Making beats and getting into music production is a great way to express yourself! For kids and teens, and students of any age, making your own music and sharing it with friends is a fun and creative way to stay connected.
Learning how to make your own beats and knowing what patterns to choose for musical styles like EDM, Hip-Hop, Trap, and Pop music is something every growing music producer should know.
For each beat we’ll include the drum pattern, a video of how to make the beat for your own songs, and a little bit of its history and what makes it special.
So here’s our Top 10 List of Drum Patterns we think every music producer should know!
10. rock backbeat
The basic backbeat rhythm is the foundation of all the beats on this list. The “backbeats” are 2 and 4 when you’re counting 1 2 3 4. The backbeat is where the snare drum hits and audiences usually clap along!
You can hear this beat in Rock, Blues, Jazz, R&B, Pop, Country, Folk, Gospel... you name it. But the first backbeat rhythms probably go back centuries and come from traditional Djembe drumming in West Africa.
Watch How to Make a Rock Backbeat:
Download the Rock Backbeat MIDI Drum Pattern:
Click on the Drum Pattern to Download the MIDI File for your own project!
9. boom bap
The Boom Bap was one of the original Hip-Hop rhythms in the early 1980’s, and is believed by some to be the authentic hip-hop beat. The ‘boom’ refers to the bass or kick drum, while the ‘bap’ is the sound of the snare drum.
The backbeat (beats 2 and 4) is very clear in the Boom Bap, but what makes this rhythm different from a straight rock beat is the ‘lazy kick’ or slightly swung 16th notes in the kick pattern.
The sound of the Boom Bap is closely connected to the Roland TR-808 Drum Machine which was invented in 1980.
Watch How to Make a boom bap beat:
Download the Boom Bap MIDI Drum Pattern:
Click on the Drum Pattern to Download the MIDI File for your own project!
8. techno beat
Depending on the tempo (speed of the music), this beat pattern can be used as a techno, dance, disco, club, house, or even a pop beat. It’s the first beat on our list that uses a “four on the floor” kick pattern, with the bass drum playing on all four beats in the measure.
The constant drive of the kick drum is balanced by an off-beat hi-hat part that plays on every and (+) of the beat. This gives the Techno beat a relentless groove that inspires people to dance!
Watch How to Make a techno club beat:
Download the Techno MIDI Drum Pattern:
Click on the Drum Pattern to Download the MIDI File for your own project!
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7. deep house
One of the founding styles of modern EDM (electronic dance music), the house beat borrows the “four on the floor” kick pattern and the off-beat hi-hat pattern on the ands (+) of the beat, but adds an extra layer of syncopation instead of a standard backbeat.
In the Deep House beat below, you’ll see a shaker (or sometimes a clap) part played on the “a” (the forth 16th note) of the 1st and 3rd beat, just before the spot the snare drum would typically play the backbeat. This gives a house beat a rolling and persistent sound that never stops!
Watch How to Make a deep house beat:
Download the Deep House MIDI Drum Pattern:
Click on the Drum Pattern to Download the MIDI File for your own project!
6. reggaeton or dembow
Another four on the floor pattern, the Dembow is the founding beat to an entire style of music called Reggaetón that became popular in Puerto Rico in the early 1990’s.
It takes the driving kick of the techno beat, slows it down, and then replaces the backbeat with syncopated hits and ghost notes (soft) on the snare. The result is a beat that immediately makes you want to move and reminds you of a sunny beach somewhere!
You can hear the influence of the Dembow beat on many EDM and Pop songs today.
Watch How to Make a Dembow or Reggaetón beat:
Download the Dembow or Reggaetón MIDI Drum Pattern:
Click on the Drum Pattern to Download the MIDI File for your own project!
join a beat making class ❯
5. drum and bass
The Drum and Bass beat is different from most of the beats on our Top 10 list because of its BPM or Beats Per Minute of 170 or higher...that’s fast! Played at a slower tempo, the Drum and Bass pattern sounds very close to a standard rock backbeat, but speed it up, and it becomes something entirely different.
D’n’B music grew up out of the UK in the 1990’s and as its name suggests, features a driving and active drum beat rhythm paired with full and round sounding bass parts. The energy in this pattern comes from the fast tempo and the 16th note syncopation on the hi-hat cymbals.
Watch How to Make a drum and bass beat:
Download the Drum and Bass MIDI Drum Pattern:
Click on the Drum Pattern to Download the MIDI File for your own project!
4. dubstep
Dubstep is a powerful style of EDM music that relies on long build up sections that lead to a huge drop where the best kicks in with a half-time feel. A half-time beat pattern takes the pulse of a 4 beat measure and stretches it over two measures. So while the BPM of Dubstep seems fast at 140bpm, in half-time it actually feels more like 70bpm. (So many numbers!)
