John Bonham

A backbeat placed fractionally later than the click, giving a heavy, relaxed feel without dragging

Practise: Play a basic groove against a metronome, deliberately delaying the snare hit by a hair each pass

Comes out of: Stage 1 — Foundations — the lazy pocket

Heard in: Rock and Roll · Fool in the Rain · When the Levee Breaks

A swung hi-hat pattern with ghosted snare notes over a half-time backbeat, the Fool in the Rain groove

Practise: Loop the shuffle slowly, exaggerating the swing before pulling it back to a natural feel

Comes out of: Stage 2 — Core grooves — the half-time shuffle feel

Heard in: Fool in the Rain · When the Levee Breaks · Trampled Under Foot

A fast triplet kick figure played entirely with one pedal, driving the verse of Good Times Bad Times

Practise: Start slow with a triplet sticking sung out loud, then move it to the kick alone

Comes out of: Stage 1 — Foundations — the lazy pocket

Heard in: Good Times Bad Times · Rock and Roll · Trampled Under Foot

A descending fill across snare and toms grouped in triplets rather than straight 16ths

Practise: Play the fill as three-note groupings, counting 'trip-a-let' until it flows without counting

Comes out of: Stage 4 — Fills & transitions — triplet-based tom runs

Heard in: Good Times Bad Times · In My Time of Dying · Achilles Last Stand

Massive contrast between a near-silent verse and a full-force chorus, felt rather than counted

Practise: Play the same groove at three volumes back to back, then apply the jump inside one song

Comes out of: Stage 1 — Foundations — the lazy pocket

Heard in: Rock and Roll · Fool in the Rain · When the Levee Breaks

A slow, massive half-time groove with a deep, roomy kick and a wide-open snare backbeat

Practise: Play the groove with heavy dynamics and deliberately loose timing on the hi-hat

Comes out of: Stage 1 — Foundations — the lazy pocket

Heard in: Rock and Roll · Fool in the Rain · When the Levee Breaks

A deliberately behind-the-beat groove that locks with the riff's odd internal phrasing

Practise: Loop the groove for several minutes without variation until the pocket feels automatic

Comes out of: Stage 1 — Foundations — the lazy pocket

Heard in: When the Levee Breaks · Kashmir · Trampled Under Foot

Extended single-stroke rolls, triplet phrases and single-kick features built for a solo spot

Practise: String together short phrases you already know, leaving space between each idea

Comes out of: Stage 3 — Signature techniques — single-pedal footwork

Heard in: Good Times Bad Times · Rock and Roll · Trampled Under Foot

A tight, syncopated hi-hat pattern borrowed from funk, layered over a driving rock groove

Practise: Isolate the hi-hat pattern alone first, then add the snare and kick underneath

Comes out of: Stage 2 — Core grooves — the half-time shuffle feel

Heard in: Fool in the Rain · Kashmir · Trampled Under Foot

A relentless straight-eighth groove with a busy, powerful single-kick pattern underneath

Practise: Play the groove for two minutes straight without any fills to build the drive and endurance

Comes out of: Stage 1 — Foundations — the lazy pocket

Heard in: Good Times Bad Times · Rock and Roll · Trampled Under Foot