10 Easy Rock Beats for Beginner Drummers

It might be hard to learn the drums, but if you learn some simple rock beats, you'll be able to perform a lot of music and have fun right away. This tutorial is good for beginners who have never tried anything like this before. We concentrate on simple coordination and timing, which will help you get started with music. We look at 10 major rock beats in detail. We provide you with the precise notes for the music, easy instructions to follow, and samples of well-known songs. This helps you rapidly build a foundation for your drumming career. Get your sticks out, set a metronome, and get ready to play some amazing rock music.

Beginner’s Quick Prep: Understanding the Drum Kit

Before you start making beats, you need to know what your three most important parts are. The pieces will appear like this on standard drum notes:

• Hi-Hat (H): You use your right hand to play it. There is an "X" above the lines. It keeps the steady beat.
• Snare Drum (S): You will play it with your left hand. On the staff, it is marked with a "C". It makes the "backbeat," which usually happens on beats 2 and 4.
• You will use your right foot to play the bass drum (K) or kick drum. It will be shown in the bottom area of the staves. It gives the beat strength and sets it off.

Every beat in this guide is 4/4 time. It plays eighth notes on the hi-hat. This implies that for every four counts, you will hit eight notes that are evenly spaced.

The 10 Essential Easy Rock Drum Beats

The beats below are in order from easiest to hardest. This helps you feel good and become better at moving your body before you attempt new types of rhythms.

Beat 1: The Basic Rock Beat (The Foundation)

This is the most crucial groove to know. It establishes the normal beat for rock music. The snare drum plays on the two primary backbeats, which are 2 and 4. The hi-hat plays steady eighth notes with your right hand, while the kick drum plays on beats 1 and 3.

Notation: H: 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & | S: – – C – – – C – | K: C – – – C – – –

Instructions: Play the Hi-Hat on every count and 'and.' Play the Kick Drum on 1 and 3. Play the Snare Drum on 2 and 4.

Song Example: AC/DC - "Back in Black" (around 94 BPM).

Beat 2: The Driving Kick (The Two-Kick Power)

This rhythm is a little variation on the standard rock beat. It adds one additional strike to the kick drum. This additional note gives the groove more strength and helps it move more. It is a major rhythm in classic rock music. For the two kick hits in a row, concentrate on moving your foot fast.

Notation: H: 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & | S: – – C – – – C – | K: C – – – C C – –

Instructions: The beat goes Kick-Snare-Kick-Kick-Snare. The two kick hits in a row must be on beat 3 and the "and" of 3.

Song Example: Queen - "Another One Bites The Dust" (around 110 BPM).

Beat 3: Four-on-the-Floor (Disco Rock)

A lot of new rock, dance, and disco songs incorporate this rhythm. It's a terrific way to practice keeping a steady rhythm on the kick drum. The term signifies that the bass drum strikes on every beat in the measure. This beat is really important for getting your right foot under control.

Notation: H: 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & | S: – – C – – – C – | K: C – C – C – C –

Instructions: Keep the Snare on 2 and 4. Play the Kick Drum on every beat (1, 2, 3, 4).

Song Example: Pink Floyd - "Another Brick in the Wall, Pt. 2" (around 104 BPM).

Beat 4: The Simple Shuffle (Basic Swing)

The shuffle gives the beat a swing or triplet feel. It changes the weight of the straight eighth notes. If you're just starting, the easiest way to feel this is to count the Hi-Hat as "tri-p-let" and just play the first and third notes of each group of three.

Instructions: Keep the Kick on 1 and 3, and the Snare on 2 and 4. The Hi-Hat should now sound bouncy, not straight. This is a basic groove for blues and shuffles.

Song Example: ZZ Top - "La Grange" (around 80 BPM).

Beat 5: Kick on the “&” of 1

This beat has some basic syncopation in it. The kick drum smacks a little bit off the main rhythm. This helps the groove seem more real. This little adjustment in the kick pattern is a popular tactic. It makes the rhythm stronger without having to learn hard new abilities.

Notation: H: 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & | S: – – C – – – C – | K: C C – – C – – –

Instructions: Play the Kick on beat 1 and the "and" of 1, then again on beat 3. The Hi-Hat and Snare stay normal.

