Fusion Funk drum pattern
A two-bar 70s fusion-funk groove: ride eighths with the bell on every beat, a splashing hi-hat foot on the ands, double-kick syncopations and a bar-two snare pair that pushes into the downbeat. Press Play to hear it with a sampled drum kit at 124 BPM, change the tempo or swing, and follow every hit on the grid.
How to count the Fusion Funk
Count it as: 1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a · two bars. The pattern is a 2-bar phrase in 4/4 (two-bar straight 16th-note fusion pocket).
The Fusion Funk 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 | Bar 1 | Bar 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Kick | X--x --xx --X- ---- | X-xx --x- -xx- -x-- |
| Snare | ---- X--- ---- X--- | ---- X--- ---- X-XX |
| Ghost snare | -o-- ---- -o-o ---o | -o-- ---o -o-- ---- |
| Pedal hat | --o- --o- --o- --o- | --o- --o- --o- --o- |
| Ride | --x- --x- --x- --x- | --x- --x- --x- --x- |
| Ride bell | x--- x--- x--- x--- | x--- x--- x--- x--- |
Tempo and feel
Driving and athletic, but still a groove. The kick doubles must stay light and even so the ride and backbeat keep the time. The default tempo is 124 BPM. Slow it down until every hit is controlled, then raise the tempo a few BPM at a time.
How to practise the Fusion Funk
Play the ride and bell with the hi-hat foot on the ands at 90 BPM. Add the kick doubles slowly and keep them even. Add the backbeat and bar-two snare pair, then raise the tempo a few BPM at a time.
Variations to try next
Move the ride hand to open 16ths on the hi-hat. Drop the kick doubles to single notes. Push the tempo to 140 BPM once the doubles are clean.
Where to hear this feel
Records in this family include Billy Cobham - Stratus and The Brecker Brothers - Some Skunk Funk. A style study of 70s jazz-rock fusion funk: ride-cymbal time with a bell on the beats, the hi-hat foot splashing on the ands, and a busy kick with 16th-note doubles. The practice tempo is below the fastest records of the style.