Groove Library - The World's Hippest Drum Grooves

James Brown - Cold Sweat

2010-03-10T09:26:00.002+08:00

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James Brown's Cold Sweat, released in 1967, is often cited as the original funk tune. Whether or not you believe this, you can't deny that this tune is seriously funky! The groove that Clyde Stubblefield layed down on this track, characterised by the displaced backbeat at the end of bar one, is still regularly imitated today. In fact, what prompted me to post this groove is hearing drummer Billy Martin play a great variation of it on John Scofield's tune Chank.

Steely Dan - Babylon Sisters

2009-10-03T16:04:00.005+08:00

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Introducing the 'Purdie Shuffle'. Studio great Bernard Purdie pioneered this half-time shuffle feel that would later be adopted by John Bonham and Jeff Porcaro. Purdie has kept the bass drum pattern simple and incorporated an open hihat into the shuffle pattern.

Check out Bonham and Porcaro's take on the half-time shuffle here.

Boz Scaggs - Lowdown

2009-09-29T21:09:00.006+08:00

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Here's another classic Jeff Porcaro groove from Boz Scaggs' Silk Degrees record. The heart of this one is the tasty, subtle ghost notes after the backbeats on the snare. This track has an overdubbed 16th note hihat pattern and is pretty quick at around quarters = 115 bpm.

For more Porcaro genius check out Boz Scaggs' Lido Shuffle and Toto's Rosanna.

Boz Scaggs - Lido Shuffle

2009-09-16T20:13:00.003+08:00

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Here's another famous groove from the late, great Jeff Porcaro. This one is played at about quarter note = 140 on the record so it is a real workout for your left hand. Porcaro's ghost note work was always something I admired about his unique style and this is yet another example of it. Aside from his work with Toto, Porcaro was a prolific session drummer. This tune comes from Boz Scaggs' Silk Degrees record.

For other example of playing 'inside' a shuffle groove with ghost notes on the snare, check out Buddy Guy's Damn Right I've Got The Blues or John Bonham's half time shuffle on Led Zeppelin's Fool In The Rain.

The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Manic Depression

2009-09-16T17:32:00.006+08:00

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Here's a groove from a classic Hendrix tune, Manic Despression. The late Mitch Mitchell plays this great, galloping 3/4 swing groove. Enjoy!

The Roots - The Seed

2009-08-07T12:53:00.004+08:00

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Here's another groove from one of my favourites, Questlove. This groove is deceptively simple but sounds great with and without the band. Take note of the two accented upbeat hihats, these two simple embelishments hold this groove together and give it it's infectious lope. Questlove is the king of laying down a pocket groove with machine like precision and repetition, while at the same time carefully choosing moments to add slight variations and fills to keep a tune moving forward.

The Beatles - Come Together

2009-08-06T12:27:00.005+08:00

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This is one of my favourite Beatles tunes and it's also one of their grooviest. This is the intro groove to Come Together. There are mixed opinions on Ringo as a drummer, but I believe that, while he may not have had the best chops, he had great feel and played exactly what the music required. Enjoy.

The Meters - Cissy Strut

2009-05-09T15:20:00.007+08:00

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This has got to be one of the funkiest drum parts in history, Cissy Strut released in 1969 on The Meters self-titled debut. Above is the original part that Zigaboo played with two hands on the hihats. It's near impossible to replicate the feel and groove of Zig's original cut but I trust you'll have fun trying to find the pocket on this one. The hihat notes in brackets are optional. On the original Meters recording Zig starts the tune with out this note but adds it in later.

Below is a cleaner, more 'studio' take on the groove by Dennis Chambers from his Dennis Chambers: In The Pocket DVD. It's still played with that great New Orleans lope, but the kick drum part is stripped back nicely. Enjoy.

For more Zigaboo and The Meters check out Live Wire and Just Kissed My Baby.

