How To Program Drum Grooves 

I love this guy. He's like the Anthony Bourdain of music production.

One of the best ways to do high hats is not with one finger, but with two fingers (like the index and middle fingers). This adds life to your programmed drums and gives a big boost to the velocity changes like a drummer would normally do. The same applies to the kick drum (double bass work) and snare (like hitting multiple snare hits during a fill). Another trick I use is to layer multiple kits together. This allows for the snap of a shallow snare sound mixed with a deeper snare.

You can't watch to the end of these videos without launching a DAW and starting a track, I swear! Please do a bass line video so we can see how the bass works together with these patterns.

This is honestly the best beginner drum tutorial out there. The velocity of the drums and mixing the drum pattern up are one of the key points of making drums sound good

Non-drummers; a few additional tips to change your world: 1) You can move any HH ostinato to the ride. Just remember to find the “stepped” HH sample, & step it on 2 & 4, sometimes all fours, or even the “ands” to give any beat a “lift”, say in the chorus (or your solos). 2) Study David Garibaldi’s presentation of ghost notes in “Building the Funky Beat”. If you’re smart, you’ll get it by about page 8 (ish). Then watch the Porcaro 30 minute video (with the Garibaldi concepts in mind) on playing straight & shuffle grooves, & your programming will be PRO!

A good followup might be programming some fills/turnarounds.

please do more basic programming videos

The amount of knowledge you have in so many different aspects of music is staggering. As a full time blue collar drummer in Las Vegas i completely agree with your process. I never thought of putting cymbals and hihats on a separate track but i might start incorporating it.

I love the way he says quantize

Thanks, man! Finally, ​somebody breaking things down the way I fully understand. Keep rock music alive. So many of these tutorials are specific to hip hop. I just subscribed.

Hi Rick, this is one of your most awesome videos (and I've watched a ton of them!), you're really great at explaining things in a nice and practical way, but without giving up the complexity of the topics. I wish every music teacher had some of this talent of yours. I also recommend everyone who doesn't have access to free education to explore Rick's channels and buy the Beato book. It's a good way to give you your well-deserved cheque at the end of the month and it'd be a great tool for those who can't afford Berklee or similar colleges to learn at least up to a certain degree. Keep up the good work Rick, it might not mean much when it's me saying it, but you're a great guy and a hero of music education. Hope to have the honor to meet you in person someday.

Excellent video! I would love you to do more drum programming. - various fills - ideas for verse /pre-chorus/chorus etc - EQ for kick/bass for modern electronic pop drums

Rick...how timely this lesson is! I have been struggling with this lately...this is just what the doctor ordered! Thanks so much for this lesson!

No one beats Beato. Beato is on the beat... I can go on all day. His knowledge and generosity in sharing are brilliant.

I love programming drums. Great tips here. Also try: Quantize kick and snare but leave hhats more loose with no quantize or apply a groove quantization to them. Make an odd bar beat (3bars) and the copy/paste it into even bars. This will create a ‘randomness’ when listening to it. Once the full beat is done, go into step mode and move the snares a few clicks before of after the beat. Listen to those results. Keep your drums in separate MIDI tracks. Rick already said that but its suoer important.

You are a musical BEAST - thankful that you share so much with the world!!

Rick hit the nail on the head when it comes to programing drum grooves that the HH and ride cymbals are most important to get right first! Having these elements correct will make a huge difference if adding real instruments to the tracks to help feel and dynamics to feel more real-live performance.

Great video Rick!!! I'm amazed at your expertise in so many different areas of music and music production.

Hey Rick. Love the channel. One of the absolute best music channels on here. Just a thought I program a lot of drums for rock demos and what I actually do is pull in loops from the libraries that have the right hats/toms/ride and move the kick and snare to fit the beat I need. Generally it stops me having to tweak velocity on hats/ride. Just a thought. Thanks for the unbelievable content. Love it.

A Rick Beato video I can understand! All your vids are great, just above my current level

Rick Beato you are simply a legend..love your work and vids many thanks from UK

Rick ... the quality and quantity of your content is insanely good.

I’ve had SD3 for about 3 years. Not once have I tried using my MPK Mini with it and instead used the grid. Making a song along with the video was super fun. I totally forgot that the keyboard is velocity sensitive and it sounds great. I got inspired to write some rock grooves after watching your latest countdown and this video popped up when I typed in “how to write drum grooves”. It’ll suffice as I slowly progress on e-drums so I can still write songs.

Dude. Ok, so 20 years ago i was a recording/touring guitarist in a metal band. Then life happened and now I'm a working dad/husband. Things have changed so much in 20 year. Im currently building my home studio and i wasn't quite sure how i was gonna record drums to i get an electric kit and you just showed me the answer. Thank you for always teaching us how to fish! ✌️🤘🤟

Rick youre the best . It will take me ages to go through all your videos i want to watch. Cheers

You did it again great explanation of how the drum beats work thank you

Thank you Rick, I really learn a lot in this lesson.

Rick, this is EXACTKY what I needed, thanks man!

+1 for a video on fills, turnarounds and crashes!!! Thanks Rick!

I always learn something new from your videos. Thanks!

Ah thank you! I was looking for this last week

Super helpful! Thank you for all you do for us!!!

This is Gold! Thank you for sharing it, Mr. Beato!

