What's the drummer's version of a guitarist's "Stairway to Heaven"??

[delta]

Maybe confusing... I'm trying to get opinions on this. Think about it like this, you could go into a guitar store and start playing Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven" and you'd get stared at by about every guitarist like "what the hell are you doing". Well maybe not, but that song has been unofficially banned in guitar stores because of the sheer amount of new players learning that song and wanting to showcase their "skills". Remember Waynes World?

Anyway, I was curious to what's the drummer's equivalent? "Fifty Ways to Lead Your Lover" perhaps by Steve Gadd?

[figure_02]

You mean like a very famous lick or groove that lots of drummers learn and do different and maybe not so good?

Deffo Rosanna...

[driver]

Any 13 year old kid doing his best try double bass blast beat!

[Mediocrefunkybeat]

Any 13 year old kid doing his best try double bass blast beat!

I do believe I'll second that.

[DogBreath]

I'm gonna say "Wipeout," or possibly "Moby Dick."

[jangus]

I'm gonna say "Wipeout," or possibly "Moby Dick."

Nah, it can't be Moby Dick. Stairway is a song that people that lack talent play to make it look like they know what they're doing. I've never seen a bad drummer try to play Moby Dick. But Wipeout is a good suggestion. However, I'm with the double bass blast beat noise.

[hawk9290]

I'd agree- Wipeout and blast beats - ironically I struggle to play either of them because I have very poor wrists and can only get out short bursts of notes at higher speeds (I can play Wipeout double-stroked, but thats not really authentic). But hey, thats why I stick to anything but death metal and wipeout!

[Michael G]

A simple rock beat snare 2 and 4 bass 1 and 3 etc played as fast as they can with offtime monotonous fills?

[Bobhead]

Anyway, I was curious to what's the drummer's equivalent? "Fifty Ways to Lead Your Lover" perhaps by Steve Gadd?

Its bad only when they play 50 ways without the using the HH foot, but rather do doubles with the hands, of course, missing the point of what Gadd was inventing. That's when you shake your head.


The songs that non-drummers always ask to hear or try to play themselves, are also very reconizable: Sunday Bloody Sunday and Honky Tonk Woman.

Pretty cool grooves.

[drumminjohn]

I'm gonna say "Wipeout," or possibly "Moby Dick."

Hahahaha definetly wipeout.. I love it when it just falls apart halfway through haha

[bballdrummer34]

Its that one James Brown beat, notice on the Clyde Stubblefield site it says "World's most sampled drummer" Its the beat used on "Get on the Good Foot" cept loud, fast, and uneven. You'll know what im talking about when you hear it.

[nhzoso]

Paradise city, G-N-R

[figure_02]

I cant belive why no one else have said Rosanna...It's the most well-known beat in the world..me thinks.

[handito]

Its bad only when they play 50 ways without the using the HH foot, but rather do doubles with the hands, of course, missing the point of what Gadd was inventing. That's when you shake your head.


The songs that non-drummers always ask to hear or try to play themselves, are also very reconizable: Sunday Bloody Sunday and Honky Tonk Woman.

Pretty cool grooves.

So, what was Steve Gadd "inventing" except for a GREAT groove?

[ANIMALBEATS]

No, its the triplet of Moby dick. I assure you.



G

[fusssion]

I always like to get a good feel for how the bass and snare sound together, so I usually do a measure of "when the levee breaks!" :)

[gmrakich]

The end of Rock and Roll.........

[druid]

it definitely was at one time....Tom Sawyer.

Not so much anymore...and much of the time if I go to a guitar center and sit down to play some medium grooves I become quickly annoyed by the kid who sits down bashing fast slow...out of time noise and calls it drumming...and it happens often. Really irritating to hear someone who is simply not listening to themsleves and realizing how bad they are...in a bad way ...not a good way;-)

[mikeybbdrummin]

I would say someone that is just learning double bass that wants to show how fast they are. They may be fast but they are usually sloppy w/no control and have nothing to offer as a drummer. Or...................Hot For Teacher. .....................VERY recognizable.

[intooder]

"Smoke on the Water" - I've seen many butcher it.

[BellsOfRhymney]

Yep, one is definitely "Fifty Ways" ...for what reason I'll never know.

[tamadrummer132]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=alN4-d89lEE


that..?

