easy lesson

The Train Beat

The galloping chug of country and rockabilly. You play a steady stream of snare notes and lean on the backbeat — it really does sound like a moving freight train.

Play it yourself — keyboard or your own kit

  1. Play the snare softly on every eighth note: a continuous, even chug.

  2. Keep the eighths going but hit harder (accent) on beats 2 and 4 so the backbeat pokes through the chug.

  3. Add the kick on beats 1 and 3 to anchor the train.

Open the full drum machine →