Dubstep songs do a great job of combining a driving house-style beat during the Intro and Build Up of the song that leads to a Drop full of sub-bass melodies and syncopated kick hits in half-time. The build and release at the drop creates an epic musical moment!
Watch How to Make a dubstep beat:
Download the Dubstep MIDI Drum Pattern:
Click on the Drum Pattern to Download the MIDI File for your own project!
View beat making lessons ❯
3. trap
Trap music is a style of Hip-Hop music that originated in Atlanta, GA. The pattern of the Trap beat is very close to a standard backbeat, but like Dubstep, Trap music is played in a half-time feel. The feature of the Trap beat is a Hi-Hat rhythm that includes very fast 32nd notes. Over the half-time feel of the beat, these notes sound twice as fast and create a very distinctive sound.
You can hear Trap beats or patterns influenced by the Hi-Hat rhythms of a Trap beat in almost every style of modern music today.
Watch How to Make a trap beat:
Download the Trap MIDI Drum Pattern:
Click on the Drum Pattern to Download the MIDI File for your own project!
2. the funky drummer
During the early 1980’s two music producers from New York City, “BreakBeat Lou” Flores and “BreakBeat Lenny” Roberts, started producing a series of records called ‘Ultimate Breaks and Beats’. These were collections of sampled beats and drum patterns that Hip-Hop artists and Rappers used as the foundation for their new songs.
The Funky Drummer beat was originally an 8 measure drum solo played by Clyde Stubblefield on a James Brown recording from 1970. After this beat was sampled it quickly became one of the hallmark beats of Hip-Hop.
According to Rolling Stone Magazine, the Funky Drummer beat can be heard at various tempos on well over 1000 songs!
Watch How to Make the funky drummer beat:
Download the Funky Drummer MIDI Drum Pattern:
Click on the Drum Pattern to Download the MIDI File for your own project!
1. the amen break
The Amen Break was originally a two measure drum solo from the song “Amen, Brother” by The Winstons (1969). It was sampled on the first official ‘Ultimate Breaks and Beats’ album in 1986 and went on to become the most sampled beat in Hip-Hop, EDM, Rock and Pop music history.
Sadly, drummer Gregory Coleman never received any royalties for his beat and died homeless in 2006, without ever knowing how much he had influenced the sound of modern music.
Some estimate that the Amen Break appears on well over 2000 songs!
Watch How to Make the amen break beat:
Download the Amen Break MIDI Drum Pattern:
Click on the Drum Pattern to Download the MIDI File for your own project!
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HELLO AND WELCOME TO FINEARTSMATTER!
I'm Jonathan Eftychiou, the Founder of FineArtsMatter, and I love teaching students how to make their own music and be creative! I hope this resource helps you on your musical journey.
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FAQs
Top 10 Beats Every Music Producer Should Know? ›
Quintuple meter or quintuple time is a musical meter characterized by five beats in a measure. They may consist of any combination of variably stressed or equally stressed beats.
What are the 5 beats? ›Quintuple meter or quintuple time is a musical meter characterized by five beats in a measure. They may consist of any combination of variably stressed or equally stressed beats.
What is the most used beats in music? ›- 2/4: Two quarter-note beats per measure.
- 3/4: Three quarter-note beats per measure.
- 4/4: Four quarter-note beats per measure. ...
- 2/2: Two half-note beats per measure.
- "INTERSTELLAR" ...
- Freestyle Hip Hop Type Beat 2022 (J Cole, Nas Type Beat) - "East" - Rap Beats & Instrumentals. ...
- {FREE} MC Don Juan x MC Hariel x MC Ryan SP x Xamã ''Fiel''💍 Type beat (prod. ...
- Even If I Lose | Eminem Type Beat With Hook | Rap Instrumental | Sad Rap Beat With Hook.
The majority of modern beats can be broken down into only a few standard elements: a kick, a snare, some high-frequency percussion sounds, a bass, and at least one melodic element.
What are 8 beats called? ›An 8-count is a rhythmic grouping of 8 beats. Most of the music you hear every day — popular, mainstream, Western music — is structured in sets of 8 beats (waltz, an exception, is in sets of 6). The 8-count defines the beat. So, if you can count it, you've found the beat.
What are 8 beat rhythms? ›The 8-beat rhythm is made up of eighth notes, while a 16-beat rhythm has twice as many beats as an 8-beat rhythm. There are a variety of beats-such as the shuffle, samba, bossa nova-found in different musical genres.
