70s Slow Jam drum pattern
A slow two-bar 70s soul groove: soft one-handed 16th hats with a light swing, a kick that answers on the a of 1, a round backbeat behind the beat and an open hat at the end of the phrase. Press Play to hear it with a sampled drum kit at 72 BPM, change the tempo or swing, and follow every hit on the grid.
How to count the 70s Slow Jam
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 lightly swung 16th-note slow jam).
The 70s Slow Jam 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- ---- |
| Snare | ---- X--- ---- X--- | ---- X--- ---- X--- |
| Ghost snare | ---- --o- ---- --o- | ---- ---- -o-- ---- |
| Closed hat | xooo xooo xooo xooo | xooo xooo xooo xo-o |
| Open hat | ---- ---- ---- ---- | ---- ---- ---- --x- |
Tempo and feel
Warm and unhurried. The 16ths should glide rather than tick, and the backbeat should feel like it arrives a moment after you expect it. The default tempo is 72 BPM. It plays with 54% swing by default; move the Swing control toward 50% to hear it straight. Slow it down until every hit is controlled, then raise the tempo a few BPM at a time.
How to practise the 70s Slow Jam
Play the 16th hats with one hand, accenting the beats, until they glide. Add the kick, letting the a-of-1 note be soft. Add the late backbeat and the two ghost notes.
Variations to try next
Play the backbeat as a cross-stick in the verses. Straighten the Swing to 50% for a tighter 80s feel. Move the hats to eighths for more space.
Where to hear this feel
Records in this family include Marvin Gaye - Let's Get It On, The Isley Brothers - For the Love of You and Teddy Pendergrass - Close the Door. A drum-set study of the 70s soul slow jam: one-handed 16th hats, a soft syncopated kick and a round, late backbeat. The congas and strings of many records are not on the kit. It is authored for practice, not transcribed.