REWIRE MUSIC THEORY 

COURSE CONTENTS

Learn

2.1 Reading Grooves

Each part of the drum set has a specific role in a groove. The kick drum marks the beginning of each measure and is matched by the bass instrument The snare plays the backbeat. The hihat or ride cymbal plays a stream of the groove’s subdivision. Drummers will often use the same one or two-measure groove for a song section or the entire song.

  • Watch the walkthrough video.

  • Listen to a basic backbeat groove.

  • Learn the information below.


BASIC BACKBEAT

This beatmap is a visualization of one of the most played drum patterns in recorded music. It has been used in rock, EDM, country, funk, latin, and hip hop music. The hihat plays a quarter note subdivision, the snare plays the backbeat on 2 and 4, and the kick plays on beats 1 and 3.

Terms
Kick: The largest drum of the drumset. The kick drum plays one to four other times each measure, often starting on beat one.
Snare: The snare drum usually plays on the backbeat.
Hihat: Two cymbals connected to a pedal. The hihat usually plays the base subdivision of the groove.
Groove: A pattern that the drumset plays over one or more measures.

keydrumming

The location of drum sounds on a MIDI keyboard is the same across most DAWs. Practicing drum grooves using these locations will allow you to play drum sounds in a DAW as you would an acoustic instrument. Click on the image to open the instrument map in a new window.

  • Print or save to use as a reference throughout the lesson.

 

Practice

BASIC BACKBEAT

Follow along with the video to practice the basic backbeat groove.

  • Open Soundtrap > add a new track > drum & beats.

  • Using the typing keyboard or MIDI keyboard, play along with the video.

  • After completing the video, play the basic backbeat along with the drumless songs playlist and the backing tracks below.

  • You can also practice with a drumless track from this Youtube Playlist →

Track #1 | 80 BPM
Download
Track #2 | 85 BPM
Track #3 | 96 BPM
Track #4 | 110 BPM

Extra Practice

 

Test

GROOVE PERFORMANCE

Demonstrate your ability to perform a basic backbeat groove.

  • Read the recording instructions, and record the basic backbeat groove using the drumless track on Soundtrap.

Test Walkthrough

OPEN IN SOUNDTRAP

    1. Add new track > Drum and beats track.

    2. Disable the looping function by double-clicking the purple bar over the timeline.

    3. Add a little reverb by clicking on the dragging the reverb knob to the right.

    4. Record the basic backbeat groove using the drumless track on Soundtrap.

    5. Press record and play eight measures of the groove with or without the metronome.

    6. Check your work by clicking on piano roll and zooming in on your notes.

 

Grow

REPERTOIRE

RECORD A GROOVE

Demonstrate your ability to perform a new groove.

  • Choose a groove from the Groove Library →

  • Read the recording instructions, and record the groove using the drumless template on Soundtrap.

OPEN IN SOUNDTRAP

    1. Setup Soundtrap with a drum instrument.

    2. Add new track > Drum + Beats Track > click on instrument to view patches.

    3. Record four measures of the groove you chose from the groove library.