Are you ready to learn an amazingly fun song by the King of Pop; Michael Jackson? “Rock With You” is a fantastic song that will take your groove playing to a higher level. It is from his 1979 album Off The Wall and features John “J.R.” Robinson, one of the most legendary session drummers of all time!

The song begins with an iconic drum fill that is so recognizable, that non-drummers instantly know the song when they hear it. If you learn just one thing from this song it would have to be that drum fill. We’ll start with that. I’ll break it down for you and we can practice it together.

The rest of this song is all about the groove. We will have to play 1/8th note, 1/16th note and off-beat rhythms on the high hats. Fortunately the kick snare patterns are relatively simple so this song will be mostly about the Hi-Hats. We will practice one section at a time and once you learn the parts, you can put the pieces together and enjoy playing Rock With You along to the music.

 

Download the PDF: “Rock With You” – Michael Jackson

The PDF is the complete notation for “Rock With You” by Michael Jackson. Since we are having a close look at all the nuances and details, it is a few pages long. You can learn it by ear very easily, but if you feel like working on your reading skills, follow the chart. There is also a helper sheet with exercises to help you practice the various parts.

 

Watch Michael Jackson perform “Rock With You” Live

Click the link to watch Michael Jackson perform “Rock With You” live at Wembley Stadium in 1988. It’s a fantastic example of Michael Jackson as both a singer and dancer. John Jr Robinson recorded on the record but did not tour with Michael Jackson. He is known primarily as a studio drummer and has recorded on thousands of records.. Watch it now!