The "NOFX" beat...

  • Thread starter Thread starter FattMusiek
  • Start date Start date
FattMusiek

FattMusiek

New member
First, have a listen to the beat I'm referring to:



Recently I realized I play this beat a much more ineffecient way than the drummer of NOFX does. For those of you who aren't familiar with NOFX or this beat, it's a fast punk beat played on a single pedal. Bands like NOFX, Lagwagon, No Use For A Name, and Bad Religion use it all the time. In the clip, pay close attention to the hi hat. It seems to be doing "Tss tss, tss tss tss, tss tss tss, tss tss tss". What is the technique for this? The way I play it (steady 8th notes on the hi hat) tires my wrist out when I play the beat for a long time. I suppose what I'm asking is...- What is the technique for separating the hi hat pattern from the snare while keeping up the single pedal hits?
 
for me its just a matter of practicing it at a much slower speed. like practice doing each part individually starting with just the hihat part, then add the snare part, then add the kick part, so you get a feel for how it all comes together. then once you can do it consistently, bring up the speed until you can do it as fast as possible. the main thing is to train your right foot and right hand to do their separate thing.

oh and also you don't have to play 8ths the whole time, you can just hit the hihats at the same time you hit the snare, or play 8ths but skip the 3rd. so it goes like : 1 2 and 4 1 2 and 4 1 2 and 4 (with 'and' being the pause). so the single kick goes on the 1, and the double kick would happen on the '3rd' beat when you arent hitting the hihat. sorry, its kind of confusing for me to explain since im not good at talking about drumming haha.
 
Are you talking about how the pedal plays 16th notes on the third beat? If so, it's just a matter of practice and playing it a lot slower. NOFX is one of my favorite bands and me and my band have covered many of their songs including linoleum, so I know what you're talking about.
The best way is to just practice doing the beat with just adding in one hit on the third beat. Once you get that down, try adding in that second 16th note in there. You'll get it.
 
funny thing is.. this beat has an entire elitist genre dedicated to it played by thrashy punk/hardcore bands
"d beat"
only true bands can play nothing but that beat!
 
Hah, that was the first beat I ever learned. My older brother got me into punk about 9 years old and I've been playing that beat since about 10. I find it gets too annoying after a long time, though. Anyway, to learn it, I guess you would just start slow like the other few people said. I'd suggest not trying to just flat out copy that beat, at a bit of your own style to it, like adding an extra 8th note on the & of 1 or something. Good luck.
 
I've made a lot of progress on this beat in the last hour or so. I started at about 80 BPM and worked on separating the hi hat and kick. It was tricky, but after a while I got the hang of it. I can now do "tss tss, tss tss tss, tss tss tss, tss tss tss" while maintaining the "dom, dada, dom, dada" on the kick. Granted I haven't had a chance to play it on my kit yet, but I expect it to sound right. I just hope to God I don't forget the rhythm come tomorrow.

Thanks for all your input guys, especially you Zed.
 
Last edited:
treymonfauntre said:
funny thing is.. this beat has an entire elitist genre dedicated to it played by thrashy punk/hardcore bands
"d beat"
only true bands can play nothing but that beat!
Click to expand...

The other thing I have always found totally HILARIOUS about the punk/thrasher bands that think this is a cool beat, is that it is also called a POLKA!!!!!

Take out the heavy guitar and put in accordian and you're whisked away to Oktoberfest!!

(I've been in thrash bands, so don't go there :D )
 
Last edited:
ahhhhhh thats 'the punk beat'

the old 'duk tak duka tak duh'

nofx are one of my favorite bands, and to be honest all it takes its just practising it - now i can play it easily. also if you look at erik 'smelly' sandin play this beat with nofx, you'll notice he plays with very light hits - meaning more frequent hits (as you dont pull your stick up 5 feet into the air) meaning faster beats.

so try playing with your hands just playing quite lightly and close together, if you see smelly play it in a video youll understand.
 
The other thing I have always found totally HILARIOUS about the punk/thrasher bands that think this is a cool beat, is that it is also called a POLKA!!!!!

