We moved from jazz to classic rock, soul/funk, Latin, and Brazilian music; this time I’ll talk about something different. Well-known as the drummer of Blink-182, Travis Barker is one of the most influential musicians on the Rock scene today, who inspired a whole generation of drummers. His hyperactive and energetic drumming can be heard on many music hits, moving from punk rock to hip-hop and alternative rock with a great attitude. He collaborated, performed, and recorded with artists such as Yelawolf, Avril Lavigne, Goldfinger, and Machine Gun Kelly, among others, in addition to Blink-182’s side projects.
Some of Travis Barker’s most creative drum recordings can be heard on Blink-182’s side project Box Car Racer. During his short story, the band released only one album (2002), but despite this, it gave us interesting songs to study. “I Feel So” – “Tiny Voices” – “And I” – “Cat Like Thief” and “There Is” are some songs noteworthy for their unique and genius drum beats, incorporating various music styles. With Box Car Racer, Barker used a different snare drum, unlike his past works, giving the groove a funk rock tone. This article examines Barker’s drumming on “And I” analyzing the main grooves and introducing the complete drum transcription.
Drum Grooves
Listening to “And I” we hear five distinct drum beats for every section: intro, verse, chorus, interlude, and final chorus/outro. Travis Barker’s ability to smoothly move from one section to another is remarkable, keeping a solid beat with great energy and stamina. The song opens with the drums, featuring a one-bar hip-hop/R&B drum beat repeated for the entire section at 107 bpm. As notated below, the snare drum hits between the backbeat (which are not ghost notes, as you can hear) are alternated with the hi-hat.
The second part of the intro introduces a powerful section with distorted guitars and a heavy groove. It consists essentially of two distinct bars following the guitar riff. The same drum part is repeated in the chorus with some bass drum variations.
In the verse section, Barker plays a marching groove on the snare, incorporating the hi-hat and toms and embellishing the beat with flams and rolls. That’s a classic of his drumming, and you can hear this type of groove in other songs.
Another example of Barker’s creativity is the interlude drum beat, which changes to a double-time feel with the snare on the upbeat and a fast bass drum part. As notated below, a variation occurs on the second beat, with a four-stroke ruff orchestrated on the toms. As we saw in the previous grooves, the left foot hi-hat is an essential element of the overall drum part, contributing to keeping a solid beat.
In the last chorus, Barker plays a classic punk rock drum beat embellished with a ride cymbal pattern consisting of one 8th note and two 16th notes. The song ends with a powerful final section, the same drum beat is performed with a straightforward 8th-note crash cymbal pattern.
Full Drum Transcription
For those who want to study and understand in depth Travis Barker’s drumming, including every drum fill, the complete drum transcription for “And I” is now available for purchase. Elevate your drumming!
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