Blues · medium · 120 BPM
Blues Shuffle
The classic triplet-feel blues shuffle, with the ride or hi-hat playing the swung 'da-da-dat' on every beat (first and third triplet partials). Backbeat snare lands on 2 and 4 with a kick on 1 and 3. This is the bread-and-butter Texas and Chicago shuffle.
Press play to hear it, then open the full machine to edit, loop, and play along with your own kit.
What this teaches
Teaches the shuffle hand: playing the first and third notes of each triplet steadily on the ride or hats.
Heard in
- Pride and Joy - Stevie Ray Vaughan
- Sweet Home Chicago - Robert Johnson
- Born Under a Bad Sign - Albert King
More grooves
GrooveSteps practice notes · Updated 2026-10-18 · How these examples are made
Listen for this
A shuffle depends on unequal spacing within the beat. Listen for a long-short pair, not two even eighth notes. The programmed grid is a practice approximation; compare it with the explicit triplet subdivisions in the 12/8 exercise to hear the distinction.
Practice the arrangement
- Start with the sparsest row. Count every subdivision, including the silent positions.
- Add one voice at a time on your kit, or listen to the full loop and clap just one part. Keep the main pulse unchanged.
- Play four loops at a comfortable tempo. Change one note, then compare the variation with the displayed pattern before adding another.
Read the final example without sound
This loop has 16 steps, with 4 steps per main beat. Count each beat as number, e, and, a. The table lists the occupied positions; every unlisted position is a rest. Start at 120 BPM or lower the control until you can follow each part.
| Voice | Count positions |
|---|---|
| hihat | 1 · 1 & · 1 a · 2 · 2 & · 2 a · 3 · 3 & · 3 a · 4 · 4 & · 4 a |
| snare | 2 · 4 |
| kick | 1 · 3 |
These positions describe the programmed example, not an artist recording. Playback uses synthesized sounds. A real performance also involves touch, dynamics and phrasing.
Keep practicing
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