What beat is usually the strongest? ›On-beat and off-beat
time, counted as "1 2 3 4, 1 2 3 4...", the first beat of the bar (downbeat) is usually the strongest accent in the melody and the likeliest place for a chord change, the third is the next strongest: these are "on" beats. The second and fourth are weaker—the "off-beats".
The reality is that 4/4 music will contain 4 beats in each measure, and these beats could contain half, quarter, eighth notes or rests, just so long as the note and rest values combine to the value of the top number of the time signature, which in this case, would be 4.
What are 3 beats called in music? ›Simple duple meters have two beats per measure; simple triple meters have three. Like with notes that last for two or more beats, beats that are not articulated because of rests, ties, and dots are also not counted out loud.
What do rappers look for in beats? ›
Rhythmic Changes
In my experience producing beats and recording rap vocals I've found that more often than not, they're looking for a steady groove with good variety. Many rappers also want some clever areas in the track where they can change up the vibe or show off a little.
- “Hey Ya!” by Outkast.
- “YMCA” by the Village People.
- “Stayin' Alive” by Bee Gees.
- “SexyBack” by Justin Timberlake featuring Timbaland.
- “Let's Groove” by Earth, Wind & Fire.
- “Cbat” by Hudson Mohawke.
- “Say So” by Doja Cat.
- Songs With A Good Beat, Final Thoughts.
90-99 BPM is the most popular tempo range.
How much should I spend on a beat? ›Nowadays, beats can cost anywhere from $20 to $100,000 or more. It all depends on the quality of the beat and who produced it. If you're looking for a high-quality, industry-standard beat, then you should be prepared to spend at least a few hundred dollars.
Why is 4 4 so common? ›As you know by now, 4/4 is by far the most popular time signature in the world. With four steady beats in each measure, it provides for a very stable rhythm. The top number in the time signature is easily divisible by two, which is what makes it feel "even." This is also true for time signatures like 2/4, 2/2, or 12/8.
What are royalty beats? ›Basically, royalty-free beats mean that once they're purchased, you have total freedom to use the beats as you like without having to compensate the producers of the beats for using them. In simpler words, the producer doesn't have any right to claim earnings from the financial gains you've made using those beats.
What are groups of 2 beats called? ›Meters that sort the beat into groups of twos (alternating strong and weak beats) are known as duple meters. Meters that sort the beat into groups of three or four are referred to respectively as triple and quadruple meters.
What are the 5 rhythms beginners? ›The five rhythms are flowing, staccato, chaos, lyrical and stillness.
What is a weak beat called? ›Accenting Offbeats
Any beat that is not a strong beat is called an offbeat, and one way to create syncopation is to accent an offbeat.
The most common thought on strong and weak beats (in 4/4 time) goes as follows: The first beat of the measure is the strongest (it's the “downbeat”). The third beat of the measure is also strong, but not as strong as the first. The second and fourth beats are weak.
What BPM is Drake type beat? ›
Drake Type Beats is a song by XXX with a tempo of 155 BPM. It can also be used half-time at 78 BPM or double-time at 310 BPM. The track runs 3 minutes and 43 seconds long with a G♯/A♭ key and a major mode.
What is 9 16 in music? ›9/16 time consists of nine sixteenth notes per measure (or 9 semiquavers per bar). These are grouped into three strong beats per measure and each one is a dotted eighth note (dotted quaver).
What is the symbol for 44 music? ›44. Rest. Rests are used to communicate when a player should be silent. There are many kinds of rest, each with a time length value based on a subdivision of a whole rest.
How many beats make a bar? ›Most songs have 4 beats in a bar. You can count 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – … during the whole song (when the time signature doesn't change during the song). Another common type of songs has 3 beats in a measure.
Is there an 8 8 time? ›8/8 time contains two compound beats and one simple beat. Sometimes, people confuse 8/8 with 4/4, since both have 8 eighth notes.
What is a 2 against 3 rhythm called? ›2:3 polyrhythm: This is the same concept as hemiola, just reversed: a two-note rhythm over a three-note rhythm. 3. 3:4 polyrhythm: A three-note rhythm held over a four-note rhythm.
What beats does Travis Scott use? ›So, what DAW does Travis Scott use? He, basically, uses three DAWs: FL Studio 11, Pro Tools, and Logic Pro X. You can find several pictures and videos online of Scott using these DAWs while creating his music in the studio. Travis clearly uses autotune plugins in a way that sounds pleasing to your ears.
What are beats in rap? ›Hip hop as a general rule consists of two elements: an instrumental track (the "beat") and a vocal track (the "rap"). The artist who crafts the beat is the producer (or beatmaker), and the one who crafts the rap is the MC (emcee).