The pattern
120 BPM · 4/4 · 16 step
| Instrument | Beat 1 | Step 2 | Step 3 | Step 4 | Beat 2 | Step 6 | Step 7 | Step 8 | Beat 3 | Step 10 | Step 11 | Step 12 | Beat 4 | Step 14 | Step 15 | Step 16 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kick | hit | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | hit | rest | hit | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest |
| Snare | rest | rest | rest | rest | hit | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | hit | rest | rest | rest |
| Closed hi-hat | hit | rest | hit | rest | hit | rest | hit | rest | hit | rest | hit | rest | hit | rest | hit | rest |
| Crash | hit | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest |
How to play it and where it comes from
The basic rock beat: kick on 1, 3 and the "and" of 3, full snare on 2 and 4 (the backbeat), eighth-note hi-hat, crash on 1 of the sections. Wide range (80–160). The character depends on the drummer: half-open hi-hat in the choruses, ride in the choruses, tom fills at the end of the phrase. Variants: kick on the "and" of 2 for push, quarter notes on the hi-hat in the verses, four on the floor in the more danceable rock.