Kopanitsa 11/8 (2+2+3+2+2) drum pattern
A two-bar kopanitsa in 11/8 grouped 2+2+3+2+2: kick and low tom on the five group starts, the snare on the eighths in between and a quiet pickup at the end of bar two. Press Play to hear it with a sampled drum kit at 144 BPM, change the tempo or swing, and follow every hit on the grid.
How to count the Kopanitsa 11/8 (2+2+3+2+2)
Count it as: 1 2 · 1 2 · 1 2 3 · 1 2 · 1 2 · two bars. The pattern is a 2-bar phrase in 11/8 (two-bar 11/8 on a 16th-note grid · grouped 2+2+3+2+2).
The Kopanitsa 11/8 (2+2+3+2+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 | Bar 1 | Bar 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Kick | X- -- X- -- X- -- -- X- -- X- -- | X- -- X- -- X- -- -- X- -- X- -- |
| Snare | -- x- -- x- -- x- x- -- x- -- x- | -- x- -- x- -- x- x- -- x- -- xo |
| Low tom | x- -- x- -- x- -- -- x- -- x- -- | x- -- x- -- x- -- -- x- -- x- -- |
Tempo and feel
Quick, quick, slow, quick, quick. The long group in the middle is the hinge of the bar; let it stretch, then keep the last two groups moving. The default tempo is 144 BPM. Slow it down until every hit is controlled, then raise the tempo a few BPM at a time.
How to practise the Kopanitsa 11/8 (2+2+3+2+2)
Say quick, quick, slow, quick, quick and clap the group starts. Play the kick and low tom on the five group starts only. Fill the other eighths on the snare, then add the bar-two pickup.
Variations to try next
Play the switch part on a cross-stick. Add a hi-hat foot on every group start. Leave out the low tom and keep the kick alone on the steps.
Where to hear this feel
Records in this family include Bulgarian kopanitsa and gankino dance tunes. A practice study of kopanitsa, also called gankino, the Bulgarian dance in 11/8 grouped 2+2+3+2+2, with the long group in the middle of the bar. It renders the tapan, the two-headed folk bass drum: the heavy beater, played here by the kick and low tom together, marks the start of each group, and the thin switch, played here on the snare, fills the other eighths. In bar two a quiet 16th on the switch leads back to the downbeat. The kick-and-tom pairing, the snare for the switch and the pickup are informed choices. The BPM counts quarter notes, so the eighth-note pulse runs at twice the tempo; dance tempos vary and are often faster. It is authored for practice, not transcribed.