Blues · hard · 60 BPM
Slow 12/8 Blues Drum Beat
A 12/8 practice loop with four main pulses, each divided into three eighth notes. The ride plays all twelve subdivisions, the kick marks pulses 1 and 3, and the snare answers on pulses 2 and 4. 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 playing continuous triplet ride subdivisions under a heavy 2-and-4 backbeat at slow tempo.
Heard in
- The Thrill Is Gone - B.B. King
- Red House - Jimi Hendrix
- Texas Flood - Stevie Ray Vaughan
More grooves
GrooveSteps practice notes · Updated 2026-10-18 · How these examples are made
Listen for this
Count four groups of three: 1-trip-let, 2-trip-let, 3-trip-let, 4-trip-let. The ride fills all twelve positions. Keep the snare on the second and fourth large pulses instead of treating every third note as a separate bar.
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 12 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 60 BPM or lower the control until you can follow each part.
| Voice | Count positions |
|---|---|
| ride | 1.1 · 1.2 · 1.3 · 2.1 · 2.2 · 2.3 · 3.1 · 3.2 · 3.3 · 4.1 · 4.2 · 4.3 |
| kick | 1.1 · 3.1 |
| snare | 2.1 · 4.1 |
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
Build a practice routine · Read drum notation · Browse the lesson path
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