[drflam]

In my experience, "wanna be" drummers ALWAYS play this beat.

http://img117.imageshack.us/img117/466/crappycrapcraput3.jpg

Except it's really sloppy, and the kicks at the start are always rushed. If they're feeling confident they may even throw in a few out of time open high hats.

[fat in the middle]

my sharona
the Knack?

how bout 'stairway to heaven'

[Class A Drummer]

In my experience, "wanna be" drummers ALWAYS play this beat.

http://img117.imageshack.us/img117/466/crappycrapcraput3.jpg

Except it's really sloppy, and the kicks at the start are always rushed. If they're feeling confident they may even throw in a few out of time open high hats.

I agree completley. 100%. Probably one of the top 3 most annoying beats ever.

[caprisun3484]

maybe a Blink song or that Longview tom beat

[drummerchick435]

drumline or wipeout probably. and probably constant double bass too.

[bballdrummer34]

In my experience, "wanna be" drummers ALWAYS play this beat.

http://img117.imageshack.us/img117/466/crappycrapcraput3.jpg

Except it's really sloppy, and the kicks at the start are always rushed. If they're feeling confident they may even throw in a few out of time open high hats.

THATS THE BEAT I WAS TALKIN ABOUT!!!!! It's a james brown beat, check my post earlier

[drflam]

THATS THE BEAT I WAS TALKIN ABOUT!!!!! It's a james brown beat, check my post earlierAh yeah I get your post now.

I couldn't be bothered using words to explain the beat so I just notated it heh. :)

[dale w miller]

In my experience, "wanna be" drummers ALWAYS play this beat.

http://img117.imageshack.us/img117/466/crappycrapcraput3.jpg

Except it's really sloppy, and the kicks at the start are always rushed. If they're feeling confident they may even throw in a few out of time open high hats.

THAT's it! I was thinking of that same beat. it's usually done at 155bpm or so too. the Suburban Funk Beat as i like to call it.

[Just Drums]

Guys....tisk tisk tisk.

It's ONE by Metallica.

=)

[Chippy569]

Wipeout was good!

7-nation army by the White Stripes was i think my first "song" i learned.

[Diaz]

In my experience, "wanna be" drummers ALWAYS play this beat.

http://img117.imageshack.us/img117/466/crappycrapcraput3.jpg

[QUOTE=thefeckcampaign;307115]THAT's it! I was thinking of that same beat. it's usually done at 155bpm or so too. the Suburban Funk Beat as i like to call it.


this is completely every drummers YO I PALY DRUMS BEAT OMFGZZZ

[delta]

My lord... so I know now what absolutely NOT to play when I walk into a drum store.

[oddrax]

In my experience, "wanna be" drummers ALWAYS play this beat.


http://img117.imageshack.us/img117/466/crappycrapcraput3.jpg

Except it's really sloppy, and the kicks at the start are always rushed. If they're feeling confident they may even throw in a few out of time open high hats.

hahaha that is true! lol

[Ozzy Biz]

I'll agree with Groove about "One", but the first song that came to mind for me was "Smells like Teen Spirit". Every 15 year old like to play (or try to play) the beat from the chorus. It usually comes out really messy to. You know the ones; 2 and four back beat with the snare on the 'a' of two and 'e' of three, with an awkward feeling 16th or two on the kick in there somewhere. I hear that one a lot, very rarely played solidly.

[Mr. Pasquini]

hell, I'm far more impressed when someone sits down and actually plays a 4/4 rock beat (snare on 1 bass on 3) solidly than when someone does a good blast beat. I hate people failing to impress me in Guitar Center.

[bballdrummer34]

hell, I'm far more impressed when someone sits down and actually plays a 4/4 rock beat (snare on 1 bass on 3) solidly than when someone does a good blast beat. I hate people failing to impress me in Guitar Center.

o my gosh guitar center. its hard being in there sometimes

[drummer_14_92]

In my experience, "wanna be" drummers ALWAYS play this beat.

http://img117.imageshack.us/img117/466/crappycrapcraput3.jpg

Except it's really sloppy, and the kicks at the start are always rushed. If they're feeling confident they may even throw in a few out of time open high hats.

