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A drum beat or drum pattern is a rhythmic pattern, or repeated Principals of Basic Drum Beats
/ref> may also refer to a single drum stroke which may occupy more or less time than the current pulse. Many drum beats define or are characteristic of specific
This establishes a quarter note pulse in (quad)
This establishes a quarter note pulse in 
This establishes a dotted-quarter note pulse in duple time: each measure is formed from two dotted-quarter note pulses, each pulse divided into three eighth notes.
Compound triple meter is equivalent to simple duple meter with 
This establishes a dotted-quarter note pulse in triple time: each measure is formed from three dotted-quarter note pulses, each pulse divided into three eighth notes.
A " fill" is played in between the regular strokes of a pattern and/or signals the end of a phrase:
Since a phrase is multiple measures long, a fill signaling the end of one would come at the end of the last in a series of repeated measures.
In double and 
A 
This resembles a combination of double-time (bass-snare pattern) and original time (ride pattern).
Despite the difference in notation, there is no difference in 
rhythm
Rhythm (from Greek , ''rhythmos'', "any regular recurring motion, symmetry") generally means a " movement marked by the regulated succession of strong and weak elements, or of opposite or different conditions". This general meaning of regular rec ...
establishing the meter
The metre ( British spelling) or meter ( American spelling; see spelling differences) (from the French unit , from the Greek noun , "measure"), symbol m, is the primary unit of length in the International System of Units (SI), though its pre ...
and groove
Groove or Grooves may refer to:
Music
* Groove (music)
* Groove (drumming)
* The Groove (band), an Australian rock/pop band of the 1960s
* The Groove (Sirius XM), a US radio station
* Groove 101.7FM, a former Perth, Australia, radio station
...
through the pulse
In medicine, a pulse represents the tactile arterial palpation of the cardiac cycle (heartbeat) by trained fingertips. The pulse may be palpated in any place that allows an artery to be compressed near the surface of the body, such as at the nec ...
and subdivision
Subdivision may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Subdivision (metre), in music
* ''Subdivision'' (film), 2009
* "Subdivision", an episode of ''Prison Break'' (season 2)
* ''Subdivisions'' (EP), by Sinch, 2005
* "Subdivisions" (song), by Rus ...
, played on drum kit
A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair of matching drumstick ...
s and other percussion
A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Exc ...
instruments. As such a "beat" consists of multiple drum strokes occurring over multiple musical beats while the term "drum beat"/ref> may also refer to a single drum stroke which may occupy more or less time than the current pulse. Many drum beats define or are characteristic of specific
music genre
A music genre is a conventional category that identifies some pieces of music as belonging to a shared tradition or set of conventions. It is to be distinguished from ''musical form'' and musical style, although in practice these terms are some ...
s.
Many basic drum beats establish the pulse through alternating bass (on the on-beats) and snare drum
The snare (or side drum) is a percussion instrument that produces a sharp staccato sound when the head is struck with a drum stick, due to the use of a series of stiff wires held under tension against the lower skin. Snare drums are often used in ...
s (on the off-beats) strokes while establishing the subdivision on the ride cymbal The ride cymbal is a standard cymbal in most drum kits. Its function in the kit is to maintain a beat,Schroedl, Scott (2001). ''Play Drums Today!'', p.7. Hal Leonard. . "It's called the ride cymbal because you 'ride' on it--that is, you maintain a ...
(thus its name) or hi-hat
A hi-hat (hihat, high-hat, etc.) is a combination of two cymbals and a pedal, all mounted on a metal stand. It is a part of the standard drum kit used by drummers in many styles of music including rock, pop, jazz, and blues. Hi-hats consist ...
:
This establishes a quarter note pulse in (quad)duple time
Duple metre (or Am. duple meter, also known as duple time) is a musical metre characterized by a ''primary'' division of 2 beats to the bar, usually indicated by 2 and multiples ( simple) or 6 and multiples (compound) in the upper figure of the ...
: each measure is formed from (two groups of) two quarter note pulses, each pulse divided into two eighth notes.
