Shavano Music Online

    4/4 Drum Patterns, Part 3 - Rap/Hip Hop

    7/99 - Jens Moller - http://www.colomar.com/Shavano/44patterns3.html
    See also Drum Machine General Information

    Download a MIDI sequence of these patterns. This is a single sequence where one pattern follows the next in the order listed below. Press your Shift Key then click on the above to save it to your system.

    This article deals with pattern based Drum sequencers. These Sequences can be adapted to any type of hardware or software sequencer that allows you to define a fixed length sequence of MIDI events. My experience in this area has almost entirely been with Roland pattern based Drum Machines (Including the TR-505, TR-606 and TR-707 models of the mid 1980's). Some Drum machines work differently than the Roland models (The Alesis SR 16 works very differently, but can still use these sequences), as do Software Sequencer programs that can be used to loop a few measures. This should not prevent you from trying these patterns.

    Each of these patterns is 4 measures long and can be played back at any tempo. Typically, I use them somewhere between 90 to 110 Beats Per Minute.

    I did not invent any of the patterns that are presented. They are simple replications of fairly common drum patterns used by drummers the world over. I have used these in MIDI sequences in songs for many years - They fit a certain class of song but may not be appropriate for other songs. Please feel free to modify them to your tastes.

    Those listed here are common 4/4 beats used in many forms of Rap and Hip Hop. I've tried to reduce these to the bare essentials. There are many other variations that this does not cover. Feel free to experiment with them.

    Pattern Title: Rap 1 - First Half - Pattern #: 1
    Beat
    Sound
     1
     2
     3
     4
    		 5
     6
     7
     8
    		 9
    10
    11
    12
    		13
    14
    15
    16
    SN
     
     
     
     
    		 X
     
     
     
    		 
     
     
     
    		 X
     
     
     
    BD
     X
     
     X
     
    		 
     X
     
     X
    		 X
     
     
     
    		 
     
     X
     
    AC
     X
     
     X
     
    		 X
     
     X
     
    		 X
     
     X
     
    		 X
     
     X
     

    Pattern Title: Rap 1 - Second Half - Pattern #: 2
    Beat
    Sound
     1
     2
     3
     4
    		 5
     6
     7
     8
    		 9
    10
    11
    12
    		13
    14
    15
    16
    CH
     
     
     
     
    		 
     
     
     
    		 
     X
     X
     X
    		 X
     X
     
     X
    OH
     
     
     
     
    		 
     
     
     
    		 
     
     
     
    		 
     
     X
     
    SD
     
     
     
     
    		 X
     
     
     
    		 
     
     
     
    		 X
     
     
     
    BD
     X
     
     X
     
    		 
     X
     
     X
    		 X
     
     
     
    		 
     
     X
     
    AC
     X
     
     X
     
    		 X
     
     X
     
    		 X
     
     X
     
    		 X
     
     X
     

    Pattern Title: Rap 2 - First Half - Pattern #: 3
    Beat
    Sound
     1
     2
     3
     4
    		 5
     6
     7
     8
    		 9
    10
    11
    12
    		13
    14
    15
    16
    CH
     X
     
     X
     
    		 X
     
     X
     
    		 X
     
     X
     
    		 X
     
     X
     
    OH
     
     
     
     
    		 
     
     
     
    		 
     
     
     
    		 
     
     
     X
    SD
     
     
     
     
    		 X
     
     
     
    		 
     
     
     
    		 X
     
     
     
    BD
     X
     
     X
     
    		 
     X
     X
     
    		 X
     
     
     X
    		 
     X
     
     
    AC
     X
     
     X
     
    		 X
     
     X
     
    		 X
     
     X
     
    		 X
     
     X
     

    Pattern Title: Rap 2 - Second Half - Pattern #: 4
    Beat
    Sound
     1
     2
     3
     4
    		 5
     6
     7
     8
    		 9
    10
    11
    12
    		13
    14
    15
    16
    CH
     X
     
