Waltz Drum Pattern

What makes this pattern tick

A waltz has three beats to the bar instead of four, so there is no backbeat to lean on: the weight all goes on beat 1 and the other two beats answer it. Kick on 1, snare on 2 and 3, hi-hat eighths throughout — count "ONE two three" out loud and let the count do the work. It is the quickest way to stop hearing every bar as four.

What each drum plays

Read the notation from the top down: cymbals above the staff, drums inside it, feet underneath. Full details in the drum notation guide.

How to count it

Count 1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a out loud, one syllable per grid step. The numbers are the 3 beats, “&” is halfway through a beat, and “e” and “a” are the sixteenths either side of it. Every note in this pattern lands on one of those syllables — if you can say the count while you play, you are not guessing.

The count row under the sequencer highlights the syllable you are on as the loop plays, so you can check your counting against the playhead rather than against your ears.

Suggested tempo progression

This pattern is written for 104 BPM and rated beginner. Work up in stages rather than jumping straight to the target — the sequencer remembers whatever tempo you leave it at.

1. 60 BPM — slow enough to watch every limb. Play it until nothing surprises you.
2. 85 BPM — where the groove starts to feel like music rather than an exercise.
3. 104 BPM — the working tempo. Hold it for two minutes without drifting.
4. 120 BPM — faster than you need, so the target tempo feels easy when you come back to it.

Make it your own

The sequencer above is a copy, not the original, so change anything you like — toggle cells on and off, mute a voice to hear what it was holding together, or solo the kick to check your foot. Reset puts the pattern back. If you want the same idea in a different style, the closest neighbours are Latin Drum Pattern and 6/8 Drum Pattern, or browse all 20 patterns.