Van Halen · 1984 · drums by Alex Van Halen
Panama
From 1984. Intermediate · Straight · rock
Tempo
142BPM
- Time signature
- 4/4
- Feel
- Straight
- Tempo band
- 120–150
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
"Work up to it" opens the tempo trainer at 112 and climbs to 142 in steps of four every eight bars. Members get the climb; everyone gets the click.
What the drums do
Straight eighths with the kick under the riff's pushes, and the breakdown where the drums drop to the hi-hat for the car-engine section before crashing back in. The fills are fast single strokes round the toms.
Intermediate: Needs independence, a feel, or fills you have to learn.
Alex Van Halen
- Read the Alex Van Halen feature →Who they are, how they play, and what to listen to next.
- Alex Van Halen's drum rig in the Rig Vault →The kit, snare, cymbals and hardware, era by era — look for the 1984 setup.
- Log the sessionNote the BPM you got it clean at, and next time starts from there.
More Alex Van Halen songs
Songs at about 142 BPM
Practise these together: one click, several songs.