The Meters - Just Kissed My Baby

2009-04-01T17:08:00.005+08:00

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Here's another slinky groove from New Orleans funk master Zigaboo Modeliste. This is the basic drum groove that Zigaboo sits on for pretty much the entire song, spicing it up with some fills and variations throughout. For more of The Meters and Zigaboo check out Cissy Strut and Live Wire.

The Police - Walking On The Moon

2009-03-17T12:28:00.009+09:00

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I had the pleasure of seeing The Police live last year on their reunion world tour and was blown away. They have a such an amazingly distinctive and powerful sound for only a three piece! This groove comes from 1979's Reggatta De Blanc and Stewart Copeland's drum part is, as always, clever and unique. This groove is essentially a modified reggae 'one drop'. It sits perfectly with Sting's bass line and gives the tune a fantastic pulse.

Below is a nice variation Copeland plays during the intro to the tune, where the cross stick on beat 3 is omitted.

Calypso

2009-03-16T14:46:00.003+09:00

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Calypso is a style of music that developed the Caribbean around 100 years ago out of African tradition. This is one way of playing the style on the drum kit. Right hand on cow bell (or bell of ride), kick drum four on the floor and the left hand alternating between snare cross stick and floor tom. Enjoy!

Led Zeppelin - When The Levee Breaks

2009-03-10T13:20:00.006+09:00

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This groove doesn't look like much on paper but when you hear this tune you will know why I chose to post it on the site. It's a classic Bonham groove with that amazingly huge Bonham drum sound.

Texas Shuffle

2009-03-10T13:05:00.007+09:00

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This is a tricky shuffle to master but it sounds great when it's pulled off. In this groove both hands are playing the shuffle pattern - right on the hihat and left on the snare. The trick to making this groove work is to play the snare part with dynamic contrast. You want quiet to moderate ghost notes throughout with strong accents on the back beat. Playing the unaccented snare notes too loudly with make this groove sound very stiff.

Herbie Hancock - Chameleon

2008-11-27T12:41:00.001+09:00

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This one comes from Herbie Hancock's Chameleon off the 1973 Head Hunters album. Harvey Mason lays down this sweet and simple groove on this fusion classic. This tune is great fun to play. Enjoy!

Bossa Nova

2008-11-26T09:19:00.010+09:00

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The bossa nova is a wonderful song style originating in Brazil and I think it is very important for all drummers to be familiar with the drum groove that accompanies it. The groove above is the 'basic' bossa nova pattern for drum kit. The feet and right hand play an ostinato which is unique to the bossa nova, while the left hand plays a 'brazilian clave' figure with cross sticks. If you have never played this groove before I would suggest starting by playing the ostinato pattern by itself, leaving the snare drum part out. This pattern for the most part will stay constant and eventually you want this to be on 'auto pilot' so you can add variations and improvise underneath it. Once you are comfortable with this pattern try adding the cross stick pattern one note at a time.

Below is a slight variation on the first pattern that you can try once you are comfortable with the first. The difference with this groove is in the ride pattern, which is now following the feet. This opens the groove up a bit giving it more space.

Stevie Wonder - Master Blaster

2008-11-25T12:15:00.003+09:00

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Great shuffle groove from Stevie Wonder playing drums on his own tune. Fairly straight forward, four on the floor shuffle with a nice quarter note triplet motif in the second bar. I recently had the privilege of seeing Stevie Wonder live and it was one of the best shows I have ever seen. Stanley Randolph was behind the kit and absolutley nailed it!

Bill Withers - Use Me

2008-11-24T16:58:00.002+09:00

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One of my favourite songs of all time - Bill Withers' Use Me. If you haven't already heard this tune hunt it down and wrap your ears around this amazingly funky 16th note groove from James Gadson.

