hard lesson
The Linear Fill
A linear groove follows one rule: no two voices ever strike at the same time. Every kick, snare, and hi-hat note gets its own slot, so the limbs weave around each other in a single unbroken stream. This builds independence and the kind of flowing, gospel-chops phrasing heard in modern funk and fusion. We'll construct a one-bar linear pattern step by step, checking that nothing ever stacks.
Play it yourself — keyboard or your own kit
Place the kick footprints first, spread out so they leave room for everything else: step 0 (beat 1), step 5 (the 'a' of beat 2), step 8 (beat 3), and step 13 (the 'a' of beat 4). These are the only kicks in the bar.
Add two snare hits in slots no kick occupies: step 3 (the 'a' of beat 1) and step 10 (the 'and' of beat 3). Notice they slot into the gaps; no snare ever lands on a kick step. That separation is the whole point of linear playing.
Fill every remaining empty slot with hi-hat: steps 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 9, 11, 12, 14, and 15. Now all 16 steps are either kick, snare, or hat, and never two at once. Play it slowly as one continuous ripple of single notes, letting the limbs hand off to each other. Speed it up only once it stays perfectly linear.
GrooveSteps practice notes · Updated 2026-10-18 · How these examples are made
What to focus on
In this exercise, only one voice plays at any given subdivision. The hands and foot pass the rhythm between them instead of stacking several sounds on the same step.
Build a short practice session
Speak the sixteenth-note count and read the combined pattern as one line. Practice the hand notes first, leaving the kick spaces silent. Add the foot into those gaps without moving the surrounding hand strokes.
Listen, check, then progress
Listen for doubled attacks where a hand accidentally lands with the kick. Reduce the tempo and isolate that exchange. After the sequence feels continuous, use it as a fill and make the next groove downbeat the final checkpoint.
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 90 BPM or lower the control until you can follow each part.
| Voice | Count positions |
|---|---|
| kick | 1 · 2 e · 3 · 4 e |
| snare | 1 a · 3 & |
| hihat | 1 e · 1 & · 2 · 2 & · 2 a · 3 e · 3 a · 4 · 4 & · 4 a |
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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