It’s hard to say if there’s any music more American than the blues. It grew from the same tree as jazz and laid the foundation for country music and rock ’n’ roll. Yet, even though the blues is so recognizable, so many people have their ideas about what to call the drum beats and how to play them.
A blues drum beat will fit into one of three categories — shuffle, straight, or 6/8. Beats can be played with a variety of cymbal patterns, accents, feels, tempos, and dynamics. Generally, it’s up to the band leader or other members to negotiate the style with the drummer on the style.
Where is the Blues From?
We don’t just have the blues. It’s Chicago blues, Texas, the West Coast, and the Mississippi Delta. All of these areas, and more, contributed to the development of blues music in the 20th Century.
This article explores the basic blues drum beats as I learned them playing in Texas blues bands. To expand the scope of ideas, the article includes different interpretations and opinions about the beats that I’ve found through Internet searches. Some of sources are in the YouTube playlist below.
On the Shuffle Feel
The shuffle feel is sometimes more of a triplet feel (upper left) than sixteenth notes.
The examples in this article are notated with eighth notes (upper right). This is written with the understanding that the shuffle feel is open to interpretations. Different interpretations support the style of the song or the way a particular artist chooses to play.
1. Country Shuffle
The country shuffle, or so it was called by the Dallas musicians I played with, is the simplest shuffle. It’s a shuffle on the cymbal, kick on beats 1 and 3, and snare drum on beats 2 and 4.
It’s a light shuffle and works for songs that don’t need a heavy groove to support a song with some attitude.
2. Texas Shuffle
The Texas shuffle is kick drum on all four beats, shuffled snare, and shuffled cymbal pattern. The accent patterns and hi-hat are different, depending on who you ask. The same goes for the cymbal, to a degree — some drummers claim that the Texas shuffle is just quarter notes on the cymbal.
You’ll find players talking about the Chicago shuffle, too, but it’s the same case with those players. They all have a different idea about how it goes. This article focuses on the Texas shuffle because I was a drummer in Texas for almost 20 years. Plus, it’s easier to find explanations from the best shuffle drummers (see the playlist below).
Legendary Drummers on the Shuffle
Greg Bissonette teaches that the cymbal pattern has an accent on beats 2 and 4. The accent, according to Greg in a YouTube video, is played with the shoulder of the stick on the bow of the cymbal (notated below). Greg attributed this technique to Chris Layton of Stevie Ray Vaughn and Double Trouble.
The shuffle that Chris Layton explains in a YouTube video has a press or multiple bounce drag. This drag is just after the rim shot on beats 2 and 4. He calls it “the rub” and says it’s a Texas thing. Chris plays a variety of shuffle patterns and points out that the eighth note before the rim shot and the swing ride pattern establishes the shuffle.
I dug a little deeper and found two other great drummers who weigh in on the Texas shuffle. Matt Sorum points out the same 2 and 4 cymbal accent pattern that Greg Bissonette talks about. Keith Carlock and Matt play the snare drum accent pattern in an interesting way.
Both Keith and Matt play rim shot on 2 and 4, and they add a non-rim shot accent after the rim shot. This creates three different dynamic levels within the snare drum shuffle. Keith says that the accent comes from how guitar players in Texas play a shuffle when they’re playing rhythm.
The example below is the basic Texas shuffle with a shuffled ride and snare. The kick drum supports the shuffle on all four downbeats, and the hi-hat on either all four beats or just beats 2 and 4.
Cymbal Variations
3. Slow Blues – 6/8
I call it slow blues, but it’s not always slow. It’s just slower than a medium shuffle. A better name for this blues drum beat would be a 6/8 groove.
You’ve heard this beat in songs like “Bring It On Home to Me” by Sam Cooke or “I’d Rather Go Blind” by Etta James.
Establishing The Slow Blues Feel
It’s the waltz of rhythm and blues, rock, and all of the derivatives. But this groove isn’t the “um-pah-pah” dance of a polka tune because it has a more halftime feel. It’s like joining two waltz patterns by accenting the downbeats on the dotted quarter note.
Even if the tempo isn’t “slow” it’s not a groove that recover much from rushing. I’ve found that the vocals can easily feel rushed if the tempo steps up during the solo sections.
Keep the 6/8 feel intense without rushing. The energy will come from players who put their heart and soul into the improvisations and groove that never quits.
Variations on the 6/8 Blues Drum Beat
4. Money Beat (“Monkey Beat”)
The beat written below is interesting because it incorporates elements of a few different “money beats.” The first half of the beat is the boom wack. The second half starts with the boom smack and finishes with the chick boom boom.
Related: Basic Drum Beats – The “Money Beat” and 10 More Variations
Potential Origins of the Name
The “monkey beat” name may be the most regional out of the blues grooves. I’ve looked for evidence on the Internet but found nothing that says anything about this particular blues drum beat and the name that I know it by. There’s a chance someone in Dallas said “money beat” and the bass player heard monkey beat. This knowledge was likely taken to the next band that broke in a new blues drummer.
Regardless of the origin or legitimacy of the name, this beat grooves hard on most straight feel rock blues songs. It also works on country or red dirt with solid results almost every time.
Variations on the monkey beat are simple. Besides the obvious cymbal patterns or instrument choices, you can add more boom wacks before the second half of the beat finishes the cycle. Sometimes I’ll leave out a kick on beat three when the bass is playing pedals (goose eggs).
5. Rumba
Rumba is an Afro-Cuban folkloric genre. This beat is more of an adaptation of elements from the folkloric styles. It’s a version of the ballroom rumba from the big band era of swing.
Songs like “What I Say” by Ray Charles are clear examples of the rumba beat. It’s commonly phrased with the ride pattern on the cymbal, bell, shell of the drum, or rim. Like any of these blues drum beats, there’s no rules — just guidelines that likely lead you to a better sound or feel.
This beat sounds great and grooves hard when you approach it like an Afro-Cuban rhythm. Focus on the tom hits as a strong yet laid back voice in the groove. These hits are the conga open tones.
Most importantly, lock in the conga pattern and the kick drum with the bass line. Like in Afrocuban music, this connection is key to overall groove as it drives yet sits back.
6. Bo Diddley Beat
This beat comes from 3:2 son clave. You may remember from the hand jive songs like “Willie and the Hand Jive” by Johnny Otis. It’s most likely adapted to Bo Diddley’s style of rock, which was heavily influenced by the blues and common genre origins.
The groove example below is more of a funk beat for drum set. It incorporates upbeat accents on the hi-hat (or ride). The kick drum and snare plays the clave rhythm.
Final Thoughts
Blues music all sounds the same if you treat every song the same way. But any music would end up as such with this kind of treatment. Use these blues drum beats as a starting point. Every band has a character and will find a style or interpretation that fits the group and its music.