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Dancehall drum pattern

Bouncy 3-3-2 (dotted-eighth, dotted-eighth, eighth) pulse; the snare carries as much weight as the kick. Here are its drums on a step grid, at the tempo it starts at, to hear and to change.

96 BPM · 808 kit · 1 bar

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 dancehall drum pattern: the steps each drum plays
DrumSteps
Closed hat1 (soft), 3, 5 (soft), 7, 9 (soft), 11, 13 (soft), 15
Snare5, 7, 13, 15
Rim4 (soft), 11 (soft)
Kick1, 4, 9, 12
Open these drums in the editor

They open as one drum lane on a step grid, at 96 BPM. No account needed to start.

How dancehall drums go

The kick on 1, the a of 1, 3 and the a of 3; the snare on 2 and 4 with extra hits in the 3-3-2 answer; rims and eighth hats.

Questions about dancehall drums

What BPM is dancehall?

Usually 90 to 105 BPM. This pattern plays at 96 BPM.

How do you make a dancehall drum pattern?

Start with the kick on steps 1, 4, 9 and 12, the snare on steps 5, 7, 13 and 15, the rim on steps 4 and 11 and the closed hi-hat on steps 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13 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 dancehall drums swing?

No: every hit lands straight on the grid. The editor’s Steps view can add swing if you want the groove to bounce.

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Make a dancehall beat

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

Make a dancehall beatAll drum patterns

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