16th-note funk groove: drum pattern and how to play it

About this groove

The time is kept with steady 16th notes on the hi-hat. The kick plays on 1, 1&, 3& and 4e. The snare marks the backbeat on 2 and 4. Three ghost notes sit between the main hits — play them barely audible. The hi-hat opens on 4& and closes again on the next note. A light swing (about 53%) pushes every second 16th note slightly late.

In our catalog 8 songs use it, from 90 to 134 BPM.

Learn Songs on this beat run from 90 to 134 BPM; the median of all 150 songs on Drums3D is 118 BPM. Song tempos compared →

How to practice it

1. Press Play and listen to a few loops while counting out loud: 1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a.
2. Lower the tempo to 65 BPM and play just the kick and snare along with the player.
3. Add the hi-hat part. When the loop feels relaxed, move up to 85 BPM.
4. Finally play the full groove at 109 BPM, then try it without the player.

• Keep ghost notes very quiet: hit them from just above the head, so the accents stand out.
• An open hi-hat is only half the move — close it exactly on the next count, or the groove gets messy.
• Use the Swing slider: start straight (50%) and raise it until the off-beats lean back like the original feel.
• The syncopated kick notes are the tricky part — loop just the kick and hi-hat until they lock in.

Compared with the nearest groove

Compared with “Funky Drummer” (James Brown, funk groove with ghost notes), this groove changes only small details — and it runs 9 BPM faster. If you can already play that one, this is your next step. funk groove with ghost notes →