![]() ![]() ” Ringo switches to a straight rock beat on kick and snare but gives it a double time feel by playing eighth notes on the hi-hat and sixteenths on the tambourine.įor the last verse, he mixes it up, going with the snare now playing on both two and four, while retaining the tom flams on the “and” of beat four. The result is a catchy drum part that gives the mid-tempo verses and chorus a chugging, forward motion that helped propel the song to the number one spot on the Billboard chart around the world.įor the bridge section, “I don’t know why she’s riding so high. What happens on the backbeat at four? Cue the tambourine, which Ringo overdubbed, to fill the function of what the snare would normally be doing. Ringo flipped the standard rock convention of having the snare drum play primarily on beats two and four, instead hitting his snare on beat two, but then displacing it to an offbeat (the “and” of three) and a flam on the toms hitting on the “and” of beat four. It is one of the first Beatles songs to feature a uniquely “Ringo-esque” drum part. “Ticket to Ride” was released in 1965 as the first single from the soundtrack album for their second movie, Help. While strings or brass were brought in for a few specific songs (“Eleanor Rigby” and “Got to Get You Into My Life,” being two such examples from 1966’s Revolver), by and large, The Beatles wrote and played all the instrumental parts in their backing tracks. With their producer George Martin encouraging them, the band set out to explore just how varied they could make their compositions and recordings using the basic instruments that any rock band might use in those days: guitars, drums, bass, keyboard, and hand percussion instruments. In 1964 and ’65, Ringo started composing drum parts to keep up with the ever-increasing sophistication of the songs that John, Paul, and George were composing. We recommend you listen to these songs on a good pair of headphones to better appreciate the nuances of his playing. “Ticket To Ride” and “In My Life” demonstrate ideas, patterns, and an approach that may help you when you are considering how to make your next song or recording stand out. Let’s dissect two of Ringo’s creative drum performances. Some of the great Ringo performances contrast from a standard rock drum beat as more of a “composed” part patterns he created specifically for a song that are anything but a standard rock beat. Many Beatles songs, especially in the early part of their release history, relied on what can be termed standard rock drum beats. Then, after approving the overall sound, the song is mixed, mastered and released. Once the backing track is judged adequate, lead and harmony vocals, solo parts, and any other instrumental “sweetening” such as percussion, strings, and special effects are added to complete the multi-track master recording. ![]() ![]() Popular recordings often blend a variety of rhythmic patterns that, when combined, create the overall sound, tempo, and texture we come to know as the finished backing track. Ringo’s playing added shape and texture to the band’s iconic recordings while carefully creating patterns and dynamics to create and resolve tension within each song.Ī great drum part is much more than a steady kick, snare, and hi hat to which the instruments and vocals play along. His role as time keeper was important, but equally important was his artistry. While there are flashier drummers, greater technicians, and more bombastic players from the same era (Keith Moon, Ginger Baker, and John Bonham come to mind), Ringo’s inventive playing demonstrates a keen sense of how to create a drum track that fits perfectly with the intent of every song. When musicians talk about the Beatles’ musical influence, what dominates the conversation might often be the songwriting genius of Lennon and McCartney, George Harrison’s innovative writing and playing, the group’s ear-worm melodies, and their groundbreaking use of the recording studio.įew musicians would argue that the drumming of Ringo Starr was one of the most singular aspects to the band’s music. When musicians talk about the Beatles’ musical influence, few would argue that the drumming of Ringo Starr was one of the most singular aspects to the band’s music.
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