Disturbed – Down With The Sickness

Down With The Sickness drum sheet music – a note-for-note transcription of Mike Wengren’s drum part on Disturbed’s “Down With The Sickness”, from the album The Sickness (2000). Every groove, fill and cymbal hit is written out from the original recording in a clean, print-ready PDF.

About the drum part

“Down With The Sickness” from Disturbed’s debut album The Sickness has one of the most recognisable drum intros in metal – the pounding snare and tom pattern that opens the song.

The intro repeats the snare and tom pattern with the bass drum, with endings for each pass. Then comes a section with sixteenth-note bass drum patterns under an eighth-note hi-hat. The verses use a sixteenth-note hi-hat groove with snare fills, the pre-chorus is marked “loose”, and the chorus and bridge use snare and tom unisons and open hi-hat accents.

What’s in the Down With The Sickness drum sheet music

This Down With The Sickness drum sheet music labels every section and uses a D.S. al Coda with “To Coda”, plus notes like “replace on D.S.” and “replace crash w/ open HH” for the changes between passes. Every bass drum pattern is written out.

Looking for Down With The Sickness drum tabs? This is full drum notation on a five-line staff, so it shows the exact rhythm of every note – something tabs can’t do.

Song facts

• Artist: Disturbed
• Album: The Sickness (2000)
• Drummer: Mike Wengren
• Tempo: ♩ = 90
• Time signature: 4/4
• Style: Nu metal
• Level: Intermediate to advanced

What you get

• The full song, transcribed note-for-note from the original recording
• Clearly labelled song sections
• Professionally engraved, print-ready PDF
• Instant download after purchase

How to practise Down With The Sickness on drums

Once you have the Down With The Sickness drum sheet music, here is a good way to learn it:

1. Learn the intro pattern. Play it slowly and keep the snare and toms even.
2. Practise the bass drum sixteenths. Keep them steady and relaxed under the hi-hat.
3. Follow the notes on repeats. The chart tells you what changes on the D.S. – read it before you play.
4. Play it heavy. At 90 bpm the groove should feel solid and powerful.

Reading tips for this chart

• Open and closed hi-hat are marked with a small “o” (open) and “+” (closed) above the note. The timing of the openings is part of the groove, so follow them closely.
• Road-map signs (segno, D.S., D.C., “To Coda”) tell you where to jump. Trace the order of sections with your finger before you play.
• First- and second-time endings show which bars to play on each pass of a repeat. Play the bracket marked “1.” the first time and skip to “2.” the next time.
• Repeat bars (the slash signs) mean “play the previous bar or bars again”. The small numbers above them count the bars so you do not lose your place.
• Section labels in boxes (such as I, V1, C1) name each part of the song – intro, verse, chorus and so on – so you can find your place quickly.

Who is it for?

This Down With The Sickness drum sheet music is for intermediate to advanced drummers who want to learn a nu-metal classic and improve their bass drum control.

More Disturbed drum sheet music

Browse the Disturbed drum sheet music page, or order a custom drum transcription of another song.

Frequently asked questions

Is this Down With The Sickness drum sheet music the full song?

Yes. It is the complete drum part, transcribed note-for-note from the original recording on The Sickness. Nothing is simplified.

Is it a drum tab or real notation?

It is real drum notation, the standard way drum parts are written. If you are used to tabs, it is worth the switch – notation shows rhythm exactly, which tabs can’t.

How do I get the PDF after I buy?

The download link appears straight after checkout and is also sent to your email. You can print the PDF or read it on a tablet.

Listen to the song on YouTube · Got any questions? Get in touch · Need another song? Custom drum transcriptions