Latin - Cascara

2008-09-15T15:02:00.011+08:00

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When playing latin music on drum kit we are essentially aiming to replicate as much as possible (or musically necessary) the sound of a latin percussion section. Traditionally the cascara pattern, notated above on the top line of the staff, would be played on the shell of a timbale. So to imitate this we can play the pattern on the shell of a floor tom. Similarly we will recreate the sound of the clave by playing the clave pattern as cross-stick notes. The bass drum pattern is based on a pattern often played by the upright bass. These grooves should be practiced in both son and rumba claves (as notated), aswell as in both 3-2 clave (as notated) and 2-3 clave. "3-2 clave" means you are playing the clave with 3 notes in the first bar and 2 in the second. So in order to practice the patterns above in 2-3 clave, start the pattern with the second bar.

Check out some latin music to get a feel for how the cascara and clave sit within the music. Tito Puente, Ray Barretto and Poncho Sanchez are good artists to start listening to.

Reggae One Drop

2008-08-31T17:20:00.006+08:00

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Reggae is a style that can perplex younger players, especially if they have been brought up playing and listening to rock based music. The 'One Drop' groove is the most recognisable reggae groove and I think it is also the nicest sounding. You will notice that there is no emphasis on beat one of the bar - very different from most western musical styles. If you have not heard reggae music before it is very important you do in order to understand how this groove sits. There is a strong accent on beats 2 and 4 on the hihat, which syncs up with the guitars part (the skank). The emphasis of the groove is on beat 3, played with cross stick and bass drum. If you listen to some reggae you will hear that this groove can be played with either a straight eighth note feel or a swung eighth note feel. Practice and get comfortable playing both.

Some good reggae artists to check out would be Bob Marley and The Wailers. Toots and the Maytals, Burning Spear and Steel Pulse.

Buddy Guy - Damn Right, I've Got The Blues

2008-06-09T08:54:00.004+08:00

Here's a great shuffle from the blues legend and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, Buddy Guy. Haywood's shuffle groove isn't overly flashy but it doesn't need it be in this lurching blues tune. The shuffle is one of my favourite feels to play, and it never sounds better than when it's sitting behind a great blues track.

D'Angelo - Spanish Joint

2008-06-07T13:32:00.009+08:00

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I love this groove. Questlove has injected this R'n'B groove with an afro-cuban feel that works perfectly on this tune. It looks a little bit awkward on paper but it plays really nice. Questlove lays down the backbeat for this groove with a cross stick/rim shot flam, getting a nice percussive sound which complements the afro-cuban influence. The accent for the flams is with the right hand which plays a rim shot close to the edge of the snare, and grace note is a cross stick with the left hand. Enjoy.

James Brown - Funky Drummer

2008-01-22T14:08:00.010+09:00

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Here it is, by request, James Brown's legendary Funky Drummer. This one bar exert represents the basic groove Clyde Stubblefield plays on this track prior to and during the famous drum break, but because he plays so many 'off the cuff' variations on it throughout the recording, I think you really need to get comfortable and experiment with it in order to reproduce the vibe of this tune. Stay loose and have fun with it! If you haven't heard this tune you can find it on James Brown's In the Jungle Groove. Enjoy!

The Meters - Live Wire

2008-01-10T18:27:00.006+09:00

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The Meters are one of my favourite bands of all time because they take two of my favourite genres, funk and New Orleans creole music, and fuse them together into some of the grooviest, most rhythmic music ever recorded. This tune is a killer to play, due to Zigoboo's feel and the tempo (about quarters = 115bpm). If you are going to play this groove, I strongly recommend you hunt down the recording and get your head around the New Orleans pseudo swing feel that The Meters play so well. If you haven't listened to this style of music before, chances are you will miss the whole vibe of this groove. Check it out and have fun with it.

For more of The Meters and Zigaboo, check out Cissy Strut and Just Kissed My Baby.

Aretha Franklin - Rock Steady

2008-01-09T10:38:00.002+09:00

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It's no surprise this track feels so good once you realise who's playing on it. Bernard Purdie behind the kit, Chuck Rainey on bass, Cornell Dupree on guitar, Richard Tee on organ and, on top of all that of course, Aretha Franklin on vocals.

