Pop · medium · 70 BPM
6/8 Ballad Feel
A six-step ballad exercise in 6/8: the hi-hat plays all six eighth notes, the kick starts the bar and the snare answers on the fourth eighth note. Hear two groups of three rather than six unrelated beats. The BPM control counts dotted-quarter pulses.
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 compound 6/8 triplet pulse and placing the snare on the second main beat of each triplet group.
Heard in
- Ben E. King - Stand By Me
- The Righteous Brothers - Unchained Melody
More grooves
GrooveSteps practice notes · Updated 2026-10-18 · How these examples are made
Listen for this
Count ONE-two-three FOUR-five-six, with kick on 1 and snare on 4. The six-step loop returns immediately to its first note. Let the six hi-hat notes stay even while the two larger pulses remain easy to hear.
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 6 steps, with 3 steps per main beat. Each pair of numbers below identifies a main beat and its subdivision (for example, 2.1 is the start of the second main beat). Start at 70 BPM or lower the control until you can follow each part.
| Voice | Count positions |
|---|---|
| hihat | 1.1 · 1.2 · 1.3 · 2.1 · 2.2 · 2.3 |
| kick | 1.1 |
| snare | 2.1 |
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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Found a mismatch between the explanation and the player? Send a correction with the page address and the step or count that needs attention.