     X
     
    		 X
     
     X
     
    		 
     
     X
     
    		 
     
     X
     
    OH
     
     
     
     
    		 
     
     
     
    		 
     
     
     
    		 
     
     
     X
    CC
     
     
     
     
    		 
     
     
     
    		 X
     
     
     
    		 X
     
     
     
    SD
     
     
     
     
    		 X
     
     
     
    		 
     
     
     
    		 X
     
     
     
    BD
     X
     
     X
     
    		 
     X
     X
     
    		 X
     
     
     X
    		 
     X
     
     
    AC
     X
     
     X
     
    		 X
     
     X
     
    		 X
     
     X
     
    		 X
     
     X
     

    Pattern Title: Rap 3 - Pattern #: 5
    Beat
    Sound
     1
     2
     3
     4
    		 5
     6
     7
     8
    		 9
    10
    11
    12
    		13
    14
    15
    16
    CH
     X
     
     X
     
    		 X
     
     X
     
    		 X
     
     X
     
    		 X
     X
     X
     
    OH
     
     
     
     
    		 
     
     
     
    		 
     
     
     
    		 
     
     
     X
    HC
     X
     
     
     
    		 
     
     
     
    		 X
     
     
     
    		 
     
     
     
    SD
     
     
     
     
    		 X
     
     
     
    		 
     
     
     
    		 X
     
     
     
    BD
     X
     
     X
     
    		 
     X
     
     X
    		 X
     
     X
     
    		 
     
     X
     X
    AC
     X
     
     X
     
    		 X
     
     X
     
    		 X
     
     X
     
    		 X
     
     X
     

    Pattern Title: Rap 3 - With Fill - Pattern #: 6
    Beat
    Sound
     1
     2
     3
     4
    		 5
     6
     7
     8
    		 9
    10
    11
    12
    		13
    14
    15
    16
    CH
     X
     
     X
     
    		 X
     
     X
     
    		 X
     
     X
     
    		 X
     X
     X
     
    OH
     
     
     
     
    		 
     
     
     
    		 
     
     
     
    		 
     
     
     X
    HC
     X
     
     
     
    		 
     
     
     
    		 X
     
     
     
    		 
     
     
     
    SD
     
     
     
     
    		 X
     
     
     
    		 
     X
     X
     X
    		 X
     X
     X
     
    BD
     X
     
     X
     
    		 
     X
     
     X
    		 X
     
     X
     
    		 
     
     X
     X
    AC
     X
     
     X
     
    		 X
     
     X
     
    		 X
     
     X
     
    		 X
     
     X
     

    How/When to use these

    The first 2 patterns are meant to work together - it lasts 32 steps instead of 16. The next pattern (#5) is used by itself as the verse of a Rap / Hip Hop tune. The last (#6) pattern is used every 4 or 8 measures to add a Fill.

    The Sample MIDI file includes all of these patterns, 1 per measure. There is also a 4 beat count down (intro) and final measure that is not shown documented here.

    Drum Machine/Sound Naming Key

    • CH = Closed Hi-Hat
    • OH = Open Hi-Hat
    • RC = Ride Cymbal
    • CC = Crash Cymbal
    • HC = Hand Clap
    • HT = High Tom-Tom
    • MT = Mid Tom-Tom
    • LT = Low Tom-Tom
    • SD = Snare Drum
    • RS = Rim Shot (Snare Rim)
    • BD = Bass Drum
    • AC = Accent (higher velocity on all sounds this beat)

    • Normal MIDI Velocity = 90 (any beat that does not have an Accent)
    • Accent MIDI Velocity = 110 (any beat that has an Accent)

    Values in RED are for steps 1, 5, 9 and 13. They are in RED simply to make it easier to follow - each RED value indicates the beginning of a Measure. All other steps are shown in BLUE.

    X or X indicate that you are to select a specific percussive sound at at given beat.

    Questions? Comments? .

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