How to create drum patterns across genres (lo-fi hip hop, metal, and more)

Rhythms and drum patterns are often among the most important elements for placing a song in the context of a genre.

In a previous tutorial video, we explored how to program your own drum patterns in genres spanning house to drum & bass. Today, we built on that foundation by walking through how to create grooves in even more genres – specifically Jersey club, synthwave, lo-fi hip hop, jazz, big room, metal, alt rock, jungle, and drill music. Watch the video above to learn about the different rhythmic seeds that constitute each genre, and how to compose your original patterns.

If you’d like to experiment with the MIDI for any of the grooves we covered, feel free to download the .zip file containing all of the files here. If you’re interested in using the specific drum one-shots we used for each genre, you can find the complete Collection of sounds here.

If you’re looking for a more introductory look at making your own drum patterns, you can also check out our in-depth guide on beat making here.

Do you have any questions on how to create or apply any of these patterns in your own productions? What genres would you like to see us cover next? Let us know in the comments below.


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February 5, 2021

Nick Chen Content Marketing @ Splice. Nick Chen is a producer, performer, and educator under the aliases "nickthechen" and "Enix."