How to Make Drum Patterns
10 foundational drum patterns that cover every genre. Learn these and you can make almost any beat.
How to Read These Patterns
Each pattern below is a live, interactive 16-step player. Filled cells trigger; partially-filled cells are softer (lower velocity) — that's the dynamic that separates a programmed beat from a felt one. Click any cell to toggle it. Click a filled cell to select it, then open the Step popover to change velocity, add a subdivision (roll), or set a velocity ramp. Hit Play to hear it.
1. Basic Rock/Pop (90-120 BPM)
BPM
50%
The most universal drum pattern in music. Four-on-the-floor kick, backbeat snare, eighth-note hats with downbeat accents. The hat dynamic — louder on beats, softer on the offbeats — is what real drummers do automatically. Works in rock, pop, country, and electronic music.
2. Boom Bap (85-100 BPM, swing 58-62%)
BPM
60%
Classic hip-hop, J Dilla / DJ Premier territory. The kick on step 4 creates the bounce. The snare has the canonical boom-bap setup: full backbeats on 5 and 13, plus three quiet ghost notes (30% velocity) at 4, 8, and 12 that fill the gaps. 1/16 swing at 60% gives it the authentic MPC feel — try sliding the swing to 0 to hear how much the groove relies on it.
3. Trap (140 BPM, half-time feel)
BPM
50%
3
Trap is defined by sparse kicks, a half-time snare (beat 3 only), and rapid 16th-note hi-hats. The hat pattern is the driving force. A single ×3 roll on step 15 closes the bar. Keep swing off — straight is the trap aesthetic.
4. LoFi HipHop (70-85 BPM, swing 54-60%)
BPM
58%
Slow tempo, gentle swing, and a lazy kick pattern. The off-beat kick on step 7 gives it that laid-back, head-nodding quality. Hat is dialed back across the board (85% accents, 40% offbeats) — lofi never wants the hat poking out of the mix. Single ghost snare on step 8 adds the sleepy stumble. Pitch your samples down a few semitones for extra warmth.
5. House (120-130 BPM)
BPM
50%
Four-on-the-floor kick drives the dance floor. The hat lives on the offbeats (steps 3, 7, 11, 15) — this creates the bouncing feel. The snare here doubles as a clap. Use an open hat in a mute group with the closed hat for realistic choke behavior.
6. UK Drill (140-145 BPM, no swing)
BPM
50%
Drill uses rapid, irregular hi-hat patterns with ghost notes — extra 16th hits at 40% velocity slip in between the main accents to keep the rhythm jagged. The snare on beat 3 has a quiet ghost just before it (step 8, 35%) that pulls the ear toward the half-time hit. Dead straight — no swing. The aggression comes from the precision.
7. Reggaeton / Dembow (95 BPM)
BPM
50%
The dembow riddim. The snare pattern (steps 4, 7, 12, 15) creates the iconic bouncing rhythm. This tresillo-based pattern drives reggaeton, dancehall, and Latin trap.
8. Phonk (130-140 BPM)
BPM
50%
Phonk is built on Memphis rap patterns. The hat hits on beats are full velocity, the offbeats are softer, and the pickup 16ths on steps 6 and 14 are quieter still — that uneven dynamic is what creates the rapid triplet-feel bursts on the back of each beat. Layer a cowbell melody on a 4th pad and pitch samples down for that dark, distorted aesthetic.
9. Jersey Club (130-140 BPM)
BPM
50%
Jersey club is all about the kick pattern — rapid doubles and unconventional placement. The kick IS the groove. Load vocal chops on extra pads for the classic bed-squeak sound.
10. Afrobeats (100-115 BPM)
BPM
50%
Afrobeats relies on layered percussion. The kick is sparse but punchy and lands on the offbeat. Layer a shaker, log drum, or clave on a 4th pad — the groove comes from the interplay between percussion layers.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. These are starting points. The best beats come from taking a foundation and adding your own twist — moving a kick, adding an extra snare hit, changing the hat pattern. Learn the rules, then break them.
Listen to the genre you want to make. Find a song you like and try to recreate its drum pattern step by step. After a while, the patterns become second nature and you'll create your own instinctively.