Indie rock drum pattern
Straight, no swing; dry and immediate, the hats carrying the movement, the kick breaking from four on the floor. Here are its drums on a step grid, at the tempo it starts at, to hear and to change.
124 BPM · Live kit · 2 bars
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 | 1, 5, 9, 13 | 1, 5, 9, 13 |
| Closed hat | 3, 7, 11, 15 | 3, 7, 11, 15 |
| Snare | 5, 13 | 5, 13, 14, 15, 16 |
| Kick | 1, 9, 15 (soft) | 1, 7 (soft), 9 |
They open as one drum lane on a step grid, at 124 BPM. No account needed to start.
How indie rock drums go
Dance-punk: the kick on 1 and 3 with soft ghost kicks, the snare on 2 and 4, an open hat on every beat and closed hats on the ands, a sixteenth snare fill closing every two bars; or four on the floor (indie disco), or an unchanging motorik eighth-note groove.
The bass, chords and sounds are on the Indie Rock page.
Questions about indie rock drums
What BPM is indie rock?
Usually 100 to 150 BPM. This pattern plays at 124 BPM.
How do you make a indie rock drum pattern?
Start with the kick on steps 1, 9 and 15, the snare on steps 5 and 13, the closed hi-hat on steps 3, 7, 11 and 15 and the open hi-hat on steps 1, 5, 9 and 13, then follow the grid for bar 2. 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 indie rock 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.
Make a indie rock beat
The free editor opens with a whole indie rock beat: drums, bass and chords, each part yours to change, add to or take away.
Keep going
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