808 glide
An 808 glide is a long, deep bass note, the tuned kick of an 808 drum machine, that slides up or down in pitch into the next note instead of jumping. It is the bending low end of trap and drill, usually at 130–150 BPM.
Also called 808 slide, sliding 808, 808 portamento.
Play it
- Bar 1Am
- Bar 2F
- Bar 3C
- Bar 4G
Faded lanes are a guide: they are there so the pattern has something to sit against. The loop runs over four chords, Am, F, C, G, one bar each. Tap any box to change it.
Try this
Try this · change one box
Tap the octave note on step 7 to take it out. With no jump there is nothing to glide between.
Hear it without the grid
A short recording of the loop above at 140 BPM, made with Swung’s own sounds.
How it works
The bass holds the root, then slides up an octave on step 7 and back down on step 11. The slide is the sound: you hear the pitch travel instead of step.
Because an 808 is long and deep, it usually plays the role of both kick and bass. Leave space around it; one well-placed slide says more than several.
The pattern in words
- Octave: step 7 of 16, each held for 4 steps.
- Root: steps 1 and 11 of 16, each held for 6 steps.
| Part | Steps, 1 to 16 | Plays on |
|---|---|---|
| Octave | ······x–––······ | step 7 of 16, each held for 4 steps |
| Root | x–––––····x––––– | steps 1 and 11 of 16, each held for 6 steps |
x a hit, o a quiet hit, 2 or 3 a quick roll inside one step, – a note held on, · nothing.
Variations
No glide
The same notes, jumping instead of sliding.
A fifth instead of the octave
A shorter slide, up seven semitones.
Short 808 hits
Three short notes, no slides.
Where it’s used
Also common in Drill and Modern hip hop.
Learn this pattern step by step
The course builds up to it from Unit 1, which is free. Sign up with Google and start with the first lesson; it plays in your browser, like this page.
Pick up where you left off
Carry on with Unit 1, then 808 glide comes in Unit 3: Low end.