Start Me Up
The Rolling Stones · 1981
Watts's trick of lifting the hi-hat off the backbeat is a foundational feel to learn.
- Artist
- The Rolling Stones
- Year
- 1981
- Genre
- classic rock
- Drummer
- Charlie Watts
- Tempo
- 126 bpm
- Time
- 4/4
- Feel
- open rock swing
- Difficulty
- beginner
Drummer's Quick-Start
Practice tempos
Woodshed
76bpm
Building
100bpm
Target
126bpm
The feel
A open rock swing in 4/4 around 126 BPM. It moves — stay relaxed in the hands so you don't tense up and rush.
What to watch
- •Lock the shuffle triplet; the #1 mistake is letting it straighten out as you speed up.
How to learn it
Well-known tutorials exist for this one — use the links below, and play along from your own copy.
Generated from this song's groove profile — analysis only, no notation. A human-reviewed AI brief with a full groove breakdown, key moments and song map replaces this as briefs roll out.
Learn it
Find drum tutorials on YouTube ↗iDrum links to where lessons already live — we don't host recordings or publish transcriptions. Play along from your own music.
Discussion
Set your name to start a discussion about this song.