it could be useful if you start with that and mova a few things around, and about the people who try to impress others at GC they do the same things at my school, some 5th and 6th graderswill put a few hits on the snare and actually brag about their "skills", and they have none at all, I know not everybody will believe me but when i started in 6th grade(im in 9th now) I had enough background to already play a ride cymbal pattern of 16ths and bass on 1 and 3 and snare on 2 and snare eighths on 4, and im not joking i seriously could, and one guy who i was already as good as a few weeks later who has been playing a little longer said i was posing

[Mr. Pasquini]

In my experience, "wanna be" drummers ALWAYS play this beat.

http://img117.imageshack.us/img117/466/crappycrapcraput3.jpg

Except it's really sloppy, and the kicks at the start are always rushed. If they're feeling confident they may even throw in a few out of time open high hats.

In all truth I like playing that on a kit I'm unfamiliar with just because it's easy to play with. I might be just a wannabe drummer but I find that a common beat like that brings a median between different settings. the difference is I'm in time with it and solid.... + I have my interesting fills and walking bass lines... it's annoying when people play that and believe that they are God.

[bballdrummer34]

dont get me wrong guys, its a sweet beat. If jabo starks used it, why cant anyone else. I would say just keep it musical, PLEASE.

[drflam]

Yeah of course it's a great groove, if played correctly, in time and with feel. I've just noticed that a lot of people who can't play very well (or who think they can but can't) play that beat a lot though.

I'm not dissing the beat at all, it's just an observation.

[DestinationDrumming]

AARRGHH!

You guys are scaring me. I'm off this weekend to buy a new throne so I might want to see how it feels when playing but I'm not going if any of you are there!

So what should I play in order to keep the irritated drummers at bay?

[Mr. Pasquini]

What ever pleases you; just do it in time, please.

[rockitman]

I try to get in and out of GC as soon as possible without too much lingering. There are times when I have to pull a sales rep away from less earnest customer who is usually some suburban father without a clue. No offense guys but I have to buy and fly before "the
band" gets there.

[Skitch]

The "high school" beat; you know the syncopated beat that evry 13 year old thinks they invented. This is usually played as fast asa possible in GC.



Mike

http://www.mikemccraw.com
http://www.dominoretroplate.com

http://www.youtube.com/drummermikemccraw
http://www.myspace.com/drummermikemccraw

[bballdrummer34]

AARRGHH!

You guys are scaring me. I'm off this weekend to buy a new throne so I might want to see how it feels when playing but I'm not going if any of you are there!

So what should I play in order to keep the irritated drummers at bay?

when i go in GC and i want to try out a set, i just hit like ONE note on each drum hahaha just cuz i feel like i'll just lose all i've practiced for by playing more that, but it's cool just keep it musical, and dont play the double bass as fast as you can

[bighaibigdrums]

Wipeout.
20charatures

[ledzepjb]

Play something in and odd time signature, it will maybe catch the attention of a few people!

[Blondie]

In my experience, "wanna be" drummers ALWAYS play this beat.

http://img117.imageshack.us/img117/466/crappycrapcraput3.jpg

Except it's really sloppy, and the kicks at the start are always rushed. If they're feeling confident they may even throw in a few out of time open high hats.

Yeah well, for all the people who might be trying to learn how to play the drums I'm sure that their really sorry in making your life such a misery. Heaven forbind that "would be drummer" have to start at the beginning and not start with 10-15years experience like yourself. We/they should just sell our kit on ebay and not bother trying any more in case we annoy you any further , Get a Life!!!!!

[drflam]

Yeah well, for all the people who might be trying to learn how to play the drums I'm sure that their really sorry in making your life such a misery. Heaven forbind that "would be drummer" have to start at the beginning and not start with 10-15years experience like yourself. We/they should just sell our kit on ebay and not bother trying any more in case we annoy you any further , Get a Life!!!!!Whoa whoa, come on now. Lighten up! It was just a bit of fun. Nothing serious at all. Sorry you took offense at my post!

PS: I've only been drumming for almost 3 years, not 10-15.

[Pocketman]

The one I heard the most was the typical sextupletet between two toms and the kick.

