easy lesson
Four on the Floor
A kick drum on every single beat — the relentless pulse behind disco, house, and most dance music. It locks your foot to the tempo and is one of the most useful patterns to own.
Play it yourself — keyboard or your own kit
Play the kick on all four beats — 1, 2, 3, 4 — perfectly even. Let it be steady and machine-like.
Add the snare backbeat on beats 2 and 4.
Lay eighth-note hi-hats over the top for the full dance-floor groove.
GrooveSteps practice notes · Updated 2026-10-18 · How these examples are made
What to focus on
A kick on every quarter note creates a reliable floor underneath the groove. The coordination challenge is keeping the foot even when the snare joins it on beats 2 and 4.
Build a short practice session
Play kick alone while counting four numbers. Add the snare on alternate kicks, then add the hats. Practice at a tempo where you can keep the kick volume comfortable instead of stomping harder on the snare beats.
Listen, check, then progress
Listen for four similar kick attacks in every bar. If 2 and 4 become louder or late, reduce the tempo and separate the parts again. The disco lesson adds an offbeat hi-hat texture to this same foundation.
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 112 BPM or lower the control until you can follow each part.
| Voice | Count positions |
|---|---|
| kick | 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 |
| snare | 2 · 4 |
| 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
Found a mismatch between the explanation and the player? Send a correction with the page address and the step or count that needs attention.