# What is this drumming beat/style called? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 13, 2007, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-drumming-beat-style-called/422617 "2007-10-13T22:21:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2007, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-drumming-beat-style-called/422617/1 "2007-10-13T22:21:45Z")
Fourth from the bottom on this page: [http://www.okgo.net/video.asp](http://www.okgo.net/video.asp) Is OK Go’s song “Don’t Ask Me”. Ignore the gyrating women for a moment and please tell me what, if any is the name of this particular style of drumbeat/rhythm? ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2007, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-drumming-beat-style-called/422617/2 "2007-10-13T22:28:23Z")
[QUOTE=Mangetout] Ignore the gyrating women for a moment … [/quote] Unh, sure…what was the question? Oh…IANADrummer, just a musician, but I’d say it was a fast, basic shuffle with a strong backbeat (on 2 & 4). A shuffle typically divides the main beat into triplets and accents 1 & 3 of each triplet, with 3 being a little less accented, sort of a pickup to the next 1. Is that what you are asking? (A drummer might have a more specific name, so don’t stop with me.) ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2007, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-drumming-beat-style-called/422617/3 "2007-10-13T22:57:38Z")
[QUOTE=Musicat] Unh, sure…what was the question? [/quote] Heh. You should see it on DVD - too many dropped frames on the online versions. > [@](#): > > Oh…IANADrummer, just a musician, but I’d say it was a fast, basic shuffle with a strong backbeat (on 2 & 4). A shuffle typically divides the main beat into triplets and accents 1 & 3 of each triplet, with 3 being a little less accented, sort of a pickup to the next 1. > > Is that what you are asking? I think so… I’m not really sure - maybe I’m just talking about the musical style of this song as a whole. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2007, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-drumming-beat-style-called/422617/4 "2007-10-14T00:31:58Z")
Sounds similar to the African-inspired “Burundi beat” that was trendy for a few minutes in the late '70s/early '80s…see Adam & the Ants or Bow Wow Wow. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2007, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-drumming-beat-style-called/422617/5 "2007-10-14T03:06:51Z")
I agree with Musicat - to me, it’s a shuffle. For what it is worth, it has the same basic shuffle beat as SRV’s Pride & Joy. A-one-and-a-two-and-a-three-and-a-four… Overall - the genre of song? Hmmm, not sure. I am inclined to lump it, as did Biffy, with songs like Adam and the Ants, or Bow Wow Wow - which ultimately comes down to a variant of a shuffle - the Bo Diddly beat, a beat exemplified by, well, Bo Diddly, but also by American Girl by Tom Petty, I Want Candy by Bow Wow Wow, or Who Do you Love by George Thorogood. Bomp a Bomp a Bomp - Bomp Bomp. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2007, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-drumming-beat-style-called/422617/6 "2007-10-14T14:22:42Z")
Sounds very much like a shuffle to me, as well.