Just follow my step-by-step approach to internalize Ringo Starr’s iconic grooves, where I break down feel, ghost notes, and vintage fills so you can play with authenticity and musicality; I give practical exercises, stickings, and tempo progressions to develop your timing and touch, and I show how to apply these patterns to songs so your drumming serves the song as Ringo’s did.
Understanding Ringo Starr’s Drumming Style
I emphasize how Ringo serves the song: steady 4/4 foundations, selective fills, and melodic tom work that support vocals rather than dominate them. For example, his patterns on “She Loves You” (1963) and “Rain” (1966) show tight backbeats with inventive ghost notes and tom accents, while “A Day in the Life” demonstrates his restraint during dynamic orchestral builds. If you study his parts, you hear space, consistent pocket, and purposeful choices that make each section breathe.
Key Characteristics of His Grooves
I hear five hallmarks: locked-in pocket on beats 2 and 4, economical fills timed between vocal lines, frequent tom and rimshot color, syncopated hi-hat patterns, and a subtle laid-back feel. You can measure this in recordings from 1963-1966 where fills average one to four beats, and his use of displaced snare hits (as on “Ticket to Ride”) creates rhythmic tension without cluttering the arrangement.
Influences Behind His Technique
I trace his roots to Merseybeat and skiffle clubs of late 1950s Liverpool and his stint with Rory Storm and the Hurricanes before joining the Beatles in 1962. American R&B records he played along to and jazz phrasing from 1940s-50s drummers informed his feel, while studio experimentation in the mid‑1960s pushed him toward creative textures like the reversed and compressed sounds on “Rain” (1966).
I can point to concrete examples: Merseybeat’s emphasis on danceable backbeats appears in “She Loves You” (1963), R&B shuffles shape his take on “Boys” (1963), and jazz-influenced triplets and syncopation surface in fills on mid‑60s tracks. Your practice should mimic this mix-work steady 4/4 grooves, add one- or two-beat tom fills, and study how he adapts simple patterns to serve each song’s arrangement.
Essential Drumming Techniques
I focus on pocket, ghosting, and tasteful syncopation-Ringo’s staples-by isolating 2‑ and 4‑bar phrases and practicing 8th‑note subdivisions at 60-120 BPM. Use tight hi‑hat 8ths, backbeat on 2 and 4, and sprinkle snare ghost notes to add swing; for a song‑specific breakdown see How To Play The “Come Together” Beatles Groove, which shows sparse-yet-effective accent placement.
Basic Rhythmic Patterns
I dissect Ringo’s patterns into 4/4 components: steady hi‑hat 8ths, snare on 2 and 4, and bass‑drum syncopations that often hit on upbeat subdivisions. Practice 8‑bar loops at 80, 100, 120 BPM, isolate bass‑drum placement on the “&” of 2 or the “a” of 3, and record short takes to compare microtiming and groove integrity.
Dynamic Control and Expression
I shape grooves by varying stick height, using ghost notes, rim shots, and opening the hi‑hat for choruses-dynamics often shift from softer verses to fuller choruses in 2-8 bar swells. Use 4‑bar crescendo/decrescendo drills at 90 BPM and aim for consistent touch across pp to f ranges to keep the pocket intact while moving energy.
I also quantify dynamics during practice: play backbeat accents at full height (≈100% velocity) and ghost notes at roughly 30-40%, then mute the snare with your hand or tape for a tighter attack when needed. I schedule 15‑minute focus sessions-one on touch, one on placement-and compare waveform peaks in DAW to ensure your verse/chorus energy differs by about 3-6 dB, which translates the feel without overpowering the song.
Tips for Practicing Ringo’s Grooves
When I work on Ringo’s parts I focus on pocket, feel, and economy of motion: 15-25 minute focused blocks, metronome at 60, 80, 100 BPM, and playing along with original tracks like “Come Together” or “Drive My Car.” Isolate hi-hat timing and left-hand backbeats for 10 minutes each session, then combine them. Use slow-motion playbacks and loop 8-bar sections until you can play them perfectly three times in a row.
- Isolate fills and patterns for 10 minutes to internalize Ringo’s phrasing.
- Practice with a metronome and then with the original recording to match micro-timing.
- Work on ghost notes and dynamics using 4×4 exercises at 60-100 BPM.
- Assume that your priority is accuracy over speed, increasing tempo only when you can hold a pattern cleanly for 30 seconds.
Recommended Exercises
I recommend three focused drills: 1) 8-bar looped play-alongs of Beatles singles at 80-100 BPM for groove locking; 2) 10-minute ghost-note and snare-control sessions using paradiddle-based variations to mimic Ringo’s subtle accents; 3) timed endurance runs-two 5-minute straight-beat sets at 120 BPM to keep consistency under fatigue. I track tempo, sets, and mistakes so I know which element needs the next practice cycle.
Importance of Consistency
I practice daily even if it’s only 20 minutes because steady repetition builds micro-timing and feel; studies of habit formation show 66 days averages to solidify a new routine, and many drummers find 100-200 hours of focused play brings real stylistic fluency. I schedule short, frequent sessions rather than rare marathon practices to maintain groove memory and avoid sloppy technique.
