Rock Drumming Essentials: Sixteenth-Note Rock—Subdivisions, Ghost Notes, and Control

1) Counting and Verbalizing Sixteenths (1e&a) and Mapping Them to the Right Hand

Sixteenth notes divide each beat into four equal parts. In rock, the most common verbal counting is: 1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a. Your goal is to make these syllables feel evenly spaced, like a steady grid you can “place” notes onto.

Say it first, then play it

• Voice only: Tap your foot on quarter notes and speak 1 e & a evenly. Keep the foot steady even if the syllables feel fast.
• Right hand only: Put your right hand on closed hi-hat and play one stroke per syllable while speaking the count.
• Check the spacing: The syllables should be equally spaced; avoid “rushing” the & and a.

Mapping: where the right hand lands

Think of the right hand as the “engine” that marks the subdivision. When you play continuous 16ths on the hi-hat, your right hand hits on:

Control target: Keep the hi-hat strokes small and consistent. The moment the stick height changes randomly, your time and dynamics usually wobble too.

2) Moving from 8ths to 16ths on Hi-Hat While Keeping Snare on 2 and 4

This is the core coordination challenge: the right hand doubles its rate (8ths to 16ths) while the snare backbeats stay exactly where they are. The snare should not drift earlier or later just because the right hand is busier.

Drill A: “2 bars of 8ths + 2 bars of 16ths” loop

Set a comfortable tempo where 16ths are possible without tension. Start slower than you think you need.

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• Bars 1–2: Hi-hat plays 8ths (count 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &). Snare plays backbeats on 2 and 4.
• Bars 3–4: Hi-hat plays 16ths (count 1 e & a ...). Snare stays on 2 and 4.
• Repeat: Loop all 4 bars until the switch feels automatic.

How to practice the switch cleanly

• Keep the snare “anchored”: While your right hand changes, keep hearing the snare as the main reference points on 2 and 4.
• Don’t “push” into bar 3: Many players speed up when the 16ths start. Aim to make bar 3 feel like the same tempo, just with more notes.
• Use a metronome creatively: Put the click on quarter notes. If you can keep the 16ths even against a simple click, your subdivision is solid.

Optional check: “silent e&a”

In bar 3–4, keep your mouth counting only the quarter notes (1 2 3 4) while your hands play 16ths. If the 16ths wobble, go back to speaking 1 e & a until it stabilizes.

3) Basic Snare Ghost Notes (Soft Notes Between Backbeats) with Clear Volume Targets

Ghost notes are very soft snare notes placed between the main backbeats. They add motion and groove without stealing attention from the song. The key is dynamic separation: loud backbeats, quiet ghosts.

Volume targets (practical and measurable)

• Backbeat (snare on 2 and 4): loud, confident, full stroke. Think 8–10/10.
• Ghost notes: very quiet, low stick height. Think 1–3/10.
• Hi-hat 16ths: medium-soft and even so the snare backbeat still “wins.” Think 4–6/10.

Physical cue: Backbeats use a higher stick height; ghost notes use a low “tap” close to the head. If the stick height looks the same, the audience will hear them as the same.

Step-by-step ghost note layering (add one pattern at a time)

Start from the 4-bar loop in Drill A. Keep the hi-hat pattern (8ths then 16ths) and keep snare backbeats on 2 and 4. Add ghost notes only in the 16th-note bars at first.

Ghost Pattern 1: ghost on “a of 1”

This is a simple, musical entry point: one quiet note late in beat 1, leading into the backbeat on 2.

Count:  1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a  (repeat)  Hi-hat: x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x  Snare:          g       S               S          Legend: S = loud backbeat, g = ghost (very soft), x = hi-hat 16ths

• Practice goal: The ghost note should be felt more than heard. If it jumps out, lower the stick height and relax the grip.
• Timing goal: Place the ghost exactly on the a syllable, not “near it.” Say 1 e & a out loud while you play.

Ghost Pattern 2: ghosts on “e of 2” and “a of 2” (around the backbeat)

This introduces the idea that ghosts can surround the backbeat without turning into extra accents.

Count:  1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a  Hi-hat: x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x  Snare:            g S g                 S

• Rule: The backbeat stays the loudest snare sound in the bar.
• Common mistake: Ghosts before/after the backbeat become “mini-accents.” If that happens, exaggerate the backbeat louder and make ghosts even smaller.

Ghost Pattern 3: ghost on “& of 3” (push into 4)

This creates forward motion into the backbeat on 4.

Count:  1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a  Hi-hat: x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x  Snare:            S       g             S

Musical note: This one can feel “busy” if the guitars or vocals are already dense. Use it when the arrangement has space.

Drill B: “Ghost note isolation” (to lock dynamics)

• Play 16ths on hi-hat.
• Play snare backbeats on 2 and 4.
• Add only one ghost note location (for example, a of 1).
• Loop for 1–2 minutes, focusing on volume separation.
• Stop, then repeat with a different ghost placement.

4) Avoiding Common Problems (Accenting Ghost Notes, Speeding Up During 16ths)

Problem: ghost notes turn into accents

What it sounds like: the groove becomes lumpy; the snare line competes with the backbeat; the feel gets “choppy.”

Fixes:

• Stick height rule: Backbeat high, ghosts low. Make the difference obvious.
• Whisper test: If you can clearly hear the ghost note from across the room at the same level as the backbeat, it’s too loud.
• Backbeat priority: Practice 8 bars where you intentionally over-accent 2 and 4 (musically loud but controlled), then reintroduce ghosts quietly.

Problem: speeding up when 16ths start

What it feels like: bar 3 (16ths) “takes off,” and when you return to 8ths you feel like you’re dragging.

Fixes:

• Count out loud through the switch: Speak 1 & 2 & in the 8th bars, then immediately switch to 1 e & a in the 16th bars without changing the foot pulse.
• Reduce motion: Smaller hi-hat strokes make it easier to keep 16ths even without adrenaline speeding you up.
• Metronome “bar check”: Record yourself doing 2 bars 8ths + 2 bars 16ths. Listen back: does the snare on 2 and 4 line up with the click equally in all bars?

Problem: uneven 16ths (the “gallop”)

What it sounds like: 1-e-&-a becomes long-short-long-short instead of even.

Fixes:

• Subdivision speaking: Speak 1 e & a while playing until the spacing is consistent.
• Accent none: Temporarily remove any hi-hat accents; play all 16ths at the same volume.
• Slow it down: If you can’t play even 16ths slowly, you won’t play them evenly fast.

Making Musical Choices: When to Avoid 16ths

Sixteenth-note hi-hat can add energy, but it can also clutter the song. Choose it when it supports the arrangement, not just because you can play it.

Situations where 16ths may be too busy

• Busy vocals: fast lyrics or lots of syllables often need a simpler drum texture so the vocal rhythm stays clear.
• Dense guitars/keys: heavy strumming patterns, palm-muted 16ths, or layered parts can make additional 16ths on hi-hat feel like “static.”
• Small dynamic sections: verses that need to feel intimate often work better with 8ths (or even fewer notes) to leave space.

Practical “arrangement test”

• Play the section with 8ths for 4 bars.
• Switch to 16ths for 4 bars at the same tempo and volume.
• Ask: did the groove get more exciting, or did it just get louder/busier?
• If the band already provides constant motion, keep your part simpler and save 16ths for a lift (pre-chorus, chorus, bridge, or final build).