5/4 Jazz (3+2) drum pattern
A 5/4 jazz practice groove grouped 3+2: the spang-a-lang ride extended by a fifth beat, the hi-hat foot on 2 and 4, and cross-stick marking the 3+2 grouping. Press Play to hear it with a sampled drum kit at 170 BPM, change the tempo or swing, and follow every hit on the grid.
How to count the 5/4 Jazz (3+2)
Count it as: 1 trip let 2 trip let 3 trip let · 4 trip let 5 trip let. The pattern is one bar of 5/4 (5/4 triplets · grouped 3+2).
The 5/4 Jazz (3+2) pattern, hit by hit
Each character is one step of the grid and each group is one beat. X is an accented hit, x a normal hit, o a quiet or ghost note and - a rest.
| Voice | Pattern |
|---|---|
| Kick | x-- --- --- o-- --- |
| Cross-stick | --- --- x-- --- x-- |
| Pedal hat | --- o-- --- o-- --- |
| Ride | x-- x-o x-- x-o x-- |
Tempo and feel
Five quarters should flow as 3+2 without a hitch before beat 1. The default tempo is 170 BPM. It plays with 67% swing by default; move the Swing control toward 50% to hear it straight. Slow it down until every hit is controlled, then raise the tempo a few BPM at a time.
How to practise the 5/4 Jazz (3+2)
Count 3+2 while riding. Add the foot hi-hat last. Make the next bar arrive without a pause.
Variations to try next
Group 2+3. Remove the kick. Move ride to closed hi-hat.
Where to hear this feel
Records in this family include The Dave Brubeck Quartet - Take Five and 5/4 jazz vocabulary. This is a style study written for practice, not a transcription of any one recording.