Take out the heavy guitar and put in accordian and you're whisked away to Oktoberfest!!

Excellent Point LOL!!!! :D
 
I have been Playing in Punk Bands for the Last 20 Years And even Opened up for NoFX a few Times and Many other Punk/Alternitive Bands (Bad Religion,Ween, Bad Brains, SNFU, DayGlow Abortions) and Find that Beat is a Lot easier to Play and Better sounding useing the Double Kick and I know the Drummer for NoFX uses a Double Kick (Unless they now have a Different Drummer than they had 15 years ago).....

My Music has Slowed down and gotten Heavier over the Years But I still Like to Play Beats at that Speed but My Stamina has gotten a Lot lower since I was touring arround Playing a Lot of Punk Venues but is still a Simple Beat to Pull off and easier with the Double Kick.....

Cheers
 
Minion said:
I have been Playing in Punk Bands for the Last 20 Years And even Opened up for NoFX a few Times and Many other Punk/Alternitive Bands (Bad Religion,Ween, Bad Brains, SNFU, DayGlow Abortions) and Find that Beat is a Lot easier to Play and Better sounding useing the Double Kick and I know the Drummer for NoFX uses a Double Kick (Unless they now have a Different Drummer than they had 15 years ago).....

My Music has Slowed down and gotten Heavier over the Years But I still Like to Play Beats at that Speed but My Stamina has gotten a Lot lower since I was touring arround Playing a Lot of Punk Venues but is still a Simple Beat to Pull off and easier with the Double Kick.....

Cheers
Click to expand...


How do you decide which words to capitalize? :p
 
Why is this the Only Forum that I belong to That Bugs be about my Typeing??? Is it that Musicians Like to Pick on Disabled Poeple??

Maybe I should Just Make a Big Sticky explaining to exeryone that I have a Form of Dislexia which make it impossible for me to Properly capitalize and Punctuate and untill I was about 20 I couldn"t even Read or Write and I am quite sensitive about the Subject and you are the 4th Person who has Bugged me about it in the Last 4 days and it is really starting to Piss me off....

I"m sure you can read the Words and get the Idea of what I am saying?? at least my spelling isn"t as bad as some poeple in the forum but no one Bugs them about it...Is it that being Stupid is OK but haveing a disability isn"t??

Please Give me a Break.... :(
 
Minion said:
Why is this the Only Forum that I belong to That Bugs be about my Typeing??? Is it that Musicians Like to Pick on Disabled Poeple??

Maybe I should Just Make a Big Sticky explaining to exeryone that I have a Form of Dislexia which make it impossible for me to Properly capitalize and Punctuate and untill I was about 20 I couldn"t even Read or Write and I am quite sensitive about the Subject and you are the 4th Person who has Bugged me about it in the Last 4 days and it is really starting to Piss me off....

I"m sure you can read the Words and get the Idea of what I am saying?? at least my spelling isn"t as bad as some poeple in the forum but no one Bugs them about it...Is it that being Stupid is OK but haveing a disability isn"t??

Please Give me a Break.... :(
Click to expand...

Didn't mean any offense by it, I was just fooling around.

But just out of curiosity, why does capitalizing help when you type? I've never heard that before. It just seems like more work when typing.
 
Well it"s is like my hands have a Mind of there own and since I have Dislexia I can"t really tell that there is anything wrong with when I look at it....

One thing someone pointed out to me is that I seem to only capitlize Nouns and Verbs(and Pro-Nouns and Adverbs) but I don"t know why that is.....

I guess I could get someone to proof read everything i type but that would be quite a Hassle ......At least my spelling is OK, I think...

Cheers

PS: Sorry If it is anoying but there is very little I can do about it and Personally I don"t think It is a Big deal as I was able to Graduate High School (at 22) and Graduate College (at 29) with a Degree...Better late than never!!!
 