Song Example: Blink-182 - "All The Small Things" (around 148 BPM).

Beat 6: Kick on the “&” of 3

This beat is like Beat 5, but the syncopated kick hit is in the second half of the measure. Practice Beats 5 and 6 together. This is a great way to train your timing and foot control in different parts of the measure.

Notation: H: 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & | S: – – C – – – C – | K: C – – – C C – –

Instructions: Kick on 1, Snare on 2, Kick on 3, and the "and" of 3, Snare on 4. This beat moves strongly forward.

Song Example: Red Hot Chili Peppers - "Under The Bridge" (around 83 BPM).

Beat 7: The Half-Time Beat

In a Half-Time beat, the rhythm feels half as fast. This makes a song feel heavy or drawn out. To do this, you move the strong backbeat (Snare) from 2 and 4 to only beat 3. The Hi-Hat keeps a steady beat. This makes a cool difference in the sound.

Instructions: Play the Snare only on beat 3. Keep the Hi-Hat steady. The Kick should be played on 1. This slow, heavy backbeat feel is strong.

Song Example: Queen - "We Will Rock You" (around 80 BPM, (Note: this song uses claps and stomps instead of the Hi-Hat, but the slow backbeat on 3 is the main idea)).

Beat 8: The Simple Hi-Hat Open

This beat teaches a simple Hi-Hat accent and opening. The 'open' sound on the Hi-Hat is bright and shimmering. You make this sound by lifting your left foot a little off the Hi-Hat pedal on the "and" of 2, and then closing it fast on beat 3.

Instructions: Play the normal Basic Rock Beat. On the "and" of 2, open the Hi-Hat a little (open 'o' on the lines). Close it right away on beat 3. This needs good foot control.

Song Example: Green Day - "Basket Case" (around 170 BPM, (Start this one slow)).

Beat 9: The Sixteenth-Note Hi-Hat Prep

You won't play real sixteenth notes yet, but this beat gets you ready for them. Play the Kick and Snare in the normal Basic Rock Beat. For the Hi-Hat, try playing one or two groups of sixteenth notes (four notes per count, counted as 1-e-&-a) instead of eighth notes.

Instructions: Keep the hands and feet steady. Focus on playing very short bursts of sixteenth notes on the Hi-Hat on beat 4. This builds arm strength and speed.

Song Example: Foo Fighters - "Everlong" (around 158 BPM).

Beat 10: The Skip-A-Beat

This simple beat helps you learn to keep time in your head. It is the Basic Rock Beat, but you skip the Hi-Hat on beat 4. The space forces your inner clock to be right. This makes sure you land the next beat correctly on the "1" of the next measure.

Instructions: Normal Kick and Snare. Play Hi-Hat on 1, 1&, 2, 2&, 3, 3&. Skip the Hi-Hat on 4 and 4&.

Essential Practice Tips for Coordination and Timing

The best method to remember these beats is to practice them a lot and play them with a lot of focus. Don't try to play too quickly, too soon.

Master the Metronome

Start up gently, around 60 to 70 beats per minute. After you can do a beat exactly 10 times, accelerate it by 5 BPM. It enables your brain and body to learn slowly instead of rushing.

Focus on Limb Independence

Before you practice the complete beat, practice each limb on its own. To have your left hand and right foot exactly in sync, start by practicing solely the Kick and Snare routine. Practice adding merely the Hi-Hat to the Kick, then to the Snare. Finally, put all three together. This unique practice helps all of you move your limbs freely.

Strive for Consistency and Dynamics

Every time you strike the Hi-Hat, Snare, or Kick, it should sound the same and steady. For a clear sound, hit the center of the snare drum. Make sure the Hi-Hat hits are even. Don't play too loudly or too quickly, since this might make it harder to control.

Conclusion

You now know 10 simple rock beats. This is a nice, useful place to start. It allows you to play along with a lot of popular songs. Keep in mind that drumming takes both time and practice. Use the music samples and a metronome to practice each beat gently. Make sure you play clearly. This makes your practice more entertaining and useful. Keep playing those drums; your musical life has just started!