Classic groove · Bo Diddley, 1955
The Bo Diddley beat
108 BPM · one bar · sixteenths, four steps to the beat
16 steps · a brighter cell is an accent · the darker columns mark the beats (4 steps each). Rows used: Hi tom, Low tom, Kick.
What the drums do
Shave-and-a-haircut, on the toms: the three-two son clave played as a groove. Rock and roll's oldest rhythm, and the kick pattern half the shuffles here are built on.
How to use it
- Open it in the lab and press play. Listen for the beats the note points at before you look at the grid.
- Tap ½ speed and play along on a pad or the kit until the placement is yours, then let it back up to 108.
- Change one thing. Move a kick, drop a ghost note, add an open hat. The groove is a starting point, and the lab saves what you make of it.