The Dubstep 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.
Dubstep
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kick | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
| Snare | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
| Hi-hat | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| Open hi-hat | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · |
- Kick · 1 hit · steps 1 · beats 1
- Snare · 1 hit · steps 9 · beats 3
- Hi-hat · 16 hits · steps 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 · beats 1, 2, 3, 4 · sixteenth notes
- Open hi-hat · 2 hits · steps 5, 13 · beats 2, 4
Where to start
Set the tempo to 140 and play ONLY ONE snare per bar, on the 3. The emptiness that opens up is where dubstep lives.
What the hands and feet actually do
The drum grid is deliberately sparse because it frames something else. Here the drummer is not the subject: they hold the door while the bass walks in.
The trap
Counting in 70. The real tempo is 140: set your metronome to the feel rather than the grid and every off-beat will land in the wrong place.
Listen to this
To hear the Dubstep groove in its element:
Midnight Request Line (Skream) · Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites (Skrillex)
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 Dubstep groove on drums?
Set the tempo to 140 and play ONLY ONE snare per bar, on the 3. The emptiness that opens up is where dubstep lives.
What tempo is Dubstep played at?
The usual range runs from 135 to 145 BPM. The hub's 1 pattern(s) are set to 140 BPM, and the tempo stays free inside the drum machine.
Is Dubstep 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 Dubstep?
Croydon, Skream and Benga. Worth hearing: Midnight Request Line (Skream) · Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites (Skrillex)