[Alesi]

I haven´t post in a while, I´m back and I find this Thread... GREAT TOPIC!:
Well, i learned to play over Nirvana "Nevermind", A 60s Compilation (where Wipeout was featured, obviously) And Queen´s Greatest Hits One (don´t judge my musical chriteria, i was only 8 yrs old!!!!).
Since I am 22 years old, i would have to say that Green Day´s "Basket case" fills are the perfect excuse for any beggining drummer to show off, and of course, is offtempo and extremely loud.
And the thing that I really hate in the guitar center, is that there´s like a unwritten law that the hi-hat MUST STAY OPENED AND HITTED HARD.

(if you ask me for a bassist "stairway to heaven" i think that the intro of RHCP "Around the World", it just entered my mind while i was writing this post).
I´m Glad to be back,
Best Wishes to everyone

[Fur drummer]

Hi, I have been really busy and haven't posted in awhile either. I say Wipeout and a solo a lot of drummers play is a shorter verson of Moby Dick.

[hauk]

http://img117.imageshack.us/img117/466/crappycrapcraput3.jpg


agreed


20202020202020

[Saponi Boy]

THATS THE BEAT I WAS TALKIN ABOUT!!!!! It's a james brown beat, check my post earlier
BWAhahahaha...heard 2 kids playing that at Sam Ash yesterday....drives me knutz!

[O Baterista]

I'd have to go with wipeout or the double bass blast, it get's pretty old pretty quick. Honestly though if someone wants to play just to play, I don't really mind as long as it's in perceptable time and not at 11 on the volume knob.

In fact it's the volume that annoys me more than any rhythm.

I personally believe that if anyone is interested in drumming enough to pay attention and try to disect Gadd on 50 ways, more power to em.

When I feel the need to test out some drums in a public place I have a solo that I learned out of Rick Latham's Advanced Funk Studies that I use since I'm not the creative type who can easily do an impromptu/unrehearsed solo. Granted it doesn't really give me much to work with on the toms, hmmm maybe I should find a new solo.

Anyways just my $0.02

[Michael G]

So is it now officially declared that the Sex Machine beat is unofficially banned in drum stores?

Seems like enough people agree.

[Skitch]

In my experience, "wanna be" drummers ALWAYS play this beat.

http://img117.imageshack.us/img117/466/crappycrapcraput3.jpg

Except it's really sloppy, and the kicks at the start are always rushed. If they're feeling confident they may even throw in a few out of time open high hats.

That's what we call the high school beat! But Suburban funk beat is an apt name!

Mike

http://www.mikemccraw.com
http://www.dominoretroplate.com

http://www.youtube.com/drummermikemccraw
http://www.myspace.com/drummermikemccraw

[Skitch]

So is it now officially declared that the Sex Machine beat is unofficially banned in drum stores?

Seems like enough people agree.

Are you talking about the real Sex Machine beat as demonstrated by the drummers on the video "The Soul of the Funky Drummers - Clyde Stubblefield and John "Jabo" Starks?

Or the low-rent, cheap imitation, bastardized version know as the high school beat?

Mike

http://www.mikemccraw.com
http://www.dominoretroplate.com

http://www.youtube.com/drummermikemccraw
http://www.myspace.com/drummermikemccraw

[bballdrummer34]

I've seen 8 years olds push Virgil Donati in GC, you go there enough you'll see some of everything

[Colin1374]

In my experience, "wanna be" drummers ALWAYS play this beat.

http://img117.imageshack.us/img117/466/crappycrapcraput3.jpg

Except it's really sloppy, and the kicks at the start are always rushed. If they're feeling confident they may even throw in a few out of time open high hats.

I hate that beat. Even when I first started drumming I hated that beat! I also hate it when kids play fall out boy's "sugar we're goin down"

[bballdrummer34]

I hate that beat. Even when I first started drumming I hated that beat! I also hate it when kids play fall out boy's "sugar we're goin down"
aawww man that song, man, that song ... i whole heartedly agree

[ArtyZ]

This is a cool thread.
Uhh, the beginning to 'Walk This Way' by Aerosmith comes to mind. Man, just enough of that already!
The beginning to 'We're an American Band' by Grand Funk most people really butcher. (Please only do that with one (1) bass drum! Oh, and no cheating with a double pedal.You know who you are.)
Beginning and end to 'Rock & Roll' by Led Zepplin' is also played to death.
And.., I definately agree with the other posters... Wipeout (at least with people of my age group) is the all time played-out riff.

