Detroit techno drum pattern
Swung more than other techno (55-60%, or the 909 shuffle); soulful and machine-funky, with syncopation and polyrhythm over the four-on-the-floor. Here are its drums on a step grid, at the tempo it starts at, to hear and to change.
125 BPM · 909 kit · 1 bar · 57% 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
| Drum | Steps |
|---|---|
| Open hat | 3, 7, 11, 15 |
| Closed hat | 2 (soft), 4, 6 (soft), 8, 10 (soft), 12, 14 (soft), 16 |
| Clap | 5, 13 |
| Kick | 1, 5, 9, 13 |
They open as one drum lane on a step grid, at 125 BPM. No account needed to start.
How Detroit techno drums go
TR-909: kick on every beat at high accent, clap on 2 and 4, open hat on every and, closed hats on the e (low accent) and the a (high accent); Motor City adds a snare on the a of 3, 4 and the a of 4, and rimshots that never land with a kick; Underground Resistance breaks the kick electro-style on an 808.
Questions about Detroit techno drums
What BPM is Detroit techno?
Usually 118 to 138 BPM. This pattern plays at 125 BPM.
How do you make a Detroit techno drum pattern?
Start with the kick on steps 1, 5, 9 and 13, the clap on steps 5 and 13, the closed hi-hat on steps 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14 and 16 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 Detroit techno drums swing?
Yes, about 57% 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.
More techno drum patterns
Make a Detroit techno beat
The free editor opens with a whole Detroit techno beat: drums, bass and chords, each part yours to change, add to or take away.
Keep going
More music tools
Chord progression generator
Pick a mood and key, hear the chords as a beat, then build on them.
Find your chordsChord progressions
Common progressions in every key: hear one as a beat, then use it.
Browse progressionsMelody generator
Hear a new melody, download its MIDI or open it in the editor.
Make a melodyBPM and key finder
Estimate the tempo and musical key of an audio file in your browser.
Check a trackPiano chords
See how piano chords are built and hear them on a keyboard.
Learn a chordChords, melodies, tempo, keys, names and the editor, all in one place.
All music tools