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Afro house drum pattern

Hypnotic four on the floor with heavy percussive swing. Here are its drums on a step grid, at the tempo it starts at, to hear and to change.

122 BPM · Afro kit · 1 bar · 56% swing

The pattern, step by step

Each step is a sixteenth note, four to a beat: step 1 is beat 1, 5 is beat 2, 9 is beat 3 and 13 is beat 4. A lit square is a hit; a fainter one is played softer.

  • Hit
  • Softer hit
The afro house drum pattern: the steps each drum plays
DrumSteps
Open hat3 (soft), 7 (soft), 11 (soft), 15 (soft)
Shaker1 (soft), 2 (soft), 3 (soft), 4 (soft), 5 (soft), 6 (soft), 7 (soft), 8 (soft), 9 (soft), 10 (soft), 11 (soft), 12 (soft), 13 (soft), 14 (soft), 15 (soft), 16 (soft)
Clap5, 13
Conga3, 6, 11, 14
Kick1, 5, 9, 13
Open these drums in the editor

They open as one drum lane on a step grid, at 122 BPM. No account needed to start.

How afro house drums go

A four-on-the-floor kick, clap on 2 and 4, congas, bongos and djembes on the off-sixteenths, shakers, open hats on the off-beats.

Questions about afro house drums

What BPM is afro house?

Usually 118 to 124 BPM. This pattern plays at 122 BPM.

How do you make a afro house drum pattern?

Start with the kick on steps 1, 5, 9 and 13, the clap on steps 5 and 13, the conga on steps 3, 6, 11 and 14, the shaker on every step and the open hi-hat on steps 3, 7, 11 and 15. Each step is a sixteenth note, four to a beat: step 1 is beat 1, 5 is beat 2, 9 is beat 3 and 13 is beat 4. Open it in the free editor to change any step.

Do afro house drums swing?

Yes, about 56% swing: every second step comes a little late, so the groove bounces. The editor plays it that way, and its Steps view can change it.

Make a afro house beat

The free editor opens with a whole afro house beat: drums, bass and chords, each part yours to change, add to or take away.