Punk music was introduced to the world in the 1970s. The Sex Pistols, Ramones, and so many others were ushering in a new rock genre that required a fast pace rhythm. Today, punk drum loops have been one of the go-to loops for beatmakers.
Whether you are creating some kind of edgy rock sounds or something completely different, punk drum loops can prove helpful if you are looking for a fast-paced beat.
Beat making isn’t just limited to house music, techno, or similar genres. You can also create rock-like tracks. These punk drum loops make it a lot easier to build on if you want something that sounds like the shade of the Ramones, Dead Kennedys, or other legendary punk rock bands that have taken the world by storm.
We’ll be talking about some of the best drummers in rock history who have perfected punk drumming. Some of them are still going strong even today. Drumming at a fast pace may seem difficult.
However, that double-pedal for a bass drum makes it a bit easier. Let’s talk more about punk drumming and who is known for creating such incredible sounds.
Inspiration From Punk Drumming Legends
Punk drumming has proven itself to be a whole different animal compared to regular rock drumming. In the mainstream rock genre, you have Neal Peart, Stewart Copeland, and Ringo Starr. In Punk, the names that could be carved in a drummer’s Mount Rushmore would include Chuck Biscuits, Tommy Ramone, and Bill Stevenson.
Chuck Biscuits has credited Copeland as one of his primary inspirations for being a drummer. Stevenson, for his part, has been known to be one of the earlier pioneers of punk drumming and even hardcore rock drumming.
Punk rock drummers can pound away on drums with such force, creating that sound of ‘rage’ and edginess. It’s part of what gives Punk rock that rough around the edges sound. Thanks to this, beatmakers looking to make rock sounds can rely on punk rock loops for a rougher sound.
One of the punk drummers that continues to create awesome rhythms today is Travis Barker. We highly suggest you listen to his work when he was a member of Blink 182 to get a good idea of how fast he can drum.
While you’re at it, listen to some of the old-school punk bands as well. Some of these bands include The Clash, The Ramones, Black Flag, X, The Sex Pistols, and even some bands known to create ‘skater punk’ rock music.
This should give you some inspiration for the sounds you want to create.
Is it Possible to Create Punk Drum Sounds on a MIDI Pad?
It is. However, it may take a bit of practice. If that ends up being a challenge, you can always purchase a package of MIDI punk drum loops. From there, you can upload them and use them for your next sound projects.
Many punk drum loops are available for download either for free or at a price. You can check on places like SoundCloud or Groove Monkee to get started.
We suggest that you download a package of beats for the sake of variety. It’s a lot better than purchasing one individual beat. Plus, you may not even be satisfied with it.
What will end up happening is that you may end up spending more money on individual beats. It’s better to get a package deal if you are able to find one.
If you want to create your custom sounds, go for it. Start with the basic drum beats and try and speed them up a bit. You can also switch up variations as well (i.e., bass, snare, bass, bass, snare). Don’t overthink beat-making, and don’t worry about being too fancy.
If you want a good starting point, take a look at this video. Use it as a reference if you’re going to create basic punk drumming sounds on your own using a MIDI drum pad. You don’t have to be a professional percussionist to pull this off.
How Fast Are Punk Drum Beats?
Specifically, punk drums are usually no lower than 140 beats per minute. Some songs like “Side Kick” by Rancid will have a BPM of 142, while “Tommy Gun” by The Clash is approximately 168 BPM.
The drum beats may be faster as well. Listen to songs from the punk-pop genre (i.e., Blink 182) and listen to how fast the drum beats are. Travis Barker can easily pull off drum beats that clock in at about 200 BPM.
You need to understand that punk drumming is no basic drum beat. The speed and timing prove this. It’ll take speed, energy, and creativity to get it right.
That’s why practice is essential if you want to create custom drum beats that give your sounds that hardcore edge. If you are a beginner at beat making, we highly suggest purchasing punk drum loop packages rather than dive into something that will be a challenge from the start.
Conclusion
If you are creating rock sounds and want it to have a bit more edge, you’d be hard-pressed to find anything quite like punk drum loops. Most of them are fast-paced and will be easily used if they are purchased in package deals.
Otherwise, you can create them on a MIDI drum pad if you are skilled enough to pull it off. You can start slow and create practice beats before increasing the difficulty.
However, the newbie beat maker should use already made punk drum loops if they want to jump in and make excellent punk rock sounds right away. We highly encourage you to play around with the loops you buy and build a project around them.
They don’t have to be released on SoundCloud. You can practice for as long as you like. You might even create an accidental masterpiece that your fans will love.