Reggaeton Drum Patterns

Reggaeton Drum Patterns

Reggaeton drum patterns have a distinct pattern that gives it the reggaeton sound. The drum patterns are the backbone of reggaeton.

In this article I'll breakdown the different core reggaeton drum patterns with images and sounds.

There's two main types I'll cover:

Core Reggaeton Drum pattern: This is the core pattern reggaeton beats are made from

Four On The Floor: this is using the core reggaeton drum pattern with four on the floor. It makes for a more upbeat bonce and groove.

Here's what we'll end up getting to:

They may seem complex but you'll see it's pretty straightforward.

Core Reggaeton Drum Pattern

 First let's set up our drum grid first. Here's what one bar looks like with the four beats and the steps in each beat.

Reggaeton Drum Guide Base

And here's the core reggaeton drum pattern filled in. It follows the format of 2 spaces, 2 spaces, then 1.

We'll show it with just the kick drum but later we'll show and provide examples with the kick and the snare.

Core Reggaeton Drum Pattern

And then if you want to see what it looks like in a drum sequencer or as in MIDI, here's what that looks like:

Core Reggaeton Drum Pattern programmed into a Drum Sequencer and MIDI

And here's what it sounds like

We can build on that and and add snares. Here's 3 different variations;

  • The first follows a 2 kicks, 1 snare pattern
  • The second is kick, snare, kick kick pattern
  • The third is the same with the first just reversed the kick and snares

Version 1

Reggaeton Drum Version V1

Here's Version 2

Reggaeton Drum Version 2

And here's version 3

Reggaeton Drum Pattern V3

A Popular Reggaeton Drum Pattern: Four On The Floor

The four on the floor drum pattern is popular in reggaeton. You can use the four on the floor pattern with the core reggaeton drum pattern for reggaeton beats. 

This gives you more options to play and experiment with.

Here's three different variations

  • Version 1 has the four on the floor pattern for kicks and the core reggaeton drum pattern as the snares
  • Version 2 has the four on the floor pattern for kicks and the core reggaeton drum with four snares
  • Version 3 also have the four on the floor kick pattern but with 2 snares that line up with the core reggaeton drum pattern

 

Here's Version 1

Core Reggaeton Drum Pattern with Four On The Floor Kicks V1

 Here's Version 2

Core Reggaeton Drum Pattern with Four On The Floor Kicks V2

 And here's version 3

Core Reggaeton Drum Pattern with Four On The Floor Kicks V3

And here's what it sounds like

 

Advanced Drum Patterns

The above gives you the base pattern you can build upon. From here you want to layer in more sounds to fill it out. A few things you can do

  • Use two different kicks. Follow the same patterns above but alternate between different kicks
  • Accent Snares: add a lower volume accent snare right before the main snare
  • Add hi hats that follow the core reggaeton drum pattern
  • Emphasize every other hi hat to get a nice bounce
  • Layer in percussion following the drum pattern

Here's an example of a reggaeton drum pattern with multiple kicks, accent snares, and hi-hats layered in:

Next Steps Reggaeton Drum Pattern

And here's what is sounds like:

 

More Drum Patterns

If you're looking for more reggaeton drum patterns check out the Reggaeton MIDI Drums and Pattern Guide. It's includes 62 patterns in MIDI format and comes with the MIDI stems for flexibility.

Sections of the guide include:
    • Building block patterns to mix and match to create your own track
    • Core reggaeton drum patterns to start your reggaeton beats
    • Advanced reggaeton drum patterns
    • Reggaeton drum breaks and fills patterns
    • Tips make the best reggaeton tracks

    Wrapping Up

    Use that core reggaeton drum pattern as the base of your reggaeton beats. Play with the placement of where you put the kicks and snares, but stick to that pattern and you'll be good to go.

    Or start with the four on the floor pattern and add in the core reggaeton drum pattern for the snare. Pick and choose which ones to add in.

    Above all, play, experiment, and have fun.

    -Cole

    Back to blog