Beatbay guide
Drum patterns for beginners: the five grooves
Almost every beat starts from one of five grooves: the backbeat (snare on 2 and 4), four on the floor (a kick on every beat), half-time (the snare on 3), the shuffle (swung eighths) and the dembow (a three-three-two snare). Each one is below, playable on the page.
Steps, beats and bars
A bar of 4/4 has four beats; a step sequencer splits each beat into four sixteenth-note steps, so a bar is sixteen steps. Steps 1, 5, 9 and 13 are the beats. The tempo, in BPM, is how many beats a minute.
The backbeat
Kick on beats 1 and 3, snare on 2 and 4, hi-hats on every eighth note. It is the backbone of pop, rock, hip hop and most of what you hear.
| Drum | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boom kick | X | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | X | · | x | · | · | · | · | · |
| Snappy snare | · | · | · | · | X | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | X | · | · | · |
| Closed hat | X | · | x | · | X | · | x | · | X | · | x | · | X | · | · | · |
| Open hat | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | 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.
Four on the floor
A kick on all four beats, a clap on 2 and 4 and an open hi-hat between the kicks: the engine of house, disco and techno.
| Drum | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Punch kick | X | · | · | · | X | · | · | · | X | · | · | · | X | · | · | · |
| Big clap | · | · | · | · | X | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | X | · | · | · |
| Tight hat | x | · | · | · | x | · | · | · | x | · | · | · | x | · | · | · |
| Bright open hat | · | · | X | · | · | · | X | · | · | · | X | · | · | · | X | · |
| Shaker | · | 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.
Half-time
Move the snare to beat 3 and the same tempo feels half as fast and twice as heavy. Trap and many choruses use it.
| Drum | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boom kick | X | · | · | · | · | · | · | x | · | x | · | · | · | · | · | · |
| Snappy snare | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | X | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
| Closed hat | x | · | x | · | x | · | x | · | x | · | x | · | x | · | · | · |
| Open hat | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | 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.
The shuffle
Swing the eighth notes so every off-beat lands late, in the gap of a triplet. It is the bounce of blues, swing and old rock and roll. In Beatbay, set swing to about 66% on eighths.
| Drum | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thick kick | X | · | · | · | · | · | x | · | X | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
| Crack snare | · | · | · | · | X | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | X | · | · | · |
| Dusty hat | 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.
The dembow
A steady kick on every beat and a snare grouped three-three-two across it: the rhythm under reggaeton.
| Drum | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boom kick | X | · | · | · | X | · | · | · | X | · | · | · | X | · | · | · |
| Snappy snare | · | · | · | x | · | · | x | · | · | · | · | x | · | · | x | · |
| Closed hat | 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.
Questions
What drum pattern should a beginner learn first?
The backbeat: kick on 1 and 3, snare on 2 and 4, hats in eighths. Most other beats are changes to it.
What does 4/4 mean?
Four beats in each bar, each a quarter note. Most popular music is in 4/4.