Reggae · medium · 72 BPM
One Drop Drum Beat
The signature reggae groove where beat 1 is intentionally left empty and the kick and snare drop together on beat 3. That dropped downbeat creates the laid-back, floating pulse that defines roots reggae. Steady eighth-note hats hold the time underneath.
Press play to hear it, then open the full machine to edit, loop, and play along with your own kit.
What this teaches
Teaches you to suppress the natural urge to play beat 1 and feel the emphasis on beat 3 instead.
Heard in
- Bob Marley & The Wailers - One Drop
- Bob Marley & The Wailers - Waiting in Vain
- Burning Spear - Marcus Garvey
More grooves
GrooveSteps practice notes · Updated 2026-10-18 · How these examples are made
Listen for this
Notice the space at the start of the bar and the combined low-drum and snare emphasis later in the phrase. Keep the hi-hat steady through the empty downbeat. Do not automatically add a kick on 1 when the groove feels sparse.
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 72 BPM or lower the control until you can follow each part.
| Voice | Count positions |
|---|---|
| kick | 3 |
| 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
Build a practice routine · Read drum notation · Browse the lesson path
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