Rebel Rebel
Drum Sheet Music

Practice David Bowie on Drums

Intermediate

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Two versions of the drum sheet - choose the one that fits your level and goals.

ORIGINAL VERSION

Difficulty Level:

Intermediate

Exactly as played on the original recording
All fills & ghost notes
Full arrangement

Purchase for only 1.90$

SIMPLIFIED VERSION

Difficulty Level:

Easy to Intermediate

Easier to learn
Simplified fills
Reduced ghost notes
Perfect for beginners & intermediates

Purchase for only 1.90$

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We recommend starting with the Simplified Version and moving to the Original Version once you're comfortable with the groove and structure.

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Drumming Techniques You'll Learn in Rebel Rebel

Straight-Eight Groove Stamina
Wrist Subdivision Articulation Control
Sectional Transition Timing Accuracy
Solid Bass Drum Alignment
Rhythmic Restraint and Spacing

Recommended For

This drum sheet is recommended for intermediate rock drummers looking to strengthen straight-eight groove consistency, physical wrist stamina, and overall pocket control. It is valuable for players interested in glam-rock styles who want to support an energetic arrangement with absolute technical precision, unwavering confidence, and clean structural transition timing.

Learn to play Rebel Rebel on drums

Play Rebel Rebel drum cover with our interactive drum sheet and synchronized video player. Follow every driving beat in real time as the synchronized drum notation moves seamlessly with the music. Use tempo control to break down Aynsley Dunbar’s steady eighth-note subdivisions, select specific looping sections to master the precise transition bars, and activate isolated drums to hear the exact definition of the snare backbeat. Learning this track helps you develop rock-solid straight-ahead rock endurance and precise groove discipline. Our advanced learning tools make analyzing this interactive drum sheet faster and far more effective than a flat chart. Grab your sticks and master this definitive glam-rock pulse today!

Song information

Artist: David Bowie

Drummer: Aynsley Dunbar

Album: Diamond Dogs

Released: 1974

Sheet Music Details

Length

2 pages of highly readable, clean drum score layouts.

Tempo

120-129

Time Signature

4/4

Key features

This complete drum transcription features a driving straight-eight glam-rock pocket, continuous high-velocity hi-hat subdivisions, minimalist fill transitions, and a heavy snare backbeat that heavily tests physical wrist stamina and temporal consistency.

Song's Overview

Released in 1974 on David Bowie's album Diamond Dogs, Rebel Rebel stands as a pivotal moment in glam rock history, serving as Bowie’s farewell to the genre before exploring soul and funk. Built around one of rock’s most identifiable, looping guitar riffs, the track relies on an unyielding, straightforward rhythm section to drive its raw, dirty street energy forward. For musicians who want to learn rebel rebel on drums, the track offers a masterclass in musical restraint and time-keeping precision. Aynsley Dunbar's drumming deliberately rejects intricate patterns or flashy flourishes, choosing instead to support the central melodic riff with a relentless, driving pocket. Looking at a precise rebel rebel drum sheet reveals a groove consisting of a rock-solid straight-eight hi-hat pulse, punchy bass drum notes, and a piercing snare backbeat. Perfecting an authentic rebel rebel drum cover requires intense focus on dynamic volume stability, as any micro-timing rushing or dragging can break the hypnotic momentum of the underlying chord changes. Decades after its recording, this performance demonstrates how minimalist discipline can carry a major arrangement with complete authority, making a detailed drum sheet an essential tool for any player looking to refine foundational rock endurance.

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About the Drummer

Aynsley Dunbar is a world-renowned session drummer who has worked with David Bowie, Frank Zappa, Journey, and Jefferson Starship. He is acclaimed for his ability to play many styles, including jazz, blues, fusion, and progressive rock. His career includes over 30 gold and platinum records.

Drumming Style

His style is powerful and versatile, often incorporating high-impact solos and early use of double-kick drums. Playing drums like Aynsley requires exceptional technical skill and the ability to adapt to any genre. His diverse tracks are excellent for challenging drum covers and advanced drum lessons.

Practice Advice

Lock the Steady Tempo

The track runs at an upbeat 126 BPM, requiring pristine temporal consistency. Use tempo control to lower the speed to 95 BPM initially. Focus on aligning your kick and snare perfectly with the metronome click to establish a clean rhythmic foundation before building up speed.

Loop the Pre-Chorus Lifts

The transitions into the chorus sections feature subtle phrasing adjustments on the cymbals. Isolate and loop these specific measures using our playback features to repeat the patterns seamlessly, ensuring your limb changes feel completely automatic without altering your underlying time-keeping grid.

Avoid Rushing the Backbeat

A frequent mistake when playing straight-ahead rock patterns is letting the snare drift ahead of the beat. Keep your upper body loose and let your stick strokes fall naturally on beats two and four to maintain a deep, relaxed pocket that grounds the driving guitars.

Maintain Unwavering Groove Consistency

Anchor the track’s relentless momentum by locking your bass drum quarter notes directly with the pulsing bassline. Practice with a metronome, ensuring your physical foot velocity remains uniform across each bar to prevent the upbeat groove from feeling frantic.

Master Wrist Subdivision Stamina

The primary technical hurdle is sustaining continuous eighth-note subdivisions on the hi-hat over an extended period. Practice using small, controlled wrist movements rather than full arm strokes to prevent forearm fatigue, keeping your cymbal texture crisp and clear from intro to outro.

Learning Roadmap

Phase 1: Secure the Straight-Eight Foundation

Isolate the primary verse groove on closed hi-hats. Focus on keeping a steady eighth-note pulse with your dominant hand while aligning your basic kick and snare hits cleanly underneath the main guitar loop at a relaxed pace to build foundational coordination.

Phase 2: Transition into Wide Open Choruses

Practice the high-energy shifts where the groove expands into the chorus sections. Work on controlling your left-foot pedal pressure to introduce open hi-hat washes or crash-cymbal transitions smoothly without altering your underlying temporal grid or rushing the snare drum backbeats.

Phase 3: Execute Precise Sectional Breaks

Analyze the subtle structural pauses and brief fills scattered between the vocal lines. Use targeted loops to practice entering and exiting these transitions cleanly, ensuring you hit the following downbeats with absolute precision and authoritative crash cymbal punctuation.

Phase 4: Perform Full Arrangement Endurance

Combine all distinct phases and perform along with the complete track. Maintain complete focus on physical forearm relaxation, steady breathing patterns, and uniform dynamic volume control from the opening guitar riff to the final fading bars of the arrangement.

FAQ

Is Rebel Rebel suitable for beginners?

It’s more suited for beginners with some experience. Using features like tempo control and looping can help you learn it at your own pace.

Can I learn Rebel Rebel if I’m not very confident reading drum notation?

Yes — our interactive player makes it much easier. You can watch, listen, slow things down, and gradually get familiar with the notation as you play.

Do I need a full drum kit to play Rebel Rebel?

No — you don’t need a full drum kit to play Rebel Rebel. A basic setup (kick, snare, hi-hat) is enough to get started.

How will learning Rebel Rebel improve my drumming skills?

Rebel Rebel helps you develop a solid sense of groove and consistency. You’ll practice staying locked in with the beat while maintaining control over your dynamics.

What skills do I need before learning Rebel Rebel?

Before learning Rebel Rebel, it helps to be comfortable with basic grooves, simple fills, and maintaining steady timing.