Chic-Era Disco Funk drum pattern
A two-bar late-70s disco-funk groove: four-on-the-floor kick, closed hats on each beat and its e, an open hat on every and that rings through the a until the foot closes it on the beat, a crisp backbeat and a ghost pickup into the top. Press Play to hear it with a sampled drum kit at 116 BPM, change the tempo or swing, and follow every hit on the grid.
How to count the Chic-Era Disco Funk
Count it as: 1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a · two bars. The pattern is a 2-bar phrase in 4/4 (two-bar straight 16th-note disco-funk pocket).
The Chic-Era Disco Funk pattern, hit by hit
Each character is one step of the grid and each group is one beat. X is an accented hit, x a normal hit, o a quiet or ghost note and - a rest.
| Voice | Bar 1 | Bar 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Kick | X--- X--- X--- X--- | X--- X--- X--- X--- |
| Snare | ---- X--- ---- X--- | ---- X--- ---- X--- |
| Ghost snare | ---- ---- ---- ---- | ---- ---- ---- ---o |
| Closed hat | xo-- xo-- xo-- xo-- | xo-- xo-- xo-- xo-- |
| Open hat | --x- --x- --x- --x- | --x- --x- --x- --x- |
| Pedal hat | o--- o--- o--- o--- | o--- o--- o--- o--- |
Tempo and feel
Sleek and driving. The kick is even, the open hats breathe on the ands, and the foot snaps each one shut exactly on the beat. The default tempo is 116 BPM. Slow it down until every hit is controlled, then raise the tempo a few BPM at a time.
How to practise the Chic-Era Disco Funk
Play four even kicks and the hi-hat foot together on every beat. Add the closed hats on each beat and its e, then open the hat on the and and let it ring through the a. Bring in the backbeat without letting the kick get louder on 2 and 4.
Variations to try next
Keep all the hats closed for a tighter verse. Drop the kick on beat 1 of bar two for a breakdown. Open the hat on the a of each beat instead of the and.
Where to hear this feel
Records in this family include Chic - Le Freak, Sister Sledge - We Are Family and Chic - Everybody Dance. A style study of the Chic sound, where Tony Thompson's four-on-the-floor sat under Bernard Edwards's bass and Nile Rodgers's guitar on Chic records and on their productions for Sister Sledge. The hat leaves the a of each beat empty so the open hat can ring until the foot shuts it. It is authored for practice, not transcribed.