Learn to playChemtrailsas made famous by Beckon drums
Start with the core groove and fills, then build to Joey Waronker's full performance with 16th-note grooves and fast melodic fills that feel like one long solo.
With our step-by-step drum lesson you can recreate the beat behind Chemtrails. We’ve broken down the main sections of the song and will take you through each part beat by beat, with video demonstrations.
Chemtrails
Drums Tutorial - Step by Step
A section (Pt. 1)
Enter in bar 3 after the piano chords with a 1/16 note fill. Watch for the pedal hi-hat in the second and last fills, and play triplets for the third fill.
A section (Pt. 2)
Watch for the syncopation and follow the sticking in bars 1, 3, and 8. Play 1/32 notes in bars 2 and 6, and triplets in bar 4.
B section (Pt.1)
After the break, come in with a triplet fill. There is a 1/32 note fill on the snare in the middle, otherwise observe the 1/16 note phrases that move around the kit.
B section (Pt. 2)
Move to the ride for the final section. Watch the sticking closely on these tricky fills, and end with a long 1/32 note phrase between ride and snare.
Combine and play
Now add a longer intro and break between the two sections, and play the arrangement.
Learn to play
Chemtrails
with Melodics
Behind the track
Chemtrails
by Beck
"Chemtrails" is the lead single from Beck's 2008 record Modern Guilt, and it started with a specific obsession: a Led Zeppelin idea, a rock song where all the heaviness comes from the drums and guitars never show up at all. Beck wrote the track himself before the album sessions began. That turned out to matter, because Danger Mouse produced every other track on Modern Guilt, but this was the one he didn't touch.
Tips for learning Chemtrails on drums
Tip 1: Slow it down
Break it down: Tackle each section of Chemtrails individually for precision mastery. With Melodics, you can slow the pace of the song and work up to full speed.
Tip 2: Review your performance
Identify growth areas: Listen to playback of your performance to learn where you need to develop your timing, technique & rhythm. Melodics provides instant feedback on your performance.
Tip 3: Practice makes perfect
Stay consistent: With regular, focused practice you'll see rapid progress when learning the song. Even a short session each day will make a huge difference.
- Get access to 100s of interactive lessons and popular songs
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FAQs
- Chemtrails is an advanced level song. Fortunately, there are beginner versions of the song available on Melodics to check out!
- You will need advanced syncopation and dexterity.
- 88 bpm
- 4/4
- A minor
- New songs are released every week on Melodics! And we love to take requests - the best place for this is within our Discord community where you can also connect with other music learners around the world. Check out https://melodics.com/info/community.