Britpop Tambourine Drive drum pattern
A two-bar Britpop groove: straight eighth hats, a kick that pushes with the guitars, a solid backbeat, a 16th kick pickup and a tambourine-style shaker on top. Press Play to hear it with a sampled drum kit at 112 BPM, change the tempo or swing, and follow every hit on the grid.
How to count the Britpop Tambourine Drive
Count it as: 1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a · two bars. The pattern is a 2-bar phrase in 4/4 (two-bar 16th-note rock pocket with tambourine layer).
The Britpop Tambourine Drive pattern, hit by hit
Each character is one step of the grid and each group is one beat. X is an accented hit, x a normal hit, o a quiet or ghost note and - a rest.
| Voice | Bar 1 | Bar 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Kick | X--- ---- X-x- ---- | X--- --x- X-x- ---x |
| Snare | ---- X--- ---- X--- | ---- X--- ---- X--- |
| Ghost snare | ---- ---- ---o ---- | ---- ---- ---- ---- |
| Closed hat | x-o- x-o- x-o- x-o- | x-o- x-o- x-o- x--- |
| Open hat | ---- ---- ---- ---- | ---- ---- ---- --x- |
| Shaker | o-o- o-o- o-o- o-o- | o-o- o-o- o-o- o-o- |
Tempo and feel
Swaggering and anthemic. It sits squarely on the beat; the tambourine layer adds shine without adding weight. The default tempo is 112 BPM. Slow it down until every hit is controlled, then raise the tempo a few BPM at a time.
How to practise the Britpop Tambourine Drive
Play the eighth hats and the backbeat. Add the kick, including the bar-two pickup on the a of 4. Add the tambourine layer last, accented on 2 and 4.
Variations to try next
Move the hand to the ride for the chorus. Play four-on-the-floor kick for the last chorus. Mute the tambourine layer for the verse.
Where to hear this feel
Records in this family include Oasis - Live Forever, Pulp - Common People and Supergrass - Alright. A practice study of mid-90s Britpop drumming: straight eighth hats, a kick that pushes with the guitars, a solid backbeat and a tambourine riding on top. The tambourine overdub is approximated by a quiet shaker layer that is not played by a kit limb, and the wall of guitars is left to the band; it is authored for practice, not transcribed.