Funk / Pop · medium · 100 BPM
The Money Beat (16th-Note Hats)
A widely used groove in popular music: kick on beat 1 plus the 'and' of 2, snare on the 2 and 4 backbeat, and steady straight sixteenth notes on the hi-hat. The extra kick pushing into beat 3 gives it that forward, money-making bounce.
Press play to hear it, then open the full machine to edit, loop, and play along with your own kit.
What this teaches
Coordinating a syncopated kick under a continuous sixteenth-note hi-hat while keeping a rock-solid backbeat.
Heard in
- Billie Jean - Michael Jackson
- Rosanna - Toto
- Babylon Sisters - Steely Dan
More grooves
GrooveSteps practice notes · Updated 2026-10-18 · How these examples are made
Listen for this
The denser hat line changes the surface texture while the snare remains the reference. Tap just the kick and snare first. Then add the hats quietly enough that the extra kick still has a distinct place in the phrase.
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 100 BPM or lower the control until you can follow each part.
| Voice | Count positions |
|---|---|
| hihat | 1 · 1 e · 1 & · 1 a · 2 · 2 e · 2 & · 2 a · 3 · 3 e · 3 & · 3 a · 4 · 4 e · 4 & · 4 a |
| kick | 1 · 2 & |
| snare | 2 · 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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