at?
The usual range runs from 100 to 140 BPM. The hub's 4 pattern(s) are set to 110 BPM, 120 BPM, 130 BPM, 110 BPM, and the tempo stays free inside the drum machine.
Is Rock 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 Rock?
John Bonham, Ringo Starr. In the hub, John Bonham is attached to this groove.