7/4 Rock (4+3) drum pattern
A one-bar 7/4 rock beat grouped 4+3: kick on 1, 3 and 5, snare on 2, 4 and 6, beat 7 left open and eighth-note hi-hats accenting 1 and 5. Press Play to hear it with a sampled drum kit at 118 BPM, change the tempo or swing, and follow every hit on the grid.
How to count the 7/4 Rock (4+3)
Count it as: 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & · 5 & 6 & 7 &. The pattern is one bar of 7/4 (7/4 straight eighths · grouped 4+3).
The 7/4 Rock (4+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 | Pattern |
|---|---|
| Kick | X- -- X- -- X- -- -- |
| Snare | -- X- -- X- -- X- -- |
| Closed hat | xx xx xx xx xx xx xx |
Tempo and feel
A normal rock bar that trips over one extra beat. Hold beat 7 for its full length; the open space is what makes the bar feel like seven. The default tempo is 118 BPM. Slow it down until every hit is controlled, then raise the tempo a few BPM at a time.
How to practise the 7/4 Rock (4+3)
Count 1 2 3 4, 1 2 3 aloud and clap beats 1 and 5. Play the kick and snare alone and rest through beat 7. Add the eighth-note hi-hat with its accents and loop it until the bar line feels natural.
Variations to try next
Add a kick on beat 7 to push into the next bar. Group it 3+4: kick on 1, 4 and 6, snare on 3, 5 and 7. Ride the hi-hat on quarter notes for a heavier feel.
Where to hear this feel
Records in this family include 7/4 grooves in progressive and alternative rock. A practice study of a straight-eighth rock groove in 7/4 grouped 4+3, a group of four beats followed by a group of three. The first four beats are an ordinary backbeat, kick on 1 and 3 and snare on 2 and 4; the group of three starts with a kick on 5, puts the snare on 6 and leaves beat 7 open before the next downbeat. The hi-hat plays eighths with accents on 1 and 5. The open beat 7 and the accents are informed choices; players also group 7/4 as 3+4 or fill beat 7 with a kick. It is authored for practice, not transcribed.