Half-time snare
A half-time snare plays the snare once per bar, on beat 3 (step 9 of 16), instead of on beats 2 and 4. The tempo stays the same but the beat feels half as fast, which is why trap at 140 BPM feels like 70.
Also called half time drums, half-time feel, snare on 3.
Play it
Faded lanes are a guide: they are there so the pattern has something to sit against. Tap any box to change it.
Try this
Try this · change one box
Add a snare on step 5. With a snare on 2 and 3 the same tempo suddenly feels twice as fast again.
Hear it without the grid
A short recording of the loop above at 140 BPM, made with Swung’s own sounds.
How it works
A backbeat claps twice per bar. Take one clap away and move the other to the middle of the bar, and the body hears one big swing per bar instead of two.
Fast hats over a half-time snare give trap its double feeling: the hats say 140, the snare says 70.
The pattern in words
- Snare: step 9 of 16.
- Kick: steps 1 and 11 of 16.
| Part | Steps, 1 to 16 | Plays on |
|---|---|---|
| Snare | ········x······· | step 9 of 16 |
| Kick | x·········x····· | steps 1 and 11 of 16 |
x a hit, o a quiet hit, 2 or 3 a quick roll inside one step, – a note held on, · nothing.
Variations
Clap with the snare
A clap stacked on beat 3 for a wider hit.
Backbeat, same tempo
The snare back on 2 and 4 at 140 BPM, for comparison.
A pushed kick
An extra kick on step 7, just before the snare.
Where it’s used
Also common in Dubstep and Drill.
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 Half-time snare comes in Unit 2: Groove.