This month’s transcription honors Primus and their “old” drummer Tim Alexander, with the Primus track “Eleven” from their album Sailing the Seas of Cheese. As the title implies, the song is based in an 11-beat groove. To make the rhythm easier to read and internalize, I’ve written it as alternating bars of 6/8 and 5/8. This breakdown helps simplify the counting and aligns with the phrasing the band is playing. The notation reflects this approach, with beams grouped to show the underlying subdivision—typically felt as 3+3 in the 6/8 bar and 3+2 in the 5/8 bar. Throughout the basic groove, the kick drum usually lands on beat one of each bar, while the snare hits beat four in both. This pattern reinforces the pulse Tim is feeling and playing. When learning the song, I recommend counting it as alternating bars of 6 (counted 1-2-3, 1-2-3) and 5 (counted 1-2-3, 1-2), rather than as […]

May 2025 Issue