Rock · easy · 90 BPM
Half-Time Rock Drum Beat
A half-time feel that stretches the backbeat out so the snare lands only on beat 3 instead of 2 and 4. The kick anchors beat 1 while the eighth-note hi-hat keeps the pulse moving. This creates a heavy, spacious, laid-back feel popular in rock and hip-hop-influenced grooves.
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 half-time concept of moving the snare backbeat to beat 3 for a wide, heavy feel.
Heard in
- Led Zeppelin - When the Levee Breaks
More grooves
GrooveSteps practice notes · Updated 2026-10-18 · How these examples are made
Listen for this
Keep the hats moving at the original speed while the snare marks the wider half-time phrase. Compare it with the basic rock beat at the same BPM; the perceived weight changes even though the quarter-note pulse does not.
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 90 BPM or lower the control until you can follow each part.
| Voice | Count positions |
|---|---|
| kick | 1 |
| snare | 3 |
| 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
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