Exercise for Drumless Backing Tracks No. 5 – Backbeat. Here’s another great 16-bar phrase you can play along to a drumless backing track (see below for some of my favourites). This one is simple, musical, and a lot of fun to play. If you’ve been drumming for a couple of weeks, you should be able to work through it with a bit of patience and repetition.
The Groove and Feel
This exercise is built around a classic backbeat — the kind of rhythm you’ll hear in countless rock and pop songs. I’ve kept everything straightforward so you can focus on consistency, timing, and groove. The fills are all written in quavers (eighth notes) and introduce three essential rudiments:
Single strokes (RLRL…)
Double strokes (RRLL…)
Paradiddles (RLRR LRLL)
It’s worth practising these rudiments separately before combining them into the exercise. Doing so will help you play them more confidently and improve both speed and endurance.
Key Things to Look Out For
Here are a few details to pay attention to as you learn the phrase:
Bar 7: There’s an extra bass drum note on the “+” of beat 1. It’s not difficult, but it’s easy to miss if you’re not expecting it!
Bars 9–11: The hi-hats switch to crotchets (quarter notes), changing the texture and making the groove feel more open.
Bars 13–15: This is probably the trickiest section — avoid playing the hi-hat with the bass drum on the “+” of 3.
Counting Aloud: Always a good idea! Counting helps you keep your place and reinforces your timing.
Extra Tip
This exercise is great for strengthening your coordination and control while playing to music. Keep it slow at first, focus on clean execution, and you’ll find your playing becomes tighter and more confident with each run-through.
Drumless Backing Tracks
And Finally...
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