Fela afrobeat drum pattern
A live band in a long hypnotic vamp, 1970s Lagos. Here are its drums on a step grid, at the tempo it starts at, to hear and to change.
112 BPM · Live kit · 2 bars · 53% 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 | Bar 1 | Bar 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Open hat | 8, 14 | 8, 14 |
| Closed hat | 1, 2 (soft), 3, 4 (soft), 5, 6 (soft), 7, 9, 10 (soft), 11, 12 (soft), 13, 15, 16 (soft) | 1, 2 (soft), 3, 4 (soft), 5, 6 (soft), 7, 9, 10 (soft), 11, 12 (soft), 13, 15, 16 (soft) |
| Snare | 5, 8 (soft), 10 (soft), 12 (soft), 13, 16 (soft) | 5, 8 (soft), 10 (soft), 12 (soft), 13, 16 (soft) |
| Kick | 1, 3, 7, 11, 14 | 1, 3, 7, 11, 14 |
They open as one drum lane on a step grid, at 112 BPM. No account needed to start.
How Fela afrobeat drums go
A live kit: syncopated kick, busy hi-hat with open accents, ghosted snare and backbeat, interlocking shekere and congas.
Questions about Fela afrobeat drums
What BPM is Fela afrobeat?
Usually 100 to 130 BPM. This pattern plays at 112 BPM.
How do you make a Fela afrobeat drum pattern?
Start with the kick on steps 1, 3, 7, 11 and 14, the snare on steps 5, 8, 10, 12, 13 and 16, the closed hi-hat on steps 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15 and 16 and the open hi-hat on steps 8 and 14. 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 Fela afrobeat drums swing?
Yes, about 53% 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 Fela afrobeat beat
The free editor opens with a whole Fela afrobeat beat: drums, bass and chords, each part yours to change, add to or take away.
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