The rhythms behind the presets

Dembow, reggaeton, dancehall and afrobeats all share a heartbeat: the 3 + 3 + 2 pulse (the tresillo). Count eight sixteenth notes and accent the 1st, 4th and 7th, and you hear it.

A short history

The name comes from Shabba Ranks's 1990 dancehall track "Dem Bow". Its drum pattern (from Steely & Clevie's "Poco Man Jam" riddim) was picked up in Panama's reggae en español and Puerto Rico's underground scene, becoming the backbone of reggaeton by the late 1990s. In the Dominican Republic, "dembow" became its own faster, rawer genre in the 2000s.

The presets

• 96 BPM

  Dembow clásico

  The 'boom-ch-boom-chick' that powers reggaeton: four-on-the-floor kick with the snare on the 4th and 7th sixteenth of each half-bar (3+3+2).

  Kick	X...x...X...x...
  Snare	...x..x....x..x.
  Closed hat	x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.
  Shaker	..x...x...x...x.
  808 bass	X.......x.......

  X = accent, x = hit, . = rest

• 120 BPM

  Dembow dominicano

  The faster, rawer Dominican style: busier snares, rim shots and an off-beat open hat.

  Kick	X...x...X...x...
  Snare	...x..X....x..X.
  Clap	......x.......x.
  Rim	.x.....x.x.....x
  Closed hat	xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx.
  Open hat	..x...x...x...x.
  808 bass	X..x....X..x....

  X = accent, x = hit, . = rest

• 92 BPM · 8% swing

  Perreo 808

  Slow, heavy reggaeton with a sliding-style 808 line and clap layered on the dembow snare.

  Kick	X.......X.......
  Snare	...x..x....x..x.
  Clap	...x..x....x..x.
  Closed hat	x.xxx.x.x.xxx.x.
  Shaker	x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.
  808 bass	X..x..x.X..x..x.

  X = accent, x = hit, . = rest

• 104 BPM · 18% swing

  Afrobeats

  Laid-back swing, a syncopated kick and a 3-3-2 rim pattern with a constant shaker.

  Kick	X......x..x.....
  Clap	....X.......X...
  Rim	x..x..x...x..x..
  Open hat	......x.......x.
  Shaker	xXxxxXxxxXxxxXxx
  Conga	..x..x.x..x..xx.
  808 bass	X......x..x.....

  X = accent, x = hit, . = rest

• 98 BPM · 10% swing

  Dancehall

  The Jamaican one-drop cousin of dembow: kick and snare dance around the 3+3+2 grid.

  Kick	X..x..x.X..x..x.
  Snare	....X.......X...
  Rim	..x...x...x...x.
  Closed hat	x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.
  Cowbell	x.....x.....x...
  808 bass	X..x..x.X.......

  X = accent, x = hit, . = rest

• 110 BPM

  Moombahton

  House slowed down to reggaeton tempo: big four-on-the-floor kick, dembow snare and open hats on the off-beat.

  Kick	X...X...X...X...
  Snare	...x..x....x..x.
  Clap	....x.......x...
  Open hat	..x...x...x...x.
  Conga	.x...x.x.x...x.x
  808 bass	X.x...x.X.x...x.

  X = accent, x = hit, . = rest

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