“House on Fire” by Mimi Webb
Today we’re checking out another fun pop tune, “House on Fire” by Mimi Webb. Like most of these vocal-driven pop tracks, the drums are very minimal in the recording and usually consist of simple, programmed grooves on a loop. This leaves lots of room for embellishments and a more interesting drum chart. Check out the interactive transcriptions from Soundslice!
A few of my favorite parts…
1. Main Verse Groove
The song starts with a straightforward hi-hat-driven groove. The kick pattern consists of a 2-bar pattern that repeats, and I went with a 16th note tom fill to get us into the 2nd half of the verse. Listen to the bass and synth for these rhythms!
2. Verse 2 Linear Groove
Coming out of the chorus you get a 2 bar break until all in, which perfectly sets the tone that something big is about to come. I think most 2nd verses should differentiate from the 1st verse in some way., so in this case, I chose to really accentuate the kick/bass syncopation by utilizing a fun linear pattern between the hats, snare, and toms. All while building energy in that closing “chop” 16th note fill!
3. Outro
For the reprise/outro, the kick pattern is following the synth lead, while the ride bell is providing that quarter note energy. It’s important to maintain that energy all the way through the last hi-hat accent on the & of 4!