This establishes a quarter note pulse in triple time
Triple metre (or Am. triple meter, also known as triple time) is a musical metre characterized by a ''primary'' division of 3 beats to the bar, usually indicated by 3 ( simple) or 9 ( compound) in the upper figure of the time signature, with , ...
: each measure is formed from three quarter note pulses, each divided into two eighth notes.
This establishes a dotted-quarter note pulse in duple time: each measure is formed from two dotted-quarter note pulses, each pulse divided into three eighth notes.
Compound triple meter is equivalent to simple duple meter with triplets
A multiple birth is the culmination of one multiple pregnancy, wherein the mother gives birth to two or more babies. A term most applicable to vertebrate species, multiple births occur in most kinds of mammals, with varying frequencies. Such bir ...
on every beat.
This establishes a dotted-quarter note pulse in triple time: each measure is formed from three dotted-quarter note pulses, each pulse divided into three eighth notes.
A " fill" is played in between the regular strokes of a pattern and/or signals the end of a phrase:
Since a phrase is multiple measures long, a fill signaling the end of one would come at the end of the last in a series of repeated measures.
In double and half-time
In several team sports, matches are played in two halves. Half-time (also written halftime or half time) is the name given to the interval between the two halves of the match. Typically, after half-time, teams swap ends of the field of play in or ...
patterns the pulse and ride are either doubled or halved, respectively, occurring twice or half as often:
A blast beat
A blast beat is a type of drum beat that originated in hardcore punk and grindcore, and is often associated with certain styles of extreme metal, namely black metal and death metal,Adam MacGregor, '' PCP Torpedo'' by Agoraphobic Nosebleed rev ...
drum pattern features all drums on the eighth note subdivision or variants with one or more drum's pattern displaced by a sixteenth note:
This resembles a combination of double-time (bass-snare pattern) and original time (ride pattern).
Despite the difference in notation, there is no difference in interonset interval
In music a time point or ''timepoint'' ( point in time) is "an instant, analogous to a geometrical point in space". Because it has no duration, it literally cannot be heard, but it may be used to represent "the point of initiation of a single p ...
s and this pattern is nearly identical to the first simple duple pattern except for the second onbeat being divided into two eighth notes and the second backbeat being delayed an eighth note.
The heavy metal gallop, named for a horse's canter
The canter and gallop are variations on the fastest gait that can be performed by a horse or other equine. The canter is a controlled three-beat gait, while the gallop is a faster, four-beat variation of the same gait. It is a natural gait pos ...
, is based on a bass drum pattern of one eighth followed by two sixteenths.
See also
*Break (music)
In popular music, a break is an instrumental or percussion section during a song derived from or related to stop-time – being a "break" from the main parts of the song or piece. A break is usually interpolated between sections of a song, to p ...
*Drum cadence
In music, a drum cadence or street beat is a work played exclusively by the percussion section of a modern marching band (see marching percussion). It is stylistically descended from early military marches, and related to military cadences, ...
*Ghost note
In music, a ghost note is a musical note with a rhythmic value, but no discernible pitch when played. In musical notation, this is represented by an "X" for a note head instead of an oval, or parentheses around the note head. It should not be c ...
*Rhythm section
A rhythm section is a group of musicians within a music ensemble or band that provides the underlying rhythm, harmony and pulse of the accompaniment, providing a rhythmic and harmonic reference and "beat" for the rest of the band.
The rhythm sec ...
*Riddim
Riddim is the Jamaican Patois pronunciation of the English word "rhythm". In the context of reggae and dancehall, it refers to the instrumental accompaniment to a song and is synonymous with the rhythm section. Jamaican music genres that use th ...
*Rosanna shuffle
The Rosanna Shuffle is the drum pattern from the Grammy Award winning Toto hit, " Rosanna". It is known as a " half-time shuffle" and shows, "definite jazz influence".Strong, Jeff (2006). ''Drums for Dummies'', p.183. ISBN 0471794112. Featuring ...
*Purdie shuffle
Bernard Lee "Pretty" Purdie (born June 11, 1939) is an American drummer, and an influential R&B, soul and funk musician. He is known for his precise musical time keeping and his signature use of triplets against a half-time backbeat: the "Purdie ...
* Bo Diddley beat
Sources
{{drum beats Drum patterns