Learn to playGood Times, Bad Timesas made famous by Led Zeppelinon drums
The drum beat in "Good Times, Bad Times" by Led Zeppelin features fast-paced, intricate patterns with a notable use of bass drum triplets, showcasing John Bonham's technical prowess.
With our step-by-step drum lesson you can recreate the beat behind Good Times, Bad Times. We’ve broken down the main sections of the song and will take you through each part beat by beat, with video demonstrations.
Good Times, Bad Times
Drums Tutorial - Step by Step
Intro
The cowbell part throughout the song will be played on the ride.
Start with full band hits, moving the pedal hi-hat from 1/4 notes to 1/8 notes. Finish this section with a triplet fill, using alternating hands to move from hi tom to snare, then around the kit ending on the low tom.
Verse
Move into the verse groove, keeping the pedal hi-hat going. Set up the two bar repeating groove, using your left hand to play the hi and low toms. The third and fourth repeats (bars 5-6 and 7-8) incorporate 1/16 note triplets on the kick, playing off the ride on the beat - use Practice Mode to slow down and loop these bars to get the triplets smooth and fast.
Chorus 1
Move to the crash for the chorus. Watch for the triplet fills moving from snare across the toms using alternating hands in bars 2 and 3.
Solo
Continue on the crash here, varying the kick and snare. Watch for the triplet fills in bar 2 and 6. Bring back the kick triplets in bar 3 and 4. Use your left hand to play the toms in bar 5.
Last chorus and outro
Return to the chorus groove, this time adding the fast 1/16 note snares from the verse. There is a one bar stop before returning to the verse groove for the outro. Extend the 1/16 note triplets on the kick at the end of this step.
Outro (pt. 2)
Continue to vary the rhythmic ideas from the verse. First, move the snare 1/16 notes to the toms, crossing the bar line and ending with a crash. Watch for the 1/16 note triplet kicks in bar 5. Use the left hand to move quickly between the snare and toms in bar 7.
Combine and play
Now combine the sections to play the full arrangement.
Learn to play
Good Times, Bad Times
with Melodics
Behind the track
Good Times, Bad Times
by Led Zeppelin
"Good Times, Bad Times" by Led Zeppelin features a tight, driving rock composition with a blend of blues and hard rock elements. The song is marked by its powerful, rhythmic guitar riffs, dynamic drumming with innovative bass pedal work, and a solid bass line that anchors the track. Robert Plant's vocal performance is striking, with a confident, high-pitched delivery that conveys both intensity and emotion, perfectly complementing the energetic instrumentation.
Tips for learning Good Times, Bad Times on drums
Tip 1: Slow it down
Break it down: Tackle each section of 'Good Times, Bad Times' 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
- "Good Times, Bad Times" is considered more challenging to play on drums. John Bonham's drumming showcases rapid bass drum triplets, which require significant speed, precision, and coordination.
- You will need to master rapid triplets on the bass drum using a single bass drum pedal: not an easy task! You'll also need to nail your hand-foot coordination and general speed and endurance to make it through this fast-paced track.
- 94 bpm
- 4/4
- E Major
- 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.