Memphis rap drum pattern
Raw 90s tape sound, half-time, dark and lo-fi. Here are its drums on a step grid, at the tempo it starts at, to hear and to change.
136 BPM · 808 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
- Roll: quick hits inside one step
- Lands between two steps
| Drum | Bar 1 | Bar 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Closed hat | 1, 3 (soft), 5, 7 (soft), 9, 11 (soft), 13, 15 (soft) | 1, 3 (soft), 5, 7 (soft), 9, 11 (soft), 13 (roll, soft), 14 (between steps, soft), 15 (roll), 16 (between steps) |
| Clap | 9 | 9 |
| Snare | 9 | 9 |
| Rim | 1 (soft), 4 (soft), 7 (soft), 11 (soft), 15 (soft) | 1 (soft), 4 (soft), 7 (soft), 11 (soft), 13 (soft), 15 (soft) |
| Kick | 1, 8, 15 | 3, 12 |
They open as one drum lane on a step grid, at 136 BPM. No account needed to start.
How Memphis rap drums go
A Roland 808 kit: booming kick, the snare or clap on beat 3, busy hats, the cowbell as percussion.
Questions about Memphis rap drums
What BPM is Memphis rap?
Usually 120 to 150 BPM. This pattern plays at 136 BPM.
How do you make a Memphis rap drum pattern?
Start with the kick on steps 1, 8 and 15, the snare and clap on step 9, the rim on steps 1, 4, 7, 11 and 15 and the closed hi-hat on steps 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13 and 15, 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 Memphis rap 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 Memphis rap beat
The free editor opens with a whole Memphis rap beat: drums, bass and chords, each part yours to change, add to or take away.
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