Beatbay guide
Reggaeton beat (the dembow)
Reggaeton is built on the dembow rhythm: a kick on every beat and a snare that answers it three-three-two, landing just before beat 2, on the “and” of 2, just before beat 4 and on the “and” of 4, at about 90 to 100 BPM.
The pattern
Count each beat as four sixteenths. The kick plays the first of every four. The snare plays the fourth and seventh sixteenths of each half bar, a 3 + 3 + 2 grouping that gives the rhythm its push and pull.
| 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.
Tempo and feel
Keep it straight: no swing. Tempos sit around 90 to 100 BPM. The snare is usually bright and short, and the hats steady in eighths.
The beat above is Beatbay’s “Reggaeton” starter: 95 BPM, straight. Tap any step to change it while it plays.
Make it your own
Add a shaker or percussion in sixteenths, or a tom on the last sixteenth before a change. With Pro, a two-chord loop on the chords track (the minor one and the sixth) is a classic start.
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 dembow?
The drum rhythm under reggaeton: a steady kick and a snare in a three-three-two pattern.
What BPM is reggaeton?
Usually 90 to 100 BPM.