Definition
Without changing meter, you can divide the 16 sixteenth notes (or 8 eighth notes) of a 4/4 bar into unequal groups of 3 and 2 (or 3 and 4). The result sounds syncopated and “danceable” while staying inside a regular 4/4. It is one of the most widespread rhythmic techniques in modern pop and electronic music.
The main groupings
| Grouping | Over | Onsets (step) | Name / use |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3+3+2 | 8 eighth notes | 1, 4, 7 (in eighths) | tresillo, extended “Charleston” |
| 3+3+2 | 8 sixteenth notes (half bar) | 1, 4, 7 | dembow, afrobeats |
| 3+3+3+3+4 | 16 sixteenth notes | 1, 4, 7, 10, 13 | future bass, EDM pop, house |
| 3+3+3+3+2+2 | 16 sixteenth notes | 1, 4, 7, 10, 13, 15 | synth riffs, arpeggios |
| 3+3+3+7 | 16 | 1, 4, 7, 10 | “dotted” figures with a long note |
| 5+5+6 / 5+5+3+3 | 16 | 1, 6, 11 (14) | fusion grooves, math rock |
| 2+3+3 | 8 eighth notes | 1, 3, 6 | “reversed” variant |
Why it works
The brain hears the 4/4 underneath (kick, snare) and, on top, perceives a slower, irregular pulse (every 3 sixteenth notes = one dotted eighth). The tension between the two levels creates a groove that pushes but ultimately realigns on the 1 thanks to the final group of 2 or 4. It is the same principle as the aksak, applied within a regular bar, and the same as the Afro-Cuban tresillo (see “Clave and tresillo”).
Where it is used
- House bass and chords: chord stabs on 1, 4, 7, 10, 13 (3+3+3+3+4).
- Future bass and EDM pop: supersaw chords with sidechain on the 3+3+3+3+4 or 3+3+2+3+3+2 groupings.
- Reggaeton and dancehall: the dembow snare follows the 3+3+2 in every half bar.
- Afrobeats: kick on 3+3+2, straight shakers.
- Rock and metal: guitar riffs in 3+3+2 eighth notes over a regular backbeat.
- Pop: chorus melodies built on the tresillo; for example many dance pop hits of the 2010s use the 3+3+2 in the chords (a phenomenon often discussed as “tresillo pop”).
Example in A minor (future bass at 150 BPM, felt in half-time)
Chords Am9 – Fmaj9 – C(add9) – G6: each chord plays on 1, 4, 7, 10, 13 (notes of 3 sixteenth notes except the last, of 4), sidechain from the kick on 1 and 9, snare on 9. Sub bass: only on the 1 and on the 10. The groove is perceived as an arpeggio that “trips” and rights itself every bar.
Advanced variants
- Over two bars: 3+3+3+3+3+3+3+3+2+2+2+2 (32 sixteenth notes); the dotted pulse lasts longer and the resolution arrives later.
- Combining levels: hi-hats in 3+3+2 eighths, chords in 3+3+3+3+4 sixteenths.
- Accents instead of notes: continuous sixteenth notes with an accent every 3: same feel, smoother (typical of trance arpeggios).
- Displacement: start the 3+3+2 from the second sixteenth note.
In FL Studio
Write the grouping in the Channel Rack with step lanes (e.g. a chord pattern with steps 1, 4, 7, 10, 13 active) or in the Piano Roll with snap “Step” and notes 3 steps long. The Piano Roll's Chop tool can cut a long chord into pieces according to a rhythmic pattern; with the Riff Machine you can generate rhythms and then fix them.
Exercise
- On a 4/4 loop at 124 BPM, write four versions of the chord line: all quarter notes, 3+3+2 in eighths, 3+3+3+3+4 in sixteenths, 5+5+6. Judge which one fits the melody best.
- Take a bass in straight eighth notes and turn it into 3+3+2: notice how the role of the kick changes.
Connections
“Clave and tresillo”, “Irregular meters: aksak”, “Polyrhythms”, “Drum grooves by genre”, “Rhythm in melody”.