In this free drum lesson I’ll be showing you another extract from the book teaching the famous drum beat from the song There Is by Box Car Racer.
Travis just doesn’t know how to create an un-compelling drum groove. The man just seems to be programmed to write fascinating, original and musical grooves. Here we hear yet another example of how Travis incorporates snare drum rudiments into an unforgettable drum groove.
“There Is” Drum Beat Demonstration
View the video on YouTube HERE – Learn How To Play Drums Song There Is Video Drum Lesson (Box Car Racer & Travis Barker)
Why The “There Is” Drum Beat Is So Great
No where is Travis’s rudimental marching band background better demonstrated than on this track. Travis lays down a great rudimental snare drum groove that will hopefully disband the myth that rudiments are boring or un-cool!
How To Play It
The groove occurs throughout the majority of the song. Travis does play extra double strokes in other sections and only plays the bass drum on beat 1 during the verse but this is the pattern he plays during the chorus and for the majority of the song.
The groove is based around a single stroke roll on the snare drum, played with alternating hands (RLRL). The bass drum
falls down with the right hand on beats 1 and 3.
The first rudiment to occur (after the single stroke roll of course) are the two flams played on the ‘a’ and ‘+’ of beats 1 and 2 respectively. Flams are two notes played very close to each other but not actually at the same time. The left hand flam on the ‘a’ of beat 1 has the right hand drop in quietly first, just before the main left hand note. The opposite occurs for the right handed flam on the ‘+’ of beat 2. Playing flams within a single stroke roll can take a little practice and the hand order must be correct for it to flow evenly and effortlessly.
The next rudiment that occurs is the five stroke roll, starting on the ‘+’ of beat 3. Both the right hand on the ‘+’ of beat 3 and the left hand on the ‘a’ of beat 3 are doubled into thirty second notes, creating four thirty second notes in total played with the sticking RRLL. The fifth note occurs straight after the left handed double and falls on beat 4. This right handed note is accented, or played at a louder volume (just like the flams). It is followed by another accent with the left hand on the ‘e’ of beat 4.
Although this is quite technically demanding and requires good hand technique, I hope you’ll agree with me that the
rudiments can sound pretty awesome when performed like this. Get that practice pad out!
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