Free Video Drum Lesson: “American Idiot” Classic Drum Beat & Groove (Green Day: Tre Cool)

Difficulty Level Learn how to play this classic drum beat from the song American Idiot by Green Day, performed by the great drummer Tre Cool. This drum groove occurs at the end of each chorus but can be heard for the first time in the song at 0:49.

“American Idiot” Free Video Drum Lesson

View the video on YouTube HERE – Learn How To Play Drums Song American Idiot Video Drum Lesson (Green Day & Tre Cool)

“American Idiot” Drum Notation

Why It’s Great

Tre is simply doing what Tre does best in this up-tempo, foot stomping anti-national anthem. From start to finish, Tre keeps the energy levels high and the listener captivated.

How To Play It

This is the tom tom break played at the end of each chorus and occurs for the first time at 0:49. Tre moves his right hand to the floor tom for this groove where he plays eighth notes.

The left hand moves to the high tom on beat 2 and the ‘+’ of beat 2 for bars 1 and 2. The snare drum is played on beat 4 for both bars but the right hand strikes the open hi-hat, at the same time as the snare drum, in bar 2. The left hand could be used to strike the hi-hat if more comfortable. This open hi-hat leads the drum beat back into the next verse where it closes again on beat 1 of the following bar.

The left hand plays an extra floor tom note on the ‘a’ of beat 4 in bar 1. This left hand floor tom note falls in between the right hand eighth notes. The bass drum stamps on beat 1, the ‘+’ of beat 1, beat 3 and the ‘+’ of beat 3 for both bars. This is an awesome sounding tom tom groove!

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