Two-step break
The two-step break is the main drum pattern of drum & bass: a kick on beat 1 and on the “and” of beat 3 (steps 1 and 11 of 16), a snare on beats 2 and 4, at 170–176 BPM. The skipped kick is what makes it “two-step”.
Also called two step drum and bass, dnb two-step, two-step beat.
Play it
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Try this
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Add a kick on step 9. Now it is a plain rock beat played very fast: the skip was the whole trick.
Hear it without the grid
A short recording of the loop above at 174 BPM, made with Swung’s own sounds.
How it works
It is a backbeat with the second kick moved half a beat late. At 174 BPM that one move turns a rock beat into a rolling, forward-leaning break.
Quiet ghost snares between the main hits give it the feel of a sampled drum break, the way the style was first made.
The pattern in words
- Kick: steps 1 and 11 of 16.
- Snare: steps 5 and 13; quiet on 8 and 16 of 16.
- Hats: quiet on 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13 and 15 of 16.
| Part | Steps, 1 to 16 | Plays on |
|---|---|---|
| Kick | x·········x····· | steps 1 and 11 of 16 |
| Snare | ····x··o····x··o | steps 5 and 13; quiet on 8 and 16 of 16 |
| Hats | o·o·o·o·o·o·o·o· | quiet on 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13 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
No ghost notes
Just the loud hits.
A pickup kick
One more kick on step 16, into the next bar.
Half-time feel
The snare only on beat 3 at the same tempo.
Where it’s used
Also common in Jungle and Liquid drum & bass.
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 Two-step break comes in Unit 2: Groove.