Maurisson Music Hub

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Maurisson Music Hub · Drum grooves

Drum grooves, one by one

Thirty-four groove families, from rock to samba, each with its real 16-step pattern, its tempo range and its reference drummers. These are the 66 patterns the hub's drum machine actually plays — nothing is copied by hand.
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How to read the table

The tempo range belongs to the groove, not to one song: it contains the tempos of all its patterns. “Straight” means even eighth notes, “shuffle” means delayed offbeats.

Rock

GrooveTempoFeelPatternsReference
Rock100–140 BPMstraight4John Bonham, Ringo Starr
Half-Time70–100 BPMstraight1Led Zeppelin, “When the Levee Breaks”
Rock Shuffle90–130 BPMshuffle1Jeff Porcaro, “Rosanna”

Pop

GrooveTempoFeelPatternsReference
Pop95–135 BPMstraight4The Los Angeles and Stockholm studios
Ballad60–85 BPMstraight2Power ballads of the 1980s

Soul

GrooveTempoFeelPatternsReference
R&B / Neo-Soul80–100 BPMshuffle3Questlove, J Dilla, Chris Dave
Gospel80–110 BPMshuffle2Chris Coleman, Calvin Rodgers

Funk

GrooveTempoFeelPatternsReference
Funk90–115 BPMstraight3Clyde Stubblefield, David Garibaldi
Disco110–130 BPMstraight1Earl Young, “The Sound of Philadelphia”
Afrobeat95–120 BPMstraight1Tony Allen, Fela Kuti

Electronic

GrooveTempoFeelPatternsReference
House118–128 BPMstraight3Chicago, Frankie Knuckles
Techno / Trance125–145 BPMstraight3Detroit, then Frankfurt
Dubstep135–145 BPMstraight1Croydon, Skream and Benga
Drum & Bass165–180 BPMstraight2London, Goldie and LTJ Bukem
Jungle / Amen Break130–175 BPMstraight2The Winstons, “Amen, Brother”

Urban

GrooveTempoFeelPatternsReference
Trap60–90 BPMstraight1Atlanta, Lex Luger and Metro Boomin
Boom Bap80–100 BPMshuffle1DJ Premier, Pete Rock, J Dilla
Lo-Fi Hip-Hop70–90 BPMshuffle1Nujabes, and the culture of study-radio streams

Jamaica

GrooveTempoFeelPatternsReference
One Drop65–95 BPMstraight1Carlton Barrett, The Wailers
Ska / Rocksteady80–175 BPMstraight2The Skatalites, Studio One
Dub65–90 BPMstraight1King Tubby, Lee “Scratch” Perry
Reggaeton85–105 BPMstraight1Panama and Puerto Rico, the dembow riddim

Latin

GrooveTempoFeelPatternsReference
Bossa Nova120–145 BPMstraight2João Gilberto, Milton Banana
Samba / Baião100–130 BPMstraight2Rio and the Brazilian Nordeste
Salsa / Clave90–115 BPMstraight2Tito Puente, the Fania All-Stars
Cumbia / Merengue95–140 BPMstraight2Colombia and the Dominican Republic

Jazz

GrooveTempoFeelPatternsReference
Swing70–175 BPMshuffle4Papa Jo Jones, Philly Joe Jones

Blues

GrooveTempoFeelPatternsReference
Blues Shuffle75–105 BPMshuffle3Fred Below, the Chicago sound
Slow Blues 6/855–80 BPMshuffle1B.B. King, “The Thrill Is Gone”

Metal

GrooveTempoFeelPatternsReference
Metal120–180 BPMstraight2Dave Lombardo, Vinnie Paul
Blast Beat170–250 BPMstraight1Napalm Death, Pete Sandoval

Traditional

GrooveTempoFeelPatternsReference
Country Train Beat110–140 BPMstraight1Buddy Harman, Nashville
Waltz & Jig140–190 BPMstraight3Vienna and Ireland
March & Film Score70–120 BPMstraight2Military bands, Hans Zimmer

Open the drum machine

All 68 patterns, nine kits including five sampled machines, and the cell-by-cell editor. In the browser, nothing to install.

Open the Drum Hub →

Frequently asked questions

How many drum grooves are there to learn?

There is no official number, but 34 families cover the vast majority of what is played in pop, rock, jazz, Latin and electronic music. That is the split used here, backed by the 66 patterns of the drum machine.

Which drum groove should you learn first?

Rock: kick drum, snare on 2 and 4, hi-hat in eighth notes. Once it runs without you thinking about it, half-time, pop and the ballad follow by moving a single hit.

What is a 16-step pattern?

One bar of four beats cut into sixteenth notes: four cells per beat, sixteen in all. Each cell says whether the instrument hits or stays silent. It is how drum machines have worked since the TR-808.

Is this tool free?

Yes. The Drum Hub is part of the Maurisson Music Hub, free and without ads.