The pattern
112 BPM · 4/4 · 32 step · swing 10%
| Instrument | Beat 1 | Step 2 | Step 3 | Step 4 | Beat 2 | Step 6 | Step 7 | Step 8 | Beat 3 | Step 10 | Step 11 | Step 12 | Beat 4 | Step 14 | Step 15 | Step 16 | Beat 5 | Step 18 | Step 19 | Step 20 | Beat 6 | Step 22 | Step 23 | Step 24 | Beat 7 | Step 26 | Step 27 | Step 28 | Beat 8 | Step 30 | Step 31 | Step 32 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kick | hit | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | hit | rest | rest | rest | hit | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | hit | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | hit | rest | rest | rest | hit | rest | rest | hit | rest | rest |
| Snare | rest | rest | rest | rest | hit | rest | rest | hit | rest | hit | rest | rest | hit | rest | rest | hit | rest | rest | rest | rest | hit | rest | rest | hit | rest | hit | rest | rest | hit | rest | hit | rest |
| Closed hi-hat | hit | rest | hit | hit | hit | rest | hit | rest | hit | rest | hit | hit | hit | rest | hit | rest | hit | rest | hit | hit | hit | rest | hit | rest | hit | rest | hit | hit | hit | rest | hit | rest |
| Open hi-hat | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | hit | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | hit | rest |
| Shaker | hit | rest | hit | rest | hit | rest | hit | rest | hit | rest | hit | rest | hit | rest | hit | rest | hit | rest | hit | rest | hit | rest | hit | rest | hit | rest | hit | rest | hit | rest | hit | rest |
| Clave | hit | rest | hit | rest | hit | rest | rest | hit | rest | hit | rest | hit | rest | rest | hit | rest | hit | rest | hit | rest | hit | rest | rest | hit | rest | hit | rest | hit | rest | rest | hit | rest |
| High conga | rest | rest | hit | rest | rest | rest | hit | rest | rest | rest | hit | rest | rest | hit | hit | rest | rest | rest | hit | rest | rest | rest | hit | rest | rest | rest | hit | rest | rest | hit | hit | rest |
How to play it and where it comes from
1970s Nigerian Afrobeat (Fela Kuti with Tony Allen on drums): a long, hypnotic groove, every instrument as percussion. Tony Allen's drumming is "four independent limbs": syncopated, light kick, snare with ghost notes and scattered accents beyond 2 and 4, hi-hat with open/closed figures reminiscent of jùjú and highlife. Shekere (shaker) in eighths, clave/sticks with a fixed figure that acts as the timeline, congas off the beat. The bass and rhythm guitars interlock further ostinatos. Didactic notation: Allen varied constantly. Variants: kick that skips 1, open hat on the "and" of 2, long sections with only percussion and bass.