Tresillo (3-3-2)
The tresillo is a rhythm that splits eight steps into 3 + 3 + 2, with hits on steps 1, 4 and 7 of every eight. It comes from Afro-Cuban music and sits under reggaeton, dancehall, Afrobeats and a lot of pop.
Also called tresillo rhythm, 3-3-2 rhythm, 3+3+2.
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 kick on step 5, the second beat. The 3-3-2 flattens into a plainer, marching feel.
Hear it without the grid
A short recording of the loop above at 96 BPM, made with Swung’s own sounds.
How it works
Count eight fast steps and hit on 1, 4 and 7: “ONE two three FOUR five six SEVEN eight”. The gaps are three, three, then two, so the last hit arrives early and the pattern rolls back to the start.
Played twice it fills a bar of sixteen. Put it on the kick or the bass and the music sways; put it under a steady kick and it becomes the snare part of dembow.
The pattern in words
- Kick: steps 1, 4, 7, 9, 12 and 15 of 16.
| Part | Steps, 1 to 16 | Plays on |
|---|---|---|
| Kick | x··x··x·x··x··x· | steps 1, 4, 7, 9, 12 and 15 of 16 |
x a hit, o a quiet hit, 2 or 3 a quick roll inside one step, – a note held on, · nothing.
Variations
Half a bar, then rest
One tresillo, then eight steps of space.
On the bass
The same 3-3-2 played by the bass, following the chords.
Under a dembow snare
Tresillo kick, dembow snare.
Where it’s used
Also common in Dancehall, Afrobeats, Pop and Son cubano.
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 Tresillo (3-3-2) comes in Unit 2: Groove.