Quick tip

Four Basic Drum & Bass Kick and Snare Patterns

There are four basic kick snare patterns you need to know if you're a beginning drum and bass producer.

Jim
Jim, Kulture Samples
14 March 2025 · Short 0:39

My notes from this Short

01

Move the second kick one beat earlier

The first pattern is the most well-known one. For the second, I put the second kick one beat earlier and keep the snares where they are.

FL Studio channel rack, kick row above snare row. First pattern: kick on steps 1, 11, 17 and 27, snare on 5, 13, 21 and 29. Second pattern: kick on 1, 7, 17 and 23, snare on 5, 13, 21 and 29
On top the kick on steps 1 and 11 with the snare on 5 and 13. Below it the second kick moves to step 7.
02

Move the second snare half a beat earlier

Keep the earlier kick from the second pattern and put the second snare a half beat earlier. That makes it much more groovy.

FL Studio channel rack, third pattern: kick on steps 1, 7, 17 and 23, snare on 5, 11, 21 and 27
The second snare moves from step 13 to 11.
03

Fewer kicks for the switch

Remove most of the kicks and put the same distance between all the snares. It's great when you're switching up your drop in the second 8 bars or 16 bars.

FL Studio channel rack, fourth pattern: one kick on step 1, snare on 5, 11, 17, 23 and 29
Only the first kick stays, and the snares sit six steps apart on 5, 11, 17, 23 and 29.
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