Funk-Rock Drive drum pattern
A two-bar late-80s and early-90s funk-rock groove: loud eighth hats, a cracking backbeat, a kick that syncopates like a slap-bass line and a bar-two snare accent on the a of 4. Press Play to hear it with a sampled drum kit at 108 BPM, change the tempo or swing, and follow every hit on the grid.
How to count the Funk-Rock 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 straight 16th-note funk-rock pocket).
The Funk-Rock 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- --X- -XX- |
| Snare | ---- X--- ---- X--- | ---- X--- ---- X--X |
| Ghost snare | ---- ---o ---- ---o | ---- ---- -o-- ---- |
| Closed hat | x-x- x-x- x-x- x-x- | x-x- x--- x-x- x-x- |
| Open hat | ---- ---- ---- ---- | ---- --x- ---- ---- |
| Pedal hat | ---- ---- ---- ---- | ---- ---- o--- ---- |
Tempo and feel
Hard-hitting and on top of the beat. It is a rock drummer's volume with a funk drummer's kick, so the syncopations must stay tight at full strength. The default tempo is 108 BPM. Slow it down until every hit is controlled, then raise the tempo a few BPM at a time.
How to practise the Funk-Rock Drive
Play loud eighth hats and a full backbeat against the click. Add the syncopated kicks at the same strength as the downbeat. Place the bar-two a-of-4 snare accent and come straight back to beat 1.
Variations to try next
Move the hats to a half-open wash for the chorus. Drop the bar-two open hat. Double the kick on the a of 2 and beat 3.
Where to hear this feel
Records in this family include Red Hot Chili Peppers - Give It Away, Red Hot Chili Peppers - Suck My Kiss and Faith No More - Epic. This is a style study written for practice, not a transcription of any one recording.