Three beginner drum beats to practice
Keep the same backbeat while you learn what each added note changes.
A new groove is easier to hear when you change one part at a time. These three 4/4 examples share bass drum on 1 and 3 and snare on 2 and 4. The first changes the hi-hat subdivision; the last adds a bass drum note between beats.
Choose a tempo where you can say “1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &” evenly. You do not need to reach the play-along tempo before learning the pattern. On a conventional right-handed kit, use right hand for hi-hat, left hand for snare, and right foot for bass drum; adapt those assignments to your setup.
Beat one: hi-hat on the numbers
Play the closed hi-hat on 1, 2, 3, and 4. Add bass drum on 1 and 3 and snare on 2 and 4. Each numbered beat has two sounds together: hi-hat and bass drum, then hi-hat and snare. Count the &s but leave them empty.
Repeat four bars and listen for each pair arriving together. If the bass drum is late on 3, isolate hi-hat and bass drum for a few bars, then restore the snare. Keep the next 1 evenly spaced after 4.
Beat two: fill the spaces with hi-hat
Keep the same bass drum and snare, then play hi-hat on every number and &: “1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &.” Each & is a hi-hat note by itself. The new notes divide the beat into two equal parts.
Listen especially to “2 & 3.” It is easy to hurry the hi-hat after a snare stroke. If that happens, practice the hat and snare together at a slower tempo. Add the foot when the spacing is even again.
Beat three: add a kick on the & of 3
Use the eighth-note hi-hat and add bass drum on the & of 3. The bass drum now plays on 1, 3, and the & of 3; the snare stays on 2 and 4. Say “3 & 4” and feel the foot meet the hi-hat on both 3 and & before the snare arrives on 4.
Alternate one bar of beat two with one bar of beat three. Listen for the extra kick moving beat 4 early. If it does, practice just the second half of the bar, then return to the two-bar pattern.
Choose a part for the song
Record all three versions at the same tempo and volume. The eighth-note hi-hat creates more continuous motion, while the extra kick adds an offbeat accent. Neither automatically makes a better chorus.
Try the versions against a suitable 4/4 song and listen to its bass line and vocal phrasing. Keep the version that supports the arrangement and that you can maintain through a full section. Practice changing between two versions without adding a fill, so the section change itself does not disturb the tempo.