Trinity Rock & Pop Exam Syllabus

Time changes, complex fills, fast pushes and accent patterns at the bridge.

• AlivePearl JamTF

  Steady mid-tempo rock groove; keep the hi-hat relaxed and let the tom fills breathe.

  DrumsHH 8ths | K: 1, 3+ | S: 2, 4 | Fills: 16ths on toms

• Here Comes the SunThe Beatles

  Light brush-like touch and a dropped beat in the outro — count the bar changes carefully.

  DrumsHH 8ths | K: 1, 3 | S: 2, 4 | Outro: dropped beat, count bars

• MusicologyPrince

  Tight funk pocket with ghost notes on the snare; dynamics matter more than volume.

  DrumsHH 16ths | K: 1, 2+ | S: 2, 4 + ghosts | Tight pocket

• No One KnowsQueens of the Stone AgeTF

  Driving 4/4 with a half-time bridge; watch the syncopated kick pattern in the verse.

  DrumsHH 8ths | K: 1, 2+a, 3+ | S: 2, 4 | Bridge: half-time

• Riff RaffAC/DCTF

  Fast straight-eights on the hats; endurance piece — stay loose in the wrists.

  DrumsHH straight 8ths (fast) | K: 1, 3 | S: 2, 4 | Endurance

• Sir DukeStevie Wonder

  Unison horn hits with the kit; memorise the stops so you land them cleanly.

  DrumsHH 8ths | K: 1, 3+ | S: 2, 4 | Unison stops with horns

• The Riverboat SongOcean Colour Scene

  Groove in 6/8 with a heavy floor tom feel; keep the pulse wide and swung.

  Drums6/8 feel | K: 1, 4 | S: 4 | Floor tom pulse

• You Know I'm No GoodAmy Winehouse

  Laid-back retro soul beat; play slightly behind the click for the right feel.

  DrumsHH 8ths (laid back) | K: 1, 3 | S: 2, 4 | Sit behind the beat

Shifting backbeat, bass/crash coordination, fast repeated bass drum and accented semiquaver patterns.

• Ghost TownThe Specials

  Sparse reggae-tinged groove; the space between hits is the part.

  DrumsReggae: HH 8ths | K: 1, 3 | S rim: 3 | Leave space

• Love Rears Its Ugly HeadLiving ColourTF

  Shifting backbeat between beats 3 and 4 — count out loud until it's automatic.

  DrumsHH 8ths | K: 1, 3+ | S backbeat shifts 3/4 | Count aloud

• Misery BusinessParamoreTF

  Fast pop-punk eighths with crash accents; build stamina at slower tempos first.

  DrumsHH fast 8ths | K: 1, 2+, 3 | S: 2, 4 | Crash accents on 1

• Pressure & TimeRival Sons

  Heavy blues-rock shuffle; keep the kick pattern punchy and consistent.

  DrumsShuffle 12/8 | K: 1, 3 | S: 2, 4 | Punchy kick

• Private LifeGrace Jones

  Sparse reggae feel with rim clicks; discipline in the hi-hat is key.

  DrumsReggae: rim clicks | K: 1, 3 | HH steady 8ths | Sparse

• Smells Like Teen SpiritNirvana

  Dynamic contrast between quiet verses and loud choruses; nail the famous fill.

  DrumsHH 8ths | K: 1, 1+a, 3 | S: 2, 4 | Loud/quiet dynamics

• Smooth CriminalAlien Ant Farm

  Tight alt-rock groove with fast repeated kick; keep the double strokes even.

  DrumsHH 8ths | K: 1, 1e, 3 | S: 2, 4 | Even double strokes

• Wake UpRage Against the MachineTF

  Funk-metal groove with accented semiquavers; ghost notes drive the feel.

  DrumsFunk 16ths | K: 1, 2a, 3+ | S: 2, 4 + ghosts | Accented semiquavers

Ghost notes, unison with guitar, orchestration in the verse, and drags and flams.

• 50 Ways To Leave Your LoverPaul Simon

  Iconic linear groove with drags around the toms; play it smooth, not forced.

  DrumsLinear groove: drags around kit | No two limbs together | Smooth

• RopeFoo Fighters

  Odd-length phrases and busy hats; mark the bar lines while practising.

  DrumsHH busy 16ths | K: 1, 2+ | S: 2, 4 | Odd phrase lengths

• Super BadJames Brown

  Deep funk with heavy ghost notes; keep the hi-hat foot steady throughout.

  DrumsFunk: HH 16ths | K: 1, 1e+ | S: 2, 4 + heavy ghosts | HH foot 2 & 4

• ToxicitySystem of a DownTF

  Metre shifts between 6/8 and 4/4; lock unison hits with the guitar riff.

  Drums6/8 ↔ 4/4 shifts | K: 1, 3+ | S: 2, 4 | Unison hits with riff

• The TrooperIron Maiden

  Fast gallop on the kick with ride bell accents; a real stamina test.

  DrumsGallop kick: 1, 1e+a | Ride bell accents | S: 2, 4 | Stamina

• Two WeeksGrizzly BearTF

  Orchestrated verse parts; think about tone and placement over power.

  DrumsOrchestrated verse parts | HH 8ths | K: 1, 3 | S: 2, 4 | Tone > power

• What'd I SayRay Charles

  Classic shuffle feel; keep the triplet pulse relaxed and consistent.

  DrumsClassic shuffle | K: 1, 3 | S: 2, 4 | Relaxed triplets

• With A Little Help From My FriendsJoe CockerTF

  Slow 6/8 with big tom fills; control your dynamics across the build.

  DrumsSlow 6/8 | Big tom fills | K: 1, 4 | S: 4 | Dynamic build

Metre changes, multiple bass-drum strokes, accent patterns and outro fills.

• FireThe Jimi Hendrix Experience

  Busy jazz-influenced rock; the fills are conversational, not mechanical.

  DrumsJazz-rock: ride swing feel | K: 1, 3+ | S: 2, 4 | Conversational fills

• RosannaToto

  The half-time shuffle — ghost notes and hi-hat control are everything.

  DrumsHalf-time shuffle | S backbeat 3 | Ghost 16ths | HH foot 2 & 4

• SchismToolTF

  Constant metre changes; subdivide and count every bar until it's internalised.

  DrumsMetre changes (5/4, 6/8, 4/4) | Subdivide every bar | K follows riff

• Silly PuttyStanley Clarke

  Fusion groove with fast linear fills; precision at speed is the challenge.

  DrumsFusion 16ths | Fast linear fills | K: 1, 2e | S: 2, 4 | Precision at speed

• Seven DaysStingTF

  Played in 5/4 — feel it as a loop rather than counting each beat.

  Drums5/4 groove: feel as loop | HH 8ths | K: 1, 4 | S: 3, 5

• DrownBring Me the Horizon

  Modern rock with multiple bass-drum strokes; keep the double kick even.

  DrumsHH 8ths | Double-kick bursts | S: 2, 4 | Even kick strokes

• The Spirit of RadioRushTF

  Tempo and metre shifts with intricate orchestration; study the arrangement.

  DrumsTempo + metre shifts | Ride 8ths | Intricate orchestration | Study the chart

• War PigsBlack Sabbath

  Slow heavy groove into a fast outro; big tom fills need clean timing.

  DrumsSlow heavy 4/4 → fast outro | K: 1, 3 | S: 2, 4 | Big tom fills