Beatbay guide
Techno drum pattern
A techno beat is a kick on every beat at about 125 to 140 BPM, open hats between the kicks, sixteenth-note closed hats and a short rim or percussion pattern that turns over and over against the four-to-the-floor.
The pattern
Like house, the kick is on every beat, but techno leans on the percussion: the rim plays a pattern that doesn’t line up neatly with the beat, so the loop keeps turning. A clap appears only once a bar.
| Drum | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Punch kick | X | · | · | · | X | · | · | · | X | · | · | · | X | · | · | · |
| Big clap | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | x | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
| Tight hat | x | x | · | x | x | x | · | x | x | x | · | x | x | x | · | x |
| Bright open hat | · | · | x | · | · | · | x | · | · | · | x | · | · | · | x | · |
| Rim | · | · | · | 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
Straight and driving, little or no swing. Techno uses repetition: small changes over a long loop. A squelchy bass line on the off-beats is the other classic ingredient.
The beat above is Beatbay’s “Techno” starter: 130 BPM, straight. Tap any step to change it while it plays.
Make it your own
Give the rim row its own length, five or seven steps against sixteen, so it drifts against the kick: Beatbay Pro sets any row’s length. Pull the sweep down slowly for a build, then let it go.
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 BPM is techno?
Usually 125 to 140 BPM; harder styles go faster.
How is techno different from house?
Both use four on the floor, but techno is usually faster, darker and more about repetition and percussion than soulful chords and vocals.