Good stuff, Rick! Keep it coming man! 🕶

It's the best RU-vid channel for me .. many thanks ♥️♥️

Superb demonstration and explanation! Love all your videos! Also, superior drummer has some basic midi grooves built in with the stock kit, as well as expansion packs for other grooves/kits as well! Thanks for your time good sir! Always appreciated :)

i have great respect for you Rick you are an all round music legend ,good vid

Thank you so much. Learnt a lot from this video. With regards from India

thanks for posting this, Rick. just awesome because I used to program drums to write my own music and I did a single track for each piece so I had full control (kinda freaky, am I not?) but I've been doing this again and trying simpler ways to get things moving quicker. this helps a lot! and the fact that you closed this with Rosanna, is the cherry on top of the cake =) thanks again!

This was very instructive.

One of the best video on the subject

Thanks for the notation pdf, Rick! Great videos always.

Great instruction!!! I needed this so badly

I'm in love with this channel...

SO HELPFUL RICK

My favorite teacher!

Thanks a lot, Rick! Have a great day!

Rick is the man! Thank you very much!

Great video as always Rick! I’m just getting into recording my own music. I absolutely love Toontrack’s EZ Drummer 2. I’m using it with Studio One Professional 4 and aside from a steep learning curve I’m having a blast.

Why is it called a ride cymbal and not a big cymbal or something that makes sense. Is there anyone like Beato? Of course not. He makes music fun while showing us what it's all about. I don't think there is anyone who knows as much as Rick actually sharing his knowledge with us like he does. His cool personality and heart shines through. Everyone wants to be his friend. A gem of a guy. Thanks Rick.

Excellent video as always. Maybe next video you could do "How to coordinate the rhythm section" or "How to coordinate Bass and Drums".

Absolutely great video. Had no idea how to do this

this is awesome. yer the first guy i have seen say to record drum machines in more than just one track. a buddy of mine and i used 8 tracks for our drum machine. we recorded one track at a time and yes, it WAS painful BUT when it was done the whole album had a drum track that could be mixed like it was a mic'd drum kit. one track each for: kick,snare, hi hat, tom1 tom 2 & floor tom and two tracks panned one left and one right for cymbals. it really does make for two things a bit more work and a LOT more room to play with your drum tracks. thanks for discussing that in this because now i feel less alone lmao

Subscribed!. I personally enjoy working with stems and breathing new life to a remix, and the first video I happen to see was the episode with 24K by Bruno Mars. I like how you explained every detail on each track. Great information, Salute to you!

Awesome video 👍 this helped me out a lot!!!! Thank you!

Thank you so much!!! So well explained and it helps!!!

This is great, Thanks Rick!

Great video Rick, thanks!

Rick do more mixing videos and mix breakdowns that's what brought me here. Great channel :)

Excellent video. Great beats with just a Bass, Snare, HH and OH 😎

Great vid! I needed this.

Very helpful as always.

A great helpful tutorial thank you sir..

Great video tutorial, you're a legend, Rick! I downloaded the pdf sheet, many thanks! Greetings, Emiel.

Hey thanks so much for doing this. There is SO MUCH to drums I don't get and it get's REAL COMPLICATED when you try to do what you hear by artists like Plini - there are so many ways and tools you can use to do them too. I suck, but with your help, maybe I can make something cool!

That's really solid stuff Jeff. I've been working this out on my own, and this has really helped me. Thank you!

Helpful, man! Thanks a lot, Rick :D

Supper helpful man, thanks. Creative Drum pattern creation can be tough.

As I watch Brian Tyler's videos n see the live drummer looking to the side w/,his head while playing, I wondered hoe does a composer of music write for a drummer? So I forgot that Brian has all these amazing toys at home that can record his music for him as he wants it written. Why I'm so inspired by him musically to learn more about music is something new for me. He's been my music inspiration now for months now. He's awesome sauce. Thx for this brief lesson on drums n how to write for a drummer. I woke up looking for this. 4-11-22

Heh, awesome to come across this very old gem of a tutorial Rick. Been watching you or a year or 2 now - so the shift in production values is naturally quite marked. But, importantly, I love the hands-on nature of this tute. Please do more hands-on stuff like this - particularly using keyboards to do the 1 man band thing.

this channel is so awesome !

Fantastic !.. Nuff respect !

Thanx. - Jazzhop Ableton guy here sometimes we neglect our drums for time sake ( or laziness ) thanx for a more technical approach

Rick you're the best.

Coming back to these old videos of Rick has been so interesting and rewarding.

Great lesson! thanks

Great video. I use Superior Drummer as well - it's a really nice instrument.

Thanks we have to program our drummer every time we have a jam this will help. Lol thanks for the great advice it is much appreciated.

wow good trick, playing it on a keyboard really makes the velocity more realistic

THANK YOU RICK

saved my life man!!

Rick Beato numba one ☝️

I like thus Video! Thank you.

Great bro , you are the best 👍

Thank you for leveling me up:-)

great video! thanks

Congrats on 1million subscribers ☺️☺️☺️☺️☺️☺️☺️

Thanks Rick. Hopefully my first step to program drums :-)

Great video.

Watching this on lunch at work, been doing some solo stuff and havent figured out how to inquire the drums yet. I'd say thanks to this video I'll be on my way. Have lots to try when i get home!

Thank you!

Thank you for your knowledge share 👍

I'd love some drum fills. Pretty tough to do it right. I'm only a lonely keyboard player. Great video.

I personally always struggled with making cymbals (ride, crash, splash etc) sound realistic, especially on fills/runs. Would be great if you'd make a video on this. thanks!

Please make a video how to humanize drums, pitch changes, velocities and rooms! Love your videos!

Good info on basic rhythms. I’d like to see something on drum fills. Creating a drum rhythm isn’t too hard, but I really don’t know much about all the fills that are happening.

Hi, Rick. Great videos. Huge fan. Have you ever made any videos on different studio monitor speakers? Which ones you prefer and why?

Really cool.

Fantastic !!!

Thank you 🙏🏻