upbeats/downbeats

[JD01]

I'm assuming there's not left beats or right beats.

OK, basically, I don't know much about drum terminology.

I just think of a basic 4/4 beat as being 1, 2, 3, 4 (hi hat hits) with a kick on 1 and a snare on 3.
What's an upbeat/downbeat in this situation.
Also, I'd often have it as one bar of the kick on 1, the next bar of the kick on 2 (or even 1 & 2), alternating them - this is what I think of as "The Bad Religion Beat" What do you call up-beats and downbeats in this situation.

Basically - I don't know enough about drum terminology to even know what I'm looking for.
I think after I've got the house extension done I might get a few drum lessons to get me started.

I've been looking through all sorts of drum glossary of terms and can't find simple stuff like this anywhere.

[Farview]

A 4/4 beat is more like kick on 1 and 3, snare on 2 and 4, with 8 hits on the hats.

Hats 1&2&3&4&
Kick 1. 3
Snare. 2. 4


The down beats are 1234, the upbeat are all the &'s

[Greg_L]

Yup

If you're just playing quarter notes on the hats, there isn't really any "upbeat" to speak of.

[JD01]

A 4/4 beat is more like kick on 1 and 3, snare on 2 and 4, with 8 hits on the hats.

Hats 1&2&3&4&
Kick 1. 3
Snare. 2. 4


The down beats are 1234, the upbeat are all the &'s

Great - cheers. So, both kick and snare are down beats. I had no idea - no wonder I've found this so confusing.

[Greg_L]

Great - cheers. So, both kick and snare are down beats. I had no idea - no wonder I've found this so confusing.

Just think of how you'd clap your hands or tap your foot to a song. Those are downbeats. If you clap on the upbeat, you're fucking goofy.

[JD01]

Great - cheers. So, both kick and snare are down beats. I had no idea - no wonder I've found this so confusing.

Just think of how you'd clap your hands or tap your foot to a song. Those are downbeats. If you clap on the upbeat, you're fucking goofy.

haha, fair point.

[SweetDan]

Just to add a bit of murkiness to the clarity you've just achieved...

Sometimes a person might be told to "come in on the downbeat" -- that means the 1.

[vomitHatSteve]

Great - cheers. So, both kick and snare are down beats. I had no idea - no wonder I've found this so confusing.

Just think of how you'd clap your hands or tap your foot to a song. Those are downbeats. If you clap on the upbeat, you're fucking goofy.

Or that obnoxious prog drum guy who's trying too hard and just ruining the Gordon Lightfoot show for everyone else!

The "Bad Religion" beat is also the DnB beat.

[JD01]

Sometimes a person might be told to "come in on the downbeat" -- that means the 1.

Eh? Explain! I think I've heard this before which probably added to my earlier confusion.

[Greg_L]

Wtf is a "Bad Religion" beat?

[JD01]

Wtf is a "Bad Religion" beat?

As I described above. Boom, chuck, tsk, boom, chuck, Boom, chuck, tsk, boom, chuck.

I don't know what beats are called. In my head they're the BR beat, the Pearl Jam beat, the Jeff Buckley Beat. The Teen Spirit beat.

[Greg_L]

As I described above. Boom, chuck, tsk, boom, chuck, Boom, chuck, tsk, boom, chuck.

I don't know what beats are called. In my head they're the BR beat, the Pearl Jam beat, the Jeff Buckley Beat. The Teen Spirit beat.

None of that makes sense. Post an example.

[JD01]

As I described above. Boom, chuck, tsk, boom, chuck, Boom, chuck, tsk, boom, chuck.

I don't know what beats are called. In my head they're the BR beat, the Pearl Jam beat, the Jeff Buckley Beat. The Teen Spirit beat.

None of that makes sense. Post an example.

This is what I think of as a typical BR beat.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7M81XfYqnA

Pearl Jam Beat:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dCv2civ8QA

Teen spirit beat:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8NZOlNbZKM

Indicentally BR have just released a new song:
[BBvideo=560,315]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEbd76i1S6Q[/BBvideo]

[JD01]

Also, I've got a bit obsessed with that blokes drum covers after watching this:
[BBvideo=560,315]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcXGG_fmU7Q[/BBvideo]
I would love to be able to play that beat! I can't even quite get my head around how to tap it out on my knees. I can't get the kick and hi-hat timing into my brain.

[Greg_L]

Your "Bad Religion" beat is just a regular fast 4/4 beat with the kick on the EEs and UHs.

[Farview]

Count a 4/4 beat like this:
1/4 notes: 1234
1/8 notes 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
1/16 notes 1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a

That will help with Greg's last post (referring to the EE's and Uh's)

[SweetDan]

... If you clap on the upbeat, you're fucking goofy.

Or that obnoxious prog drum guy who's trying too hard and just ruining the Gordon Lightfoot show for everyone else!

The "Bad Religion" beat is also the DnB beat.

Or maybe a flamenco artisté

[BBvideo=560,315]https://youtu.be/k-cVW7ZEOUE?t=13[/BBvideo]

[SweetDan]

Sometimes a person might be told to "come in on the downbeat" -- that means the 1.

Eh? Explain! I think I've heard this before which probably added to my earlier confusion.

Just another definition of "downbeat" - sometimes it means only the 1st beat of a measure. It's contextual:

- if someone refers to "the downbeat", it means the first beat of a measure

- if someone's talking about "downbeats", they mean the beats you count as quarter notes (for example: 1, 2, 3, 4)

[WhiskeyJack]

Is it pretty closed minded of me to suggest just play what the song needs? Like makes it's it flow? Like reading this thread is hurting my head and now i am worried it has broken how i think of drums.

[WhiskeyJack]

Also, I've got a bit obsessed with that blokes drum covers after watching this:
[BBvideo=560,315]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcXGG_fmU7Q[/BBvideo]
I would love to be able to play that beat! I can't even quite get my head around how to tap it out on my knees. I can't get the kick and hi-hat timing into my brain.

Am i seeing things or is his drum stick in his snare hand not straight? Like a tooth pick and hockey stick banged in the heat of drunken frenzy and gave birth to that drum stick?