Rachenitsa 7/8 (2+2+3) drum pattern
A two-bar rachenitsa in 7/8 grouped 2+2+3: kick and low tom on the three 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 160 BPM, change the tempo or swing, and follow every hit on the grid.
How to count the Rachenitsa 7/8 (2+2+3)
Count it as: 1 2 · 1 2 · 1 2 3 · two bars. The pattern is a 2-bar phrase in 7/8 (two-bar 7/8 on a 16th-note grid · grouped 2+2+3).
The Rachenitsa 7/8 (2+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- -- X- -- X- -- -- |
| Snare | -- x- -- x- -- x- x- | -- x- -- x- -- x- xo |
| Low tom | x- -- x- -- x- -- -- | x- -- x- -- x- -- -- |
Tempo and feel
Quick, quick, slow, always dancing forward. The three group starts are the steps; keep the snare light so the steps stand out. The default tempo is 160 BPM. Slow it down until every hit is controlled, then raise the tempo a few BPM at a time.
How to practise the Rachenitsa 7/8 (2+2+3)
Say quick, quick, slow and step it on the spot. Play the kick and low tom on the three 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 rachenitsa dance tunes. A practice study of rachenitsa, the Bulgarian dance in 7/8 grouped 2+2+3: quick, quick, slow. It shares its grouping with the library's 7/8 Rock (2+2+3) but has no backbeat. 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.