Press Play for a odd time drum beat at 120 BPM. It starts with 7/8 Rock (2+2+3), and you can switch to 7/8 Rock (3+2+2), 5/4 Rock (3+2), 7/4 Rock (4+3) and 5/4 Jazz (3+2). One eighth-note beat lasts 250 ms.
Playing over a odd time drum beat at 120 BPM
120 BPM is a comfortable middle tempo for odd time. Use it to play whole songs or long improvisations without stopping; the fills every few bars tell you where each phrase ends.
What plays at 120 BPM
7/8 Rock (2+2+3) is written at 120 BPM, so 120 BPM is its home tempo. In 7/8 at this tempo a quarter note lasts 500 ms, an eighth note 250 ms and a sixteenth 125 ms, which is the spacing of the hi-hat you hear. Switch to 7/8 Rock (3+2+2), 5/4 Rock (3+2), 7/4 Rock (4+3) and 5/4 Jazz (3+2) on the page and the tempo stays at 120 BPM.
How long is a phrase at 120 BPM?
Knowing how long a phrase lasts helps you plan a song, a solo or a recording take. The drums play a fill at the end of every four or eight bars, so these are the lengths you will hear.
Phrase lengths at 120 BPM
Length
Time
One bar of 7/8
1.8 seconds
Four-bar phrase
7 seconds
Eight-bar section
14 seconds
Three-minute song
about 103 bars
How a odd time drum beat works
Odd meters are easier when you count them as groups of two and three. The 7/8 groove is grouped 3+2+2, and the 5/4 jazz groove is grouped 3+2. Listen for the kick and snare marking the start of each group.
How to play along
Count the groups out loud: "one-two-three, one-two, one-two" for 7/8. Play a simple riff that starts on the first group, then try one that starts on the second. Once the grouping feels natural, stop counting and just follow the drums.