A drum pattern sets the groove by placing kick, snare, and hi-hat on specific beats in a bar

The fundamental drum pattern for most popular music is built from three core layers: kick (bass drum), snare, and hi-hats. A classic soul/funk pattern places the kick on beats 1 and 3, snare on 2 and 4. A basic techno pattern places the kick on all four beats (four-on-the-floor) with off-beat hi-hats. These skeletal patterns serve as the ‘groove foundation’ onto which all other elements are layered. The choice of pattern directly determines the genre feel of a track.

Examples

Soul: kick on 1 and 3 (plus an extra kick just after beat 1), snare on 2 and 4. Techno: kick on beats 1, 2, 3, 4 plus hi-hats on the half-beats between.

Assessment

Program a four-bar loop using only kick and snare: first in a soul/funk style, then in a four-on-the-floor techno style. Explain what changes between the two in terms of kick placement.