Free Drum Beat Generator

Build drum patterns in your browser — click a 16-step grid to place hits, choose a genre preset, set your BPM, and hear it loop instantly. Download as MIDI to use in FL Studio, Ableton, Logic Pro, or any DAW.

How It Works

Create professional drum patterns in three simple steps — no music theory required.

1

Build Your Pattern

Click cells in the grid to place drum hits — or hit Randomize to generate a pattern instantly. Each row is a different instrument: kick, snare, hi-hat, open hi-hat, clap, and perc.

2

Set BPM & Play

Drag the tempo slider to set your BPM, then hit Play to hear your beat loop in real time using your browser's Web Audio API — no plugins, no installs.

3

Download as MIDI

Export your pattern as a .mid file and drag it directly into any DAW — FL Studio, Ableton Live, Logic Pro, GarageBand, Reaper, or any software that accepts MIDI.

What Is a Drum Beat Generator?

A drum beat generator is a tool that lets you create drum patterns by placing hits on a visual grid called a step sequencer. Each row represents a different drum sound — kick, snare, hi-hat, clap — and each column represents a point in time, typically 16 steps for one bar of music at a 4/4 time signature.

By clicking cells in the grid, you build a rhythm that loops continuously. Browser-based generators like this one use the Web Audio API to synthesize sounds in real time, so you hear your pattern immediately without installing any software.

The MIDI export feature takes your pattern and encodes it as a standard MIDI file using General MIDI drum mapping (Kick = note 36, Snare = note 38, Hi-Hat = note 42). This makes it compatible with virtually every drum plugin and DAW out of the box.

Classic Drum Patterns for Beginners

Not sure where to start? Here are five essential drum patterns used in popular genres. Use these as starting points and customize them to make your own beats. Step numbers correspond to the 16-step grid (1 = first 16th note of the bar).

4/4 Rock Pattern

The foundation of rock, pop, and most Western music. Kick on the downbeats, snare on the backbeats.

Kick: 1, 9

Snare: 5, 13

Hi-Hat: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15 (8th notes)

Trap Pattern

The signature of modern hip-hop. Rapid hi-hats, booming 808 kick, and sparse snares.

Kick: 1, 8, 11

Snare: 5, 13

Hi-Hat: all 16 steps (16th notes)

Clap: 5, 13 (layered with snare)

Lo-fi Hip Hop Pattern

Laid-back and dusty. Off-grid feel with swing, minimal hi-hats, and a punchy snare.

Kick: 1, 7, 9, 15

Snare: 5, 13

Hi-Hat: 3, 7, 11, 15 (upbeats)

Open Hi-Hat: 9

House Pattern

The four-on-the-floor foundation of dance music. Kick on every beat, open hi-hat on the offbeats.

Kick: 1, 5, 9, 13 (four-on-the-floor)

Clap: 5, 13

Hi-Hat: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15

Open Hi-Hat: 3, 7, 11, 15 (offbeats)

Reggaeton (Dembow) Pattern

The infectious Latin rhythm. Syncopated kick and snare pattern known as "dembow."

Kick: 1, 5, 9, 13

Snare: 4, 7, 12, 15 (dembow rhythm)

Hi-Hat: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a drum beat generator?

A drum beat generator is a tool that lets you create drum patterns by placing hits on a visual step sequencer grid. Each row represents a drum sound (kick, snare, hi-hat, clap, etc.) and each column a 16th-note time position — 16 steps for one bar of 4/4 music.

Modern browser-based generators like this one synthesize audio in real time using the Web Audio API, so you hear your loop instantly without installing anything. The MIDI export lets you take the pattern into any professional DAW.

How do I create a drum pattern?

Click any cell in the grid to toggle a hit on or off for that instrument at that step. A lit cell means the drum will fire at that moment in the loop.

To get started quickly, click one of the preset buttons (Basic Rock, Boom Bap, Four-on-the-Floor, Lo-fi Hip Hop, or Trap) to load a genre template — then customize from there. You can also hit Randomize to generate a random pattern in one click.

What is BPM in drum patterns?

BPM stands for Beats Per Minute — the tempo of your pattern. Higher BPM = faster, lower BPM = slower. Common ranges by genre:

  • Lo-fi Hip Hop: 70–90 BPM
  • Hip-Hop / Boom Bap: 85–100 BPM
  • Pop / Rock: 100–140 BPM
  • House / EDM: 120–135 BPM
  • Trap: 130–170 BPM

Drag the tempo slider to set the BPM. The interval between each 16th-note step recalculates in real time, so changes take effect immediately even during playback.

Can I export my drum beats?

Yes. Click Download MIDI to export your pattern as a standard MIDI file (.mid). The file uses General MIDI drum mapping: Kick = note 36, Snare = note 38, Hi-Hat = note 42, Open Hi-Hat = note 46, Clap = note 39, Perc = note 56.

This mapping is compatible with virtually all drum plugins (Superior Drummer, BFD, Addictive Drums, etc.) and DAWs (FL Studio, Ableton, Logic Pro, GarageBand, Reaper) without remapping.

How does this help with AI music production?

Understanding drum patterns makes AI music production far more effective. When using tools like Studio AI's music generator, knowing genre conventions (where the kick and snare fall, what BPM feels right for a lo-fi beat vs. a trap track) helps you write better prompts and evaluate the output critically.

You can also use the MIDI export as a starting point in a DAW, then layer AI-generated melodic or harmonic elements on top of a real hand-crafted drum pattern for a more hybrid, human-feeling production.

What drum sounds are included?

The generator synthesizes six drum tracks entirely in your browser using the Web Audio API — no samples are downloaded:

  • Kick: Low-frequency sine wave with pitch envelope for a deep thud.
  • Snare: White noise burst combined with a short tonal component.
  • Hi-Hat (closed): High-frequency filtered noise, very short decay.
  • Open Hi-Hat: Similar to the closed hi-hat but with a longer, ringing tail.
  • Clap: Layered noise bursts to simulate the smack of a hand clap.
  • Perc: Mid-frequency tonal percussion for adding groove accents.

For production-ready sounds, export the MIDI and trigger your own drum samples or VST instruments inside your DAW.

Make AI Music Free

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