Ramones-Style Punk Eighths drum pattern
A two-bar punk drive: even eighth-note hats with barely any accent, kick on 1 and 3, a flat loud backbeat and one open hat at the end of the phrase. Press Play to hear it with a sampled drum kit at 176 BPM, change the tempo or swing, and follow every hit on the grid.
How to count the Ramones-Style Punk Eighths
Count it as: 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & · two bars. The pattern is a 2-bar phrase in 4/4 (two-bar eighth-note punk drive).
The Ramones-Style Punk Eighths 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- -- Xx -- |
| Snare | -- X- -- X- | -- X- -- X- |
| Closed hat | xx xx xx xx | xx xx xx x- |
| Open hat | -- -- -- -- | -- -- -- -x |
Tempo and feel
Relentless and deliberately plain. The eighths are even, the backbeat never changes and the groove gets its power from not letting up. The default tempo is 176 BPM. Slow it down until every hit is controlled, then raise the tempo a few BPM at a time.
How to practise the Ramones-Style Punk Eighths
Play even eighth-note hats for a full minute without tensing. Add the kick on 1 and 3 and the backbeat. Add the bar-two kick on the & of 3 and the open hat on the last &.
Variations to try next
Move the hand to the crash for the chorus. Double the kick on the & of every beat. Drop the open hat for a totally flat loop.
Where to hear this feel
Records in this family include Ramones - Blitzkrieg Bop, Ramones - Judy Is a Punk and Ramones - Rockaway Beach. A practice study of the Ramones-style punk drive: every eighth note on the hat at almost the same volume, kick on 1 and 3 and a flat, loud backbeat, with no fills and no swing. The buzzsaw downstroke guitars that make the style are left to the band, and the only liberty is an open hat on the last & of the phrase; it is authored for practice, not transcribed.