{"id":18125,"date":"2019-08-30T14:49:18","date_gmt":"2019-08-30T21:49:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/?p=18125"},"modified":"2023-03-23T10:27:09","modified_gmt":"2023-03-23T17:27:09","slug":"a-drummers-guide-to-country","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.drumeo.com\/beat\/a-drummers-guide-to-country\/","title":{"rendered":"A Drummer\u2019s Guide To Country"},"content":{"rendered":"

This is an excerpt from The Drummer’s Toolbox: The Ultimate Guide To Learning 101 Drumming Styles<\/a>. The book goes into even more detail about country drumming!
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Country: A brief introduction to the genre<\/b><\/h3>\n

Country music originated in the southern United States in the 1920s. During its formation, the style was heavily influenced by folk and blues music. Country music didn\u2019t feature drummers until the mid-1930s and early 1940s – and even then, they often weren\u2019t allowed on stage because they were too loud. Drummers often had to play behind a curtain (especially in iconic venues like the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee) so the audience wouldn\u2019t see them. But by the 1960s, drummers were finally considered a regular and important part of the country music sound.<\/p>\n

It’s undeniably one of the most popular genres of music in the world today. That means every drummer should know how to play country music in order to say yes to that cover band gig, recording session, or nationwide tour. Learning how to play country music will also help you develop tons of new drumming vocabulary.<\/p>\n

Country is often upbeat and energetic and incorporates elements of rock, jazz, and blues drumming. In fact, many of the grooves used in country music could be played interchangeably in these other genres. While each style of country music can feature slightly different instrumentation, it often incorporates fiddles, banjos, mandolins, acoustic and electric guitars, steel guitar, upright or electric bass, and drums. It\u2019s the era and specific style that determines the instrumentation.<\/p>\n

Many subgenres of country music have emerged over the years including bluegrass, Western swing, rockabilly, country pop, country rock, and outlaw country.<\/p>\n

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The Fundamentals<\/strong><\/h3>\n

One of the most commonly used drum beats in country music is the train beat, which is meant to emulate the sound of a moving train. Train beats can be heard on early Johnny Cash recordings from the 1960s and even on modern country recordings by artists like Brad Paisley and Jason Aldean. Here\u2019s what a train beat looks like.<\/p>\n

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Here are two other train beat variations with different accent patterns.<\/p>\n

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Country drummers will often play train beats with brushes as well. Once you’ve got the hang of it, try playing the train beats with brushes instead of drumsticks!<\/p>\n

In country music, drummers are often heard playing “money beats”. These are called money beats because they are heard on countless recordings. The drummers that can play these drum beats get paid! Here are three of the most common money beats that appear in countless country recordings:<\/p>\n

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