How to play the Fool in the Rain Drum Beat

Here we’re learning the Fool in the Rain drum beat

Here we are learning Led Zeppelin’s Fool in the Rain drum beat.  It’s a classic beat created and performed by John Bonham and the song was released on the 1979 Led Zeppelin album In Through the Out Door.

The groove here is a half time shuffle so it is based on the triplet subdivision. Shuffles are swung rhythms. Other famous half time shuffles include Toto’s Rosanna and Steely Dan’s Home at Last. These all have slight variations whether it’s the bass drum pattern or hi-hat openings.

In the Fool in the rain drum beat John Bonham uses a specific bass drum pattern and also adds open hi-hats which reinforce the rhythm of the other band members. With a quick internet search you can find Bonham’s drum recording isolated if you want to hear it separately to the song – definitely worth a listen!

John Bonham was a powerhouse who really drove the sound of Led Zeppelin and this is evident in Fool in the Rain.

If you want to learn how to play the Fool in the Rain drum beat watch the video below then scroll down to access the lesson. It provides full video instruction and sheet music.

Another classic half time shuffle is Toto’s Rosanna drum beat so check that out too if you want to learn how to play it.