Latin / Brazilian · medium · 130 BPM
Bossa Nova Drum Beat
The drumset adaptation of Brazilian bossa nova, with a cross-stick rim playing the 3-2 bossa clave against steady eighth-note hats and a soft two-feel kick. The feel is gentle, swaying, and sophisticated rather than driving. The rim pattern is the heart of the groove and what gives bossa its instantly recognizable lilt.
Press play to hear it, then open the full machine to edit, loop, and play along with your own kit.
What this teaches
Teaches playing a clave ostinato on the cross-stick while keeping independent steady hats and a light foot.
Heard in
- The Girl from Ipanema - Antonio Carlos Jobim/Stan Getz/Joao Gilberto
- Desafinado - Antonio Carlos Jobim
- Corcovado - Antonio Carlos Jobim
More grooves
GrooveSteps practice notes · Updated 2026-10-18 · How these examples are made
Listen for this
Begin with the cross-stick row and sing its spaces. Add the quieter kick underneath without making the rim accents disappear. This drum-set arrangement is a coordination exercise; its grid is not a substitute for studying a full performance in the style.
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 130 BPM or lower the control until you can follow each part.
| Voice | Count positions |
|---|---|
| kick | 1 · 1 a · 2 & · 3 · 3 a · 4 & |
| rim | 1 · 1 a · 2 & · 3 & · 4 e |
| hihat | 1 · 1 & · 2 · 2 & · 3 · 3 & · 4 · 4 & |
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
Build a practice routine · Read drum notation · Browse the lesson path
Found a mismatch between the explanation and the player? Send a correction with the page address and the step or count that needs attention.