Drums › Grooves › R&B / Neo-Soul
The R&B / Neo-Soul 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.
R&B Snappy
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kick | ● | · | · | · | ● | · | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
| Snare | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · |
| Clap | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · |
| Hi-hat | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
- Kick · 3 hits · steps 1, 5, 8 · beats 1, 2
- Snare · 2 hits · steps 5, 13 · beats 2, 4
- Clap · 2 hits · steps 5, 13 · beats 2, 4
- 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
Neo Soul Pocket
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kick | ● | · | · | · | ● | · | · | ● | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
| Snare | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | ● | · | · | · | · | ● | · | ● | · |
| Clap | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● |
| Hi-hat | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · |
| Open hi-hat | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · |
- Kick · 4 hits · steps 1, 5, 8, 9 · beats 1, 2, 3
- Snare · 4 hits · steps 5, 8, 13, 15 · beats 2, 4
- Clap · 2 hits · steps 9, 16 · beats 3
- Hi-hat · 8 hits · steps 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15 · beats 1, 2, 3, 4 · eighth notes
- Open hi-hat · 2 hits · steps 7, 15
Soul Pocket 2
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kick | ● | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
| Snare | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · |
| Clap | · | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
| Hi-hat | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · |
| Open hi-hat | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
- Kick · 3 hits · steps 1, 7, 9 · beats 1, 3
- Snare · 2 hits · steps 5, 13 · beats 2, 4
- Clap · 2 hits · steps 3, 9 · beats 3
- Hi-hat · 8 hits · steps 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15 · beats 1, 2, 3, 4 · eighth notes
- Open hi-hat · 1 hit · steps 9 · beats 3
Where to start
Play a very simple pop pattern, then delay ONLY the snare by a breath while keeping the hi-hat dead on the beat. The feel changes completely.
What the hands and feet actually do
Ghost notes do all the work: near-inaudible strokes between the hits, played a few millimetres off the head. J Dilla got this by switching quantisation off on his MPC.
The trap
Confusing "laid back" with "out of time". The delay has to be CONSTANT, bar after bar. A delay that varies is not a groove, it is a tempo mistake.
Listen to this
To hear the R&B / Neo-Soul groove in its element:
Get Lucky (Daft Punk) · Untitled (D'Angelo) · Doo Wop (Lauryn Hill)
Drummers of this groove
Questlove
Translated Dilla's wobbly groove onto an actual kit, by hand, without a machine.
Deliberately playing slightly off, consistently and reproducibly, is far harder than playing straight. Questlove made it his trademark and became the bridge between programmed hip-hop and live musicians. He is also one of the finest living historians of Black American music.
You Got Me (The Roots)The Seed (2.0)Voodoo (D'Angelo)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 R&B / Neo-Soul groove on drums?
Play a very simple pop pattern, then delay ONLY the snare by a breath while keeping the hi-hat dead on the beat. The feel changes completely.
What tempo is R&B / Neo-Soul played at?
The usual range runs from 80 to 100 BPM. The hub's 3 pattern(s) are set to 88 BPM, 88 BPM, 95 BPM, and the tempo stays free inside the drum machine.
Is R&B / Neo-Soul straight or shuffled?
Shuffled: the offbeats are delayed (0.5 of swing in the hub's pattern), which gives the shuffle feel.
Which drummer should you listen to for R&B / Neo-Soul?
Questlove, J Dilla, Chris Dave. In the hub, Questlove is attached to this groove.