Dominican dembow drum pattern
Fast, relentless and repetitive; call-and-response chant energy. Here are its drums on a step grid, at the tempo it starts at, to hear and to change.
125 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
| Drum | Steps |
|---|---|
| Closed hat | 2 (soft), 3, 4 (soft), 6 (soft), 7, 8 (soft), 10 (soft), 11, 12 (soft), 14 (soft), 15, 16 (soft) |
| Clap | 5, 13 |
| Snare | 4, 7, 12, 15 |
| Rim | 1, 3 (soft), 5, 7 (soft), 9, 11 (soft), 13, 15 (soft) |
| Kick | 1, 5, 9, 13 |
They open as one drum lane on a step grid, at 125 BPM. No account needed to start.
How Dominican dembow drums go
The dembow rhythm at speed: a kick on every beat, the snare on the a of 1 and the and of 2 in each half bar, hats and rims on the off-beats, sparse production.
Questions about Dominican dembow drums
What BPM is Dominican dembow?
Usually 115 to 135 BPM. This pattern plays at 125 BPM.
How do you make a Dominican dembow drum pattern?
Start with the kick on steps 1, 5, 9 and 13, the snare on steps 4, 7, 12 and 15, the clap on steps 5 and 13, the rim on steps 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13 and 15 and the closed hi-hat on steps 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15 and 16. 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 Dominican dembow 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 Dominican dembow beat
The free editor opens with a whole Dominican dembow beat: drums, bass and chords, each part yours to change, add to or take away.
Keep going
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