Have you ever played the drums to a super slow song but it didn’t really feel good? Maybe you tried playing what I call The Eighth Note Beat but the song was soooo slow that there was too much “space” between each note. You may have even found yourself speeding up the tempo (“rushing”) to the point where the beat finally felt good to play.
Well here’s a solution and I’d like to help you learn it:
But first I need to give you a little background.
I have this theory that the most popular rock, pop and country songs over the past 50 years can be played with one of six drum beats. For background on my idea, read these posts: 6 Simple but Powerful Drum Beats – Part 1 and Part 2. The Super Slow Drum Beat is the second of the 6 beats.
Remember that the primary role of the drummer in a band is to keep the speed of a song consistent. It’s a lot easier to keep the tempo steady when our body is relaxed and naturally feeling the beat.
We want to avoid tensing up and slowing down when playing super fast songs. And we don’t want to rush to get to the next beat of a super slow song. Therefore, we have to play some tricks to keep our bodies relaxed and feeling the rhythm of the song regardless of the tempo.
Just like it’s easier to play a super fast song by playing fewer notes, it’s easier to play super slow songs by ADDING notes. My definition of a super slow song is one where notes must be added in order to make the drum beat feel comfortable. Usually the tempo is less than 80 beats per minute.
The Super Slow Drum Beat
In order to play a super slow song on the drums, let’s first start with the eighth note drum beat:
Now, let’s re-engineer it for slowness:
- Start by taking the tempo down, playing the bass drum on 1 and 3, and tapping your left heel on all 4 beats. Tapping your heel will help to set your internal clock, which is essential when playing a slow tune. Remember to count out loud.
- Now play sixteenths on the hi-hat with your right hand. Make sure the hi-hat beats are the same volume and are evenly spaced.
- The final step is to play the snare drum on 2 and 4 with your left hand.
- To make it sound really cool, add a bass drum sixteenth note on the “a” of 2.
If you have trouble playing all your limbs together, try playing at an even slower tempo. For this beat it’s important to get the feel of the sixteenth notes being played on the hi-hat before adding the other limbs.
Now it’s time to play some music. Try playing the super slow beat to Purple Rain by Prince, then Apologize by Timbaland, and finally It’s Been Awhile by Staind. These songs are all about the same tempo but they are 3 distinct styles.
See if you can find other super slow songs to play. And try playing different styles of super slow songs. A super slow pop song (like You Got It Bad by Usher) is going to have a totally different feel than a rock ballad (like Fall to Pieces by Velvet Revolver).
Have fun with the beat and remember to keep your tempo steady!