Drums › Grooves › Techno / Trance
The Techno / Trance 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.
Techno
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kick | ● | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · |
| Snare | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · |
| Hi-hat | · | · | ● | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | ● | · |
| Crash | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
- 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 · 4 hits · steps 3, 7, 11, 15 · offbeat eighths
- Crash · 1 hit · steps 1 · beats 1
IDM Glitch
| 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 · 6 hits · steps 1, 4, 6, 8, 12, 15 · beats 1
- Snare · 4 hits · steps 3, 8, 11, 16
- Clap · 5 hits · steps 4, 7, 9, 12, 15 · 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 5, 13 · beats 2, 4
Trance
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kick | ● | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · |
| Clap | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · |
| Hi-hat | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● |
| Crash | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
- Kick · 4 hits · steps 1, 5, 9, 13 · beats 1, 2, 3, 4 · quarter notes
- Clap · 2 hits · steps 5, 13 · beats 2, 4
- Hi-hat · 8 hits · steps 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16
- Crash · 1 hit · steps 1 · beats 1
Where to start
Start from a house beat and push the tempo to 130. Move the hi-hat to sixteenths. Remove the clap. What is left is techno.
What the hands and feet actually do
The track is built from layers entering and leaving, not from fills. One element changes at a time, every eight or sixteen bars — that slowness is what hypnotises.
The trap
Wanting constant movement. Techno asks for a counter-intuitive patience: what sounds monotonous on headphones becomes exactly right on a big system at three in the morning.
Listen to this
To hear the Techno / Trance groove in its element:
Strings of Life (Derrick May) · Spastik (Plastikman) · Sandstorm (Darude)
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 Techno / Trance groove on drums?
Start from a house beat and push the tempo to 130. Move the hi-hat to sixteenths. Remove the clap. What is left is techno.
What tempo is Techno / Trance played at?
The usual range runs from 125 to 145 BPM. The hub's 3 pattern(s) are set to 130 BPM, 130 BPM, 138 BPM, and the tempo stays free inside the drum machine.
Is Techno / Trance 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 Techno / Trance?
Detroit, then Frankfurt. Worth hearing: Strings of Life (Derrick May) · Spastik (Plastikman) · Sandstorm (Darude)