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Rock drum pattern

Straight eighths, live and driving. Here are its drums on a step grid, at the tempo it starts at, to hear and to change.

120 BPM · Live 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 rock drum pattern: the steps each drum plays
DrumSteps
Closed hat1, 3 (soft), 5, 7 (soft), 9, 11 (soft), 13, 15 (soft)
Snare5, 13
Kick1, 7, 9
Open these drums in the editor

They open as one drum lane on a step grid, at 120 BPM. No account needed to start.

How rock drums go

Kick on 1 and 3, snare on 2 and 4, eighth hats or ride, crashes on section starts.

The bass, chords and sounds are on the Rock page.

Questions about rock drums

What BPM is rock?

Usually 90 to 160 BPM. This pattern plays at 120 BPM.

How do you make a rock drum pattern?

Start with the kick on steps 1, 7 and 9, the snare on steps 5 and 13 and the closed hi-hat on steps 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13 and 15. 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 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.

More rock drum patterns

PunkMetalCountryIndie rock

Make a rock beat

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

Make a rock beatAll drum patterns

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