The Disco 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.
Disco 4-Floor
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kick | ● | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · |
| Snare | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · |
| Hi-hat | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · |
| Open hi-hat | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | ● |
| Ride | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · |
- Kick · 4 hits · steps 1, 5, 9, 13 · beats 1, 2, 3, 4 · quarter notes
- 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
- Open hi-hat · 4 hits · steps 4, 8, 12, 16
- Ride · 8 hits · steps 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15 · beats 1, 2, 3, 4 · eighth notes
Where to start
Kick on 1-2-3-4, steady as a heartbeat. Add the hi-hat opening exactly between each stroke. That is the whole pattern: there is nothing more.
What the hands and feet actually do
The hi-hat opening must be closed SHARP on the next beat. It is that closing snap, not the opening, that gives disco its swing. Earl Young invented it on a whim.
The trap
Letting the hi-hat bleed. An opening that drags into the next beat turns the pattern to mush: the whole point is the crispness of the foot closing it.
Listen to this
To hear the Disco groove in its element:
Stayin' Alive (Bee Gees) · Le Freak (Chic) · I Feel Love (Donna Summer)
Drummers of this groove
Earl Young
The inventor of the disco four-on-the-floor and of the hi-hat opened on the off-beats.
Young was simply looking for a way to make people dance in early-70s Philadelphia clubs. The pattern he found was taken over as is by house, techno and EDM: fifty years later, the vast majority of club music still rests on his discovery.
The Love I Lost (Harold Melvin)Disco Inferno (The Trammps)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 Disco groove on drums?
Kick on 1-2-3-4, steady as a heartbeat. Add the hi-hat opening exactly between each stroke. That is the whole pattern: there is nothing more.
What tempo is Disco played at?
The usual range runs from 110 to 130 BPM. The hub's 1 pattern(s) are set to 118 BPM, and the tempo stays free inside the drum machine.
Is Disco straight or shuffled?
Straight: the eighth notes are even, with no delay on the offbeats. That is what the hub's pattern plays.
Which drummer should you listen to for Disco?
Earl Young, “The Sound of Philadelphia”. In the hub, Earl Young is attached to this groove.