Arty Z

[aydee]

" Smoke on the water " ( DEEP PURPLE )- for the rocker in me

"Josie " ( STEELY DAN )- for the funkster in me

" Satin Doll " ( DUKE ELLINGTON ) - for the jazzer in me


who am I , is the big question..........

[imispgh]

Winter's Frankenstein

I took the original question to be - what song has the musical progression of Stairway. Stairway starts slow and builds. Frankenstein does almost the same thing.

[burnthehero]

My vote goes to the Rosanna shuffle. Or maybe even 46x2.

[Guillermo]

There's 5 SINFULLY CLICHE parts every drummer has played at one time.

1) TOM SAWYER
2) Wipe out
3) WE WILL ROCK YOU
4) YYZ
5) Sunday bloody sunday

Not tha the parts are the CLICHE, having to play them so much is.

[rmandelbaum]

anything you hear on a Saturday at the Guitar Center in the drum dept. ;-)

[schist]

Maybe confusing... I'm trying to get opinions on this. Think about it like this, you could go into a guitar store and start playing Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven" and you'd get stared at by about every guitarist like "what the hell are you doing". Well maybe not, but that song has been unofficially banned in guitar stores because of the sheer amount of new players learning that song and wanting to showcase their "skills". Remember Waynes World?

Anyway, I was curious to what's the drummer's equivalent? "Fifty Ways to Lead Your Lover" perhaps by Steve Gadd?

The verse beat from American Idiot (Green Day), BUT ... instead of played like this :

http://img49.imageshack.us/img49/4767/ai2gl6.png

It usually turns out like this:

http://img213.imageshack.us/img213/4484/ai1aa3.png

Rushed and usually off-time, of course, with the hi-hats being laid into like someone sawing a tree down.

lol.

[Erik Lund]

...I'd say "the drum part to Stairway"

...no?



oh okay, how 'bout "the cannons at the end of 1812 Overture"...

[rhythmjunkie]

Wipeout.

RLRL LRLR RLRL LRLR...accent the first 16th note of each group. "Taboo doo bop bop"
(This isn't wipeout, I needed to take up some space)

[King Of Drums]

In my experience, "wanna be" drummers ALWAYS play this beat.

http://img117.imageshack.us/img117/466/crappycrapcraput3.jpg

Except it's really sloppy, and the kicks at the start are always rushed. If they're feeling confident they may even throw in a few out of time open high hats.

Ya I hate that beat. It can actually sound decent if you ghost the displaced snare hits, change up the kick pattern a bit add some fills etc. most beginners but play everything as loud as possible in that beat and it sounds terrible.

[rhythmjunkie]

In my experience, "wanna be" drummers ALWAYS play this beat.

http://img117.imageshack.us/img117/466/crappycrapcraput3.jpg

Except it's really sloppy, and the kicks at the start are always rushed. If they're feeling confident they may even throw in a few out of time open high hats.

This is the official drummers beat! Do Bop Do Bop always evolves into this, and when it happens, you are officially the coolest and most fulfilled person on earth after playing the drums for a month. It's like when you play this beat, "welcome to the world of drumming!"
I actually heard Kenny Aronoff talk about this beat at a clinic about 15 years ago and how excited he was when he first played it.

[Erik Lund]

having worked in a drum shop, I can say accurately that that beat is the most annoying beat ever.

...But of course I make it *sing* when I play it ; )

[ChannelFish]

I forget the name and can't be bothered to look it up, i think it's something like 'When September Ends' by Green Day? I don't go around music stores very often now-a-days but for a little while it is THE beat to prove...something...I'm not really sure what it proved but apparently it's pretty catchy.

[Derek]

My vote goes to the Rosanna shuffle. Or maybe even 46x2.

I've seen Rosanna a few times in this thread. Do any of you hear this so much in drum shops / depts. that it's a cliche to you ?

I never hear it , but I sure hear the bass blasts.

[Scrambler]

This one's probably not common to hear any more but back in the day perhaps the beginning to Steve Miller's "Take the Money and Run". Not something I would ever play for another drummer but it's always something easy to fall back on when a drunk person wants you to "play something they'll recognize".

[secondXheartbeat]

Play something in and odd time signature, it will maybe catch the attention of a few people!

Yes! Once I played a 5/4 groove ona Roland at Guitar Center and I got the most intruiged looks I've ever gotten by some of the kids in there (and adults).