Beatbay guide
Drum and bass pattern
The basic drum and bass beat, the “two-step”, is a kick on the one and on the off-beat after beat 3, with the snare on beats 2 and 4, at about 160 to 180 BPM, under a deep bass line.
The pattern
Only two kicks a bar, the second late and syncopated, and a hard snare on the backbeat. Hats or shakers run in eighths or sixteenths to keep the speed up.
| Drum | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Punch kick | X | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | X | · | · | · | · | · |
| Snare | · | · | · | · | X | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | X | · | · | · |
| Tight hat | x | · | x | · | x | · | x | · | x | · | x | · | x | · | x | · |
| Bright open hat | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | x | · | · | · | · | · |
| Shaker | · | ? | · | ? | · | ? | · | ? | · | ? | · | ? | · | ? | · | ? |
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
Fast, around 170 BPM, but with space so the bass can fill it. Snares are bright and loud; kicks short.
The beat above is Beatbay’s “Drum and bass” starter: 172 BPM, straight. Tap any step to change it while it plays.
Make it your own
Add ghost notes on the snare with chance, a quick roll on the last hat, and with Pro a sub bass held under the bar. Try the Club and Electro kits for a sharper sound.
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 tempo is drum and bass?
Usually 160 to 180 BPM, with 170 to 174 most common.