Black Sabbath · 1970 · drums by Bill Ward
War Pigs
From Paranoid. Intermediate · Swing · metal
Tempo
91BPM
- Time signature
- 4/4
- Feel
- Swing
- Tempo band
- 90–120
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
The main verse tempo; the song speeds up through its sections.
"Work up to it" opens the tempo trainer at 61 and climbs to 91 in steps of four every eight bars. Members get the climb; everyone gets the click.
What the drums do
Air-raid sirens, then a swung, almost jazzy groove with the hi-hat doing the work — "generals gathered in their masses" is played with the kind of swing no other metal drummer had. The tempo steps up for the guitar solo and again for the outro.
Intermediate: Needs independence, a feel, or fills you have to learn.
Bill Ward
- Read the Bill Ward feature →Who they are, how they play, and what to listen to next.
- Bill Ward's drum rig in the Rig Vault →The kit, snare, cymbals and hardware, era by era — look for the 1970 setup.
- Log the sessionNote the BPM you got it clean at, and next time starts from there.
More Bill Ward songs
Songs at about 91 BPM
Practise these together: one click, several songs.