Beatbay guide
Bossa nova rhythm
The bossa nova rhythm is a soft kick in a heartbeat pattern (the one and the “and” before each beat), a cross-stick or rim playing the bossa clave over two bars, and a steady shaker or hi-hat in eighths.
The pattern
Over two bars, the rim plays the clave: three hits, then two, slightly off the beat. The kick repeats a gentle dotted figure, and the shaker keeps time underneath.
| Drum | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low drum | X | · | · | x | X | · | · | x | X | · | · | x | X | · | · | x | X | · | · | x | X | · | · | x | X | · | · | x | X | · | · | x |
| Shaker | x | · | x | · | x | · | x | · | x | · | x | · | x | · | x | · | x | · | x | · | x | · | x | · | x | · | x | · | x | · | x | · |
| Clave | X | · | · | X | · | · | X | · | · | · | X | · | · | X | · | · | · | · | X | · | · | X | · | · | · | X | · | · | X | · | · | · |
Read across: each column is a sixteenth note, numbered on the beats. X is an accent, x a hit, r a quick roll, ? a hit that plays only some of the time round.
Tempo and feel
Light and relaxed, usually played quietly at about 120 to 140 BPM, counted in two.
The beat above is Beatbay’s “Bossa nova” starter: 136 BPM, straight. Tap any step to change it while it plays.
Make it your own
Beatbay’s Latin percussion kit (Pro) has the clave and shaker; the chords track with the Keys sound adds the gentle harmony.
When you like it, “Open in Beatbay” takes your version into the app, where you can save it, add patterns and share it as a link, a video or a WAV.
Questions
What is the bossa nova clave?
A two-bar pattern of five hits, usually played on the rim, that the whole groove is built around.