Funk groove with ghost notes: drum pattern and how to play it
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Song grooves
· Simplified drum grooves in the style of famous songs — not exact transcriptions.
- Time signature
- 4/4
- Tempo
- 96–100 BPM
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Loop
- 1 bar
| Open hi-hat | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hi-hat | ||||||||||||||||
| Snare | ||||||||||||||||
| Kick |
Each row is one drum, each column one step. Large dots are accents, small dots normal hits, faint dots ghost notes.
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. Four ghost notes sit between the main hits — play them barely audible. The hi-hat opens on 2a and 4& and closes again on the next note. A light swing (about 53%) pushes every second 16th note slightly late.
In our catalog 2 songs use it, from 96 to 100 BPM.
Who plays what: notes per bar
| Cymbal hand | 16 |
|---|---|
| Snare hand | 6 |
| Kick foot | 4 |
The kick always lines up with the cymbal, so the work is in the snare hand: 4 of its 6 notes are ghost notes.
How to practice it
- Press Play and listen to a few loops while counting out loud: 1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a.
- Lower the tempo to 60 BPM and play just the kick and snare along with the player.
- Add the hi-hat part. When the loop feels relaxed, move up to 80 BPM.
- Finally play the full groove at 100 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 “Brick House” (Commodores, 16th-note funk groove), this groove adds 1 ghost note and opens the hi-hat — and it runs 7 BPM slower. If you can already play that one, this is your next step. 16th-note funk groove →