To deepen that consistency I log every session with tempo, exercises, and errors, then review weekly to set concrete goals-add 5-10 BPM when a pattern is clean for 3 straight runs, record video once a week to assess posture and arm economy, and aim for cumulative weekly practice of 3-7 hours; this steady, measurable approach mirrors how I progressed through Ringo’s catalog over months, not days.
Factors Influencing Drum Sound
I consider tuning, head type, muffling, room, mic choice and my dynamic touch as the primary variables that shape a Ringo-like tone. Even a single hoop tension change or swapping a coated for a clear batter head will alter attack and overtones; dialing a bass drum from 20″ to 22″ changes presence in the mix. Perceiving how those elements interact in the song is what lets you dial in the signature warmth and clarity.
- Drum dimensions and shell material
- Head types and tension
- Muffling and dampening methods
- Room acoustics and mic placement
- Playing dynamics and stick choice
Drum Kit Setup
I set up around a compact four-piece: 20″ bass, 12″ rack, 16″ floor and a 14″x5″ snare, with tom angles shallow for easy wrist motion; that mirrors the Beatles-era ergonomics Ringo favored. I keep the snare relatively low (about 2-3″ below elbow) and the throne height so my thighs form a 90-100° angle, which stabilizes groove and economy of motion during long takes.
Choice of Sticks and Accessories
I tend to use 5A hickory sticks (.551″ × 16″) with a rounded tip for balanced attack on snare and cymbals; nylon tips brighten cymbal wash if needed. I also carry a pair of felt mallets for brushes or ballad work, and keep Moongel, a folded towel and gaffer tape on hand for quick control of overtones and sustain.
In practice I switch sticks depending on the track: 5A for most Beatles-style pop, 7A for softer brush-like articulation, and 5B when I need extra projection. I often reduce snare ring with one strip of gaffer or a small internal muffler, and place a thin felt inside the bass drum if I want Ringo’s focused thump without losing attack. You should test stick models-diameter, length and tip shape-on your kit to match the sonic target.
Incorporating Ringo’s Style into Your Playing
I take Ringo’s pocket-first approach and apply it directly: drop busy fills, place 2-bar tom statements at transitions (think “Ticket to Ride”), and use 8-bar phrasing to support vocals. Practice grooves at 60-120 bpm with a metronome, isolate ghost notes and syncopations, and leave 1-2 beats of silence before fills so your parts serve the song’s dynamics.
Adapting Grooves to Your Music
Translate Ringo’s 4/4 backbeat into swung eighths for ballads or tighten hi-hat 16ths for pop; move his tom-based fills into reserved 2-bar phrases for country or indie. I test grooves in 4-, 8-, and 16-bar templates, transpose fills into different subdivisions, and run them at 60, 80, 100, and 120 bpm to find what complements your arrangement.
Jamming with Others
When I play with a band I lock tightly with the bass-mirroring accents like Ringo does on “Come Together” (≈84 bpm)-so the groove breathes. I sit on the downbeat, keep snare on 2 and 4, and cue fills sparingly (typically a 1- or 2-bar fill every 8 bars), using dynamics to lift choruses while keeping verses spacious for the singer.
I also run targeted exercises: vamp for 4 bars with the bassist while muting fills, then add a single 2-bar tom fill and repeat; record at three tempos (80, 100, 120 bpm) and note where you crowd the pocket. In sessions I focus on landing cymbal and kick on the same subdivision and prefer adjusting touch and volume over increasing fill frequency.
Resources for Further Learning
For deeper study I use song transcriptions, technical articles, and targeted lessons; a standout is Ready, Set, Ringo: The Unique Sound of Ringo Starr – InSync, which dissects Ringo’s hi-hat timing and tom voicings with audio examples. Combine that with isolated stems and Beatles drum transcriptions to map fills and pocket across 4/4, 3/4, and 6/8 tunes.
Books and Online Courses
I recommend the Beatles Complete Scores and targeted online courses like Drumeo or Mike Johnston’s lessons to learn phrasing; the Beatles scores give notation for 40+ songs, while Drumeo offers technique and song-breakdown modules you can practice in 10-25 minute blocks to lock pocket and feel.
Videos and Tutorials from Experts
You should follow Drumeo’s YouTube channel and official masterclasses from pro session drummers; they provide multi-angle footage, slowed versions, and play-alongs that isolate Ringo-style patterns, often with notation overlays and tempo control to rehearse grooves at 50-80% speed.
I focus on videos that include isolated drum stems, split-channel mixes, or phrase-by-phrase breakdowns; when a tutorial shows Ringo’s licks at 50-70% tempo and supplies downloadable transcriptions, I schedule 15-25 minute practice slots to internalize pocket, economy of motion, and melodic tom placement.
Conclusion
With these considerations I encourage you to study Ringo’s touch, phrasing and economy; I practice his simple fills, feel and pocket to internalize swing and song-serving choices so your grooves sound musical and tasteful, and I advise steady practice, listening to originals and adapting his approach to develop your own reliable, expressive drumming voice.