Funk backbeat

The pattern

What you'll play

A two-bar funk groove with an open hat and a pedal hat. Bar 1: crash on 1, kick on 1 and 3, snare on 2 and 4. The hat opens on the "and" of 3 and the pedal hat closes it on 4. Bar 2 keeps the hats but the kick walks: 1, "a" of 1, "e" of 2, "a" of 2, then 3.

Tip: Fingertips, curved fingers, wrists loose.

Hear it first

Hear the open hat ring, then snap shut with the pedal hat.

Play it clean

Right middle on hats and crash, right ring on the open hat, right index on snare. Left index kick, left middle pedal hat. Pass with 85% as the tempo goes 84 → 92 BPM.