Syncopation

So far every kick has landed on a beat. Move one between the beats and the groove suddenly bounces. That's syncopation, and it's what makes hip-hop, funk and most dance music move.

What syncopation is

Syncopation means putting notes where the listener doesn't expect them: on an "e", "&" or "a" instead of on the beat. The hats keep playing straight, the snare stays on 2 and 4, and the kick plays against them. That tension between a steady part and a moving part is the groove.

The boom-bap kick

This is the classic hip-hop kick: beat 1, the "a" of 2 (just before beat 3), and the "&" of 3. It's the first real test of independence: your right hand keeps the hats straight while your left hand plays around them.

Focus on: the kick on the "a" of 2. It falls between two hat notes, so count slowly out loud: "2 e & a".

Common mistake: the hat hand copying the kick. If the hats stumble, drop the tempo by 10 BPM.

Invent your own kick pattern

Hats and snare are fixed below; the kick is yours. Tap cells to add and remove kicks while it plays. Some spots to try:

The "&" of 2, for a push into beat 3.
The "a" of 4 (the last step) to lead back into the next bar.
Two kicks in a row, like "3" and "e", for a stutter.