Drum beat in the style of “Take On Me” — a-ha
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Song grooves
· Simplified drum grooves in the style of famous songs — not exact transcriptions.
a-ha’s 1985 synth-pop hit runs fast on a tight, machine-like beat. At this tempo the hi-hat 8ths need a light, relaxed hand — tension is the enemy.
- Tempo
- 169 BPM
- Time signature
- 4/4
- Groove
- straight pop beat
- Genre
- Pop
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Loop
- 1 bar
Drum pattern
| Hi-hat | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Snare | ||||||||||||||||
| Kick |
Each row is one drum, each column one step. Large dots are accents, small dots normal hits, faint dots ghost notes.
Who plays what: notes per bar
| Cymbal hand | 8 |
|---|---|
| Snare hand | 2 |
| Kick foot | 2 |
Every kick lines up with a cymbal stroke, which makes this one of the easiest coordination patterns to start with.
About this groove
At about 169 BPM it has a fast tempo: one beat lasts 355 ms and a 4/4 bar takes 1.4 seconds. Use the tempo buttons to slow it down while you learn.
Practice plan
How it differs from similar beats
Compared with “Beat It” (Michael Jackson, rock beat with 8th notes), this groove leaves out the kick on 3& — and it runs 30 BPM faster. If you can already play that one, this is your next step. Beat It →
“Major Tom (Völlig losgelöst)” (Peter Schilling) uses exactly the same simplified pattern, 23 BPM slower — a good warm-up before this one. Major Tom (Völlig losgelöst) →
Other songs with the same straight pop beat
Similar drum beats
This is a simplified rhythm pattern in the style of “Take On Me” by a-ha, written for drum practice. It is not a transcription of the recording and contains no audio, lyrics or artwork. Drums3D is not affiliated with a-ha.