One groove at a time, level by level
The best way to improve as a drummer is to work on something that is just beyond your current ability until it becomes automatic, then move to the next challenge. This follows the principle of "deliberate practice". That is how the Learn Drums course is built: nine levels, each one raising the bar a little higher.
Below is a hand-picked groove for every level, from Absolute Rookie to Elite Pro. Each one comes with the songs and drummers that made it famous, why it matters, and a video to play along with. Get each groove tight, including its rolls and fills, and you will have earned your place on the next level.
THE BASIC ROCK BEAT
THE BEAT EVERYTHING ELSE IS BUILT ON
The basic rock beat (kick on 1 and 3, snare on 2 and 4, steady eighth notes on the hi-hat) is the single most important pattern in drumming. It is the foundation under thousands of songs, from Queen's "We Will Rock You" feel to AC/DC, Nirvana and almost every pop record you have ever heard. Master it slowly and evenly here, because every groove that follows is a variation of this one. Once your hands and foot lock together without thinking, you are ready to add your first fills and roll into Level 2.THE SHUFFLE - "SWEET HOME CHICAGO"
YOUR FIRST TASTE OF SWING
The shuffle swaps straight eighth notes for a bouncy, triplet-based feel, and it is the heartbeat of the blues. Robert Johnson's "Sweet Home Chicago" is the perfect place to learn it. It is a 12-bar blues that has been covered by everyone from Eric Clapton to the Blues Brothers. The shuffle teaches your hands to relax into a groove instead of playing stiff. It is also the gateway to rock 'n' roll, country and gospel. Nail this triplet feel cleanly and the whole world of swung grooves opens up.THE DISCO BEAT (FOUR ON THE FLOOR)
THE GROOVE THAT MAKES PEOPLE DANCE
Put the kick on every beat, the famous "four on the floor", then add a backbeat snare and an open hi-hat on the off-beats, and you have the disco beat that powers "Stayin' Alive", "I Will Survive" and modern dance and house music alike. This is your first real exercise in foot stamina and hi-hat control, with the open-and-close hat giving the groove its signature sizzle. It is a hugely useful, instantly recognisable beat, and proof that a simple pattern played with confidence can fill a dance floor.AEROSMITH - "WALK THIS WAY"
YOUR FIRST STEP INTO SYNCOPATION
Joey Kramer's groove on "Walk This Way" is where the straight rock beat starts to get funky. The kick drum stops landing only on the obvious beats and begins to push and pull against the snare, giving the whole thing its funky, swaggering bounce. Level 4 is about taking your playing to the next level, and syncopation is the key. Learning to place those off-beat kicks cleanly, while the hi-hat stays steady, is the skill that separates a stiff beginner from a drummer who can really lock into a band and groove.THE HALF-TIME SHUFFLE (PURDIE SHUFFLE)
THE GROOVE THAT SEPARATES THE GOOD FROM THE GREAT
The half-time shuffle, made legendary by Bernard "Pretty" Purdie, layers shuffled triplets with quiet ghost notes between the backbeats. Jeff Porcaro built Toto's "Rosanna" on it and John Bonham powered Led Zeppelin's "Fool in the Rain" with it. This is a true rite of passage. It demands relaxed hands, dynamic control and rock-solid independence. Work it up slowly, and when those ghost notes start to whisper underneath the groove, you have reached a genuinely skilled level.STEVIE WONDER - "SUPERSTITION"
SIXTEENTH-NOTE FUNK AND GHOST-NOTE FEEL
"Superstition" is one of the most iconic funk grooves ever recorded, a busy sixteenth-note hi-hat part peppered with ghost notes and a hard backbeat. It is the perfect study in funk vocabulary, the style at the heart of soul, R&B and hip hop. By Level 6 you should understand a groove well enough to explain it, and this is the one to teach. Breaking down how the accents, ghost notes and pocket fit together is exactly the kind of mastery that turns a player into a teacher.THE SAMBA
VERSATILITY FOR THE STUDIO
A session drummer has to play anything that is put in front of them, and nothing tests four-limb independence like the Brazilian samba. The driving bass-drum ostinato, the cross-stick and the busy hands all move at once, demanding total coordination. Learning the samba opens the door to the wider world of Latin and world grooves, like bossa nova, partido alto and more. Add this to your rock, blues and funk vocabulary and you become the versatile, call-anytime drummer studios rely on.JAMES BROWN - "FUNKY DRUMMER"
THE MOST SAMPLED GROOVE IN HISTORY
Clyde Stubblefield's break on James Brown's "Funky Drummer" is the most sampled drum beat ever recorded, the backbone of countless hip hop and dance tracks. It is a flowing river of sixteenth notes, ghost notes and perfectly placed accents. This is the ultimate groove-master test: every note has a different volume, yet the whole thing feels effortless and hypnotic. Master the dynamics and the relentless, dancing feel and you can lead any band with the timing and feel of the greats.Want to play these grooves step by step, with the drum tab and all the rolls and fills? Get Learn Drums & Learn To Master Drums Pro and start working through the levels today.
THE SURFARIS - "WIPEOUT"
THE FINAL CHALLENGE
"Wipeout" is the showpiece every drummer dreams of nailing, that machine-gun run of syncopated sixteenth-note tom phrases, fired off at speed without losing the groove. It is instantly recognisable and unforgivingly exposed. To play it clean and fast you need everything the earlier levels built: stamina, control, dynamics and rock-solid time. Pull it off and you have reached the top of the course, an elite pro with the chops and stage presence to match.Share This Story
