Chapter 11 of 13 · All chapters

Part 1 · Rhythm basics

  1. 01The beat and tempo
  2. 02Bars, beats and 16 steps
  3. 03Kick, snare and hi-hat

Part 2 · Your hands on the pads

  1. 04The 16-pad layout
  2. 05Which fingers play what
  3. 06Tap, don't press

Part 3 · Grooves

  1. 07The basic beat
  2. 0816th hats and finger rolls
  3. 09Syncopation
  4. 10Fills

Part 4 · Feel and style

  1. 11Accents and ghost notes
  2. 12Swing
  3. 13Beats in different styles

Learn · Part 4: Feel and style · Chapter 11

Accents and ghost notes

A drum machine can hit every note at the same volume. A good drummer never does. Loud accents and quiet ghost notes are what turn a correct beat into a groove.

Dynamics

Dynamics are the differences in loudness between notes. Play the same pattern with and without them and it sounds like two different drummers. Three levels cover most of it:

  • Accent: a hit played harder than the rest, like the hi-hat on each beat.
  • Normal: the everyday level of the groove.
  • Ghost note: a very soft hit, usually on the snare between the backbeats. You feel it more than hear it.

Hear the difference

In this groove the hats are accented on the beat and softer on the "&", and the snare has three ghost notes around its backbeats. Brighter cells are accents, faint cells are ghosts. Tap a cell to cycle it: normal → accent → ghost → off.

88 BPM

Try removing the ghost notes: the groove still works, but it loses its swing. Reset brings them back.

How to play ghost notes

Ghost notes need velocity-sensitive pads: the pad measures how hard you hit and plays the sound softer or louder. A phone screen or computer keyboard can't do this, which is why this example sets the levels for you. On a controller:

  • Play ghosts from very close to the pad with almost no movement.
  • Play accents from a little higher, with a quicker stroke, still relaxed.
  • Set your pad's velocity curve so soft hits come through. The tester on the controllers page shows every hit's velocity.
  • Turn off "full level" or fixed velocity modes, which play every hit at maximum.

Accents without velocity

No controller yet? You can still practise dynamics. Place accents with sound choice instead: an open hat on the "&" of 4, a clap stacked on the snare on beat 4, or a crash on the one. Many electronic producers build dynamics this way.