Drums › Grooves › Blues Shuffle
The Blues Shuffle drum groove
The pattern, step by step
One cell per sixteenth note, sixteen cells to the bar — exactly what the hub's drum machine plays. Downbeats are shown in bold.
Blues Shuffle
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kick | ● | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · |
| Snare | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · |
| Hi-hat | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · |
- Kick · 3 hits · steps 1, 7, 11 · beats 1
- Snare · 2 hits · steps 5, 13 · beats 2, 4
- Hi-hat · 8 hits · steps 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15 · beats 1, 2, 3, 4 · eighth notes
Chicago Blues
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kick | ● | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · |
| Snare | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | ● | · | · | ● |
| Hi-hat | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · |
- Kick · 3 hits · steps 1, 7, 11 · beats 1
- Snare · 4 hits · steps 5, 9, 13, 16 · beats 2, 3, 4
- Hi-hat · 8 hits · steps 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15 · beats 1, 2, 3, 4 · eighth notes
Blues 12 Bar
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kick | ● | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · |
| Snare | · | ● | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | ● | · | · |
| Hi-hat | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · |
| Open hi-hat | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | ● |
- Kick · 4 hits · steps 1, 5, 9, 13 · beats 1, 2, 3, 4 · quarter notes
- Snare · 4 hits · steps 2, 6, 10, 14
- Hi-hat · 8 hits · steps 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15 · beats 1, 2, 3, 4 · eighth notes
- Open hi-hat · 4 hits · steps 4, 8, 12, 16
Where to start
Shuffle with both hands on the snare first, no feet, to install the triplet division. Add the kick on 1 and 3 once the division stops wobbling.
What the hands and feet actually do
The Chicago shuffle is played heavy and slightly behind, as if each stroke cost an effort. It is a physical feel: too light and it becomes jazz; too far forward and it becomes rock.
The trap
Losing the triplet in the fills. Many drummers hold a flawless shuffle then switch to straight sixteenths as soon as they fill: the next bar restarts crooked.
Listen to this
To hear the Blues Shuffle groove in its element:
Sweet Home Chicago · Hoochie Coochie Man (Muddy Waters) · Pride and Joy
Drummers of this groove
Fred Below
A jazz drummer turned bluesman, he gave the Chicago shuffle its definitive shape.
Before Below, Chicago blues had no real dedicated drummer. His jazz training let him bring a steady triplet foundation the guitarists had never had behind them. He is on almost every major Chess record of the 1950s.
My Babe (Little Walter)Hoochie Coochie Man (Muddy Waters)Neighbouring grooves
Play it right now
The Drum Hub's drum machine loads this pattern, plays it at any tempo and lets you edit it cell by cell.
Open the Drum Hub →Frequently asked questions
How do you play a Blues Shuffle groove on drums?
Shuffle with both hands on the snare first, no feet, to install the triplet division. Add the kick on 1 and 3 once the division stops wobbling.
What tempo is Blues Shuffle played at?
The usual range runs from 75 to 105 BPM. The hub's 3 pattern(s) are set to 88 BPM, 92 BPM, 80 BPM, and the tempo stays free inside the drum machine.
Is Blues Shuffle straight or shuffled?
Shuffled: the offbeats are delayed (0.66 of swing in the hub's pattern), which gives the shuffle feel.
Which drummer should you listen to for Blues Shuffle?
Fred Below, the Chicago sound. In the hub, Fred Below is attached to this groove.