Minion said:
I have been Playing in Punk Bands for the Last 20 Years And even Opened up for NoFX a few Times and Many other Punk/Alternitive Bands (Bad Religion,Ween, Bad Brains, SNFU, DayGlow Abortions) and Find that Beat is a Lot easier to Play and Better sounding useing the Double Kick and I know the Drummer for NoFX uses a Double Kick (Unless they now have a Different Drummer than they had 15 years ago).....
Cheers
Click to expand...


Eric Sandin said:
NO!!!!!! I AM TIRIED OF THIS QUESTION!!!!!! double bass drum pedals are for lame heavy metalers who wish they could play punk rock! love, smelly
Click to expand...

http://www.nofx.org/qa/qa_read.php3?page=10

This is the same drummer that's been with the band since the beginning.
 
Well I know When My Band opened for them back in 94 the Kit he was Playing on Had a Double Kick Pedal on It....Maybe It wasn"t His Kit or the Pedal was there From one of the Other Opening Bands ?? I didn"t actually Stick arround for NoFX that Night allong with a Lot of Poeple Cuz the Other Band that Played Right before them (The DayGlow Abortions) were a Much More Popular Band at the Time as they Just got off Tour with Motorhead and they were Local and NOFX were a Band Touring in a Van at the Time.....


Cheers
 
Minion said:
Well I know When My Band opened for them back in 94 the Kit he was Playing on Had a Double Kick Pedal on It....Maybe It wasn"t His Kit or the Pedal was there From one of the Other Opening Bands ?? I didn"t actually Stick arround for NoFX that Night allong with a Lot of Poeple Cuz the Other Band that Played Right before them (The DayGlow Abortions) were a Much More Popular Band at the Time as they Just got off Tour with Motorhead and they were Local and NOFX were a Band Touring in a Van at the Time.....


Cheers
Click to expand...
hehe thats cool.

but anyway i know for sure he doesnt use a double bass.

but MichealM, they did have a drummer for a while when sandin left the band for a short while, then to rejoin... perhaps he used a double pedal becaues he couldnt keep up with the single pedal stuff that smelly did? but im almost sure he wouldnt have.
 
Which bands were you in? I live in Canada and would be interested to know. I've seen all those bands you mentioned numerous times and probably seen you play. Smelly surely only does use single kick, and his replacement while he rehabbed only used single kick for sure. Dayglo kicks ass for sure, but i believe in 94 with punk in drublic out i seen this show and dayglo was good, but Nofx brought down the house, if in fact I am thinking the same show in Van. Maybe you should have stuck around!!! haha. Could be different show though.


Second thought, It could have been vic though. I can't remember..........silly drugs.



Minion said:
I have been Playing in Punk Bands for the Last 20 Years And even Opened up for NoFX a few Times and Many other Punk/Alternitive Bands (Bad Religion,Ween, Bad Brains, SNFU, DayGlow Abortions) and Find that Beat is a Lot easier to Play and Better sounding useing the Double Kick and I know the Drummer for NoFX uses a Double Kick (Unless they now have a Different Drummer than they had 15 years ago).....

My Music has Slowed down and gotten Heavier over the Years But I still Like to Play Beats at that Speed but My Stamina has gotten a Lot lower since I was touring arround Playing a Lot of Punk Venues but is still a Simple Beat to Pull off and easier with the Double Kick.....

Cheers
Click to expand...
 
Eric Sandin said:
NO!!!!!! I AM TIRIED OF THIS QUESTION!!!!!! double bass drum pedals are for lame heavy metalers who wish they could play punk rock!
Click to expand...

Or polka. Apparently.
 
Eric Sandin said:
NO!!!!!! I AM TIRIED OF THIS QUESTION!!!!!! double bass drum pedals are for lame heavy metalers who wish they could play punk rock!
Click to expand...

...and that, my friends, is the very attitude that caused me to be so alienated by the whole punk scene. I mean what sort of an intelligent comment is that? I'll tell you... IT ISN'T ONE!

I shall say no more lest I blast into a tirade about elitism. Plus I don't actually know any metallers who can't play punk rock. Each to their own tho.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top