I think the key to making this groove feel good is getting your head around the laid back lope of Purdie's 16ths. The bass line is very strong and very present in this tune so lock in with it. This is a great tune, and a great feel to play. Have fun with it!

Toto - Rosanna

2008-01-07T16:53:00.006+09:00

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Amazing half-time shuffle groove from the late Jeff Porcaro. Every drummer should know this groove. Incredible feel! If you are not familiar with Jeff Porcaro or Toto, do yourself a favour and check out Toto IV!

Herbie Hancock - Palm Grease

2008-01-07T11:03:00.003+09:00

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I think this is a 'Must Know' groove for all drummers, it's a classic. From legendary jazz fusion pianist Herbie Hancock's 1974 Thrust record, Mike Clark opens the tune by laying down this wonderfully syncopated funk/fusion groove.

Robben Ford - Oasis

2008-01-03T17:23:00.004+09:00

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This groove first came to my attention when I saw Steve Jordan play it on his DVD The Groove is Here and was immediately taken by it. You'll notice that on beat 2 the right hand comes off the hihat to play a rim shot backbeat on the snare, while the left hand plays cross sticks for the remainder of the groove. Jordan plays this with a funky swung sixteenths feel and makes it feel incredible. Check out Robben Ford's Tiger Walk album for more of the legendary Steve Jordan.

Chaka Khan - Ain't Nobody

2007-12-29T18:03:00.002+09:00

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A really funky two-handed 16th note groove from Chaka Khan's Aint Nobody. This track is great to play along to and is a good song to know as it is a popular song for funk/cover bands to play.

Dr John - Junko Partner

2007-12-10T15:15:00.002+09:00

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Another one of my favourite artists, Dr John is said to epitomise New Orleans music and culture through both his music and his personality. This one comes from Dr John's Gumbo (1972), a record comprised of Dr John's take on famous New Orleans classics and standards.

If you are not familiar with New Orleans 'Second Line' style drumming, you must hear it before attempting to play it. It is a wondeful feel that sits somewhere between straight and swung but can't be explained with words. Go out and hunt down some New Orleans records. Other than Dr John, some good artists to check out would be Professor Longhair, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band and Stanton Moore.

James Brown - Super Bad

2007-12-10T14:14:00.002+09:00

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James Brown is one of my all time favourite artists, I can't get enough of his music. This one is from all the way back in 1970 with John 'Jabo' Starks behind the kit. This is a really fun tune to play along to. You'll notice the accented snare hits are following horn stabs.

If you haven't heard any James Brown before, you are missing out on some of the funkiest music ever recorded!

Led Zeppelin - Fool In The Rain

2007-12-09T21:48:00.003+09:00

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A classic groove from the late great John Bonham. This groove groove was based on the great half time shuffle feel that was pioneered by studio great Bernard Purdie.

This is a great feel to play. Be sure to check out the recording to hear how Bonham plays this, particularly with regard to dynamics. Note that the unaccented snares are ghosted very lightly.

If you want to hear some other nice takes on this feel, check out Steely Dan's Babylon Sisters (Purdie) and Toto's Rosanna (Porcaro).

Paul Simon - 50 Ways To Leave Your Lover

2007-12-07T17:35:00.006+09:00

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I thought it fitting to kick off this site with one of most unique and most talked about drum grooves in history. This one comes from 1975's Still Crazy After All These Years and the way Steve Gadd lays it down is unbelievable. If you haven't checked out this song, do yourself a favor and hunt it down. Enjoy!

If you are interested in Steve Gadd's playing I would highly recommend checking out his book Steve Gadd Up Close. It contains heaps of great transcriptions including two full solo's, Crazy Army and The Solo.

Notation Key

2007-12-07T09:45:00.002+09:00

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The above notation key applies to all music posted on this site. It has been modelled on the key used in the book Steve Gadd Up Close.

Request A Groove

2007-12-06T13:37:00.005+09:00

If you would like a drum groove transcribed for you, please leave the details in this post and I will do my best to to help you out. Please be aware that I will most likely not be able to transcribe and post all requests.