Learn to playEye Of The Tigeras made famous by Survivoron drums
The drum beat for "Eye of the Tiger" by Survivor features a steady, driving rhythm with powerful, punchy hits on the snare and bass drum, creating an intense and motivating groove.
With our step-by-step drum lesson you can recreate the beat behind Eye Of The Tiger. We’ve broken down the main sections of the song and will take you through each part beat by beat, with video demonstrations.
Eye Of The Tiger
Drums Tutorial - Step by Step
Intro
After 4 bars of guitar intro, play the hits on the crash and kick. In the second repeat, the hits are displaced by an 1/8 note (starting on beat 3-&) the second time.
Intro (pt. 2)
Move into the main groove, featuring 1/4 notes on the kick. Watch for the variation in the final bar, adding a kick on beat 3-a.
Verse
Continue the groove through the verse. In bar 10, use alternating hands to play the 1/16 notes moving from snare to open hi-hat. Finish this section with a flam on the snare.
Chorus
Kick off the chorus with a crash. Watch for the open hi-hat on beat 4-& in bar 4. There is a fill in bar 8 using alternating sticks to move around the kit - observe the tricky sticking on the snare before that. Return to the groove and another open hi-hat for 2 bars to lead into the outro.
Outro
Continue the groove through the outro. Play the crash after 4 bars. In bar 8, play a flam on the snare leading into a crash to finish the song.
Combine and play
Combine the sections to play the full arrangement.
Learn to play
Eye Of The Tiger
with Melodics
Behind the track
Eye Of The Tiger
by Survivor
"Eye of the Tiger" by Survivor features a driving, iconic guitar riff with a powerful, rhythmic drum beat. The composition is built around strong, energetic rock elements, creating a sense of urgency and determination. The bass line is tight and syncopated, complementing the punchy guitar chords. Synthesizers add a layer of texture and depth to the arrangement.
The vocal performance is dynamic and forceful, with lead vocalist Dave Bickler delivering the lyrics with a gritty, determined tone. His powerful voice captures the song's themes of resilience and perseverance, rising and falling in intensity to match the song's dramatic shifts. The chorus is memorable and anthemic, encouraging listeners to push through challenges with the line "It's the eye of the tiger, it's the thrill of the fight."
Tips for learning Eye Of The Tiger on drums
Tip 1: Slow it down
Break it down: Tackle each section of 'Eye Of The Tiger' 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.
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FAQs
- Eye Of The Tiger is an intermediate level piece, featuring some tricky fills and syncopation involving the kick. Fortunately, there are beginner versions of the song available on Melodics to check out!
- To play Eye Of The Tiger, you'll need to have a basic understanding of syncopation, as well as command of 1/16 note fills, and a good sense of time.
- Eye Of The Tiger is 109 bpm.
- Eye Of The Tiger is in 4/4 time.
- 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.