Soul backbeat
Soul & R&B
A slow soul backbeat over two bars, with a tambourine in bar 2.
The pattern
Bar 1
Closed hat
Open hat
Kick
Perc
Crash
Snare
Bar 2
Closed hat
Open hat
Kick
Perc
Crash
Snare
What you'll play
A slow soul backbeat over two bars, with a tambourine in bar 2. Bar 1: crash on 1, kick on 1 and 3, snare on 2 and 4, hats on the 8ths. Bar 2: a tambourine joins the snare, and the last hat opens on the "and" of 4.
Tip: Fingertips, curved fingers, wrists slightly raised and loose.
Hear it first
Lean back. The tambourine makes the backbeat sparkle.
Play it clean
Right middle hats and crash, right ring open hat, right index snare. Left index kick, left middle tambourine. Pass with 85% as the tempo goes 72 → 76 → 80 BPM.