Paidushko 5/8 (2+3) drum pattern
A two-bar paidushko in 5/8 grouped 2+3: kick and low tom on the two group starts, the snare on the eighths in between and a quiet snare pickup at the end of bar two. Press Play to hear it with a sampled drum kit at 150 BPM, change the tempo or swing, and follow every hit on the grid.
How to count the Paidushko 5/8 (2+3)
Count it as: 1 2 · 1 2 3 · two bars. The pattern is a 2-bar phrase in 5/8 (two-bar 5/8 on a 16th-note grid · grouped 2+3).
The Paidushko 5/8 (2+3) 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- -- -- |
| Snare | -- x- -- x- x- | -- x- -- x- xo |
| Low tom | x- -- x- -- -- | x- -- x- -- -- |
Tempo and feel
Limping and lively: short, long. The second group is half as long again as the first, so let the long step land late without dragging. The default tempo is 150 BPM. Slow it down until every hit is controlled, then raise the tempo a few BPM at a time.
How to practise the Paidushko 5/8 (2+3)
Say short, long on each bar and clap only the two group starts. Play the kick and low tom on the group starts, then fill the other three eighths on the snare. Add the bar-two pickup quietly and keep the downbeat exactly on time.
Variations to try next
Play the switch part on a cross-stick for a drier sound. Add a hi-hat foot on both group starts. Leave out the low tom and keep the kick alone on the steps.
Where to hear this feel
Records in this family include Bulgarian and Macedonian paidushko dance tunes. A practice study of paidushko, the Bulgarian and Macedonian dance in 5/8 grouped 2+3: a short step, then a long one. 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.