Every song you love sits on a beat. This free beat maker lets you build one right in your browser: start from a classic hip-hop, trap, house, rock, reggaeton or funk pattern, press play, and change it one square at a time. Along the way you’ll learn how producers actually program drums and bass.
Loading the beat maker…
How to Read a Beat Grid
The grid is one bar of music in 4/4 time, split into 16 steps. Each beat has four 16th notes, counted “1 e & a, 2 e & a, 3 e & a, 4 e & a.” Drummers and producers use this count to talk about where hits land: “snare on 2 and 4” means steps 5 and 13, and “the & of 2” is step 7. The shaded columns help you see each beat.
Almost every DAW (GarageBand, FL Studio, Ableton Live, Logic Pro) has a step sequencer that works exactly like this grid, so what you learn here carries straight over.
How to Make a Beat in 5 Steps
- Set the tempo. Pick a BPM that fits the style (see the table below).
- Lay down the kick and snare. They’re the skeleton. Start with the kick on 1 and the snare (or clap) on 2 and 4.
- Add hi-hats for motion. 8th notes feel steady, 16th notes feel busy and driving, and open hats on the “&” make things dance.
- Lock the bass to the kick. Bass notes that land with the kick sound tight and powerful. Start on the root (the key note), then add movