“At certain points in music history it became fashionable to place accents on certain beats”: How to score a drum part

Overhead shot of electronic drum set plugged into a laptop running a VST.

DRUMS WEEK 2025: Drums are often unfairly considered to be the poor cousin of the band. Cue the joke, ‘what do you call a person who hangs around with musicians? A drummer!’

But drummers have had the last laugh for quite a number of years. With the advent of drum machines and electronic kits, many sensible beatmakers, took to programming the machines and loops themselves. Why? Because they were the people that understood how patterns and grooves really worked, and that's long before we get into the topic of drum fills.