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Gqom drum pattern

Dark, raw and repetitive; broken kicks in threes with lots of negative space. Here are its drums on a step grid, at the tempo it starts at, to hear and to change.

124 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 gqom drum pattern: the steps each drum plays
DrumSteps
Closed hat3 (soft), 11 (soft)
Clap13
Rim10, 14, 15
Kick1, 4, 7, 12
Open these drums in the editor

They open as one drum lane on a step grid, at 124 BPM. No account needed to start.

How gqom drums go

No four on the floor: broken kicks grouped in threes, tom rolls filling gaps, sparse hats and a broom-like sweep (the sgubhu or four-step variant does run a steady four-beat kick).

Questions about gqom drums

What BPM is gqom?

Usually 120 to 127 BPM. This pattern plays at 124 BPM.

How do you make a gqom drum pattern?

Start with the kick on steps 1, 4, 7 and 12, the clap on step 13, the rim on steps 10, 14 and 15 and the closed hi-hat on steps 3 and 11. 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 gqom 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 gqom beat

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

Make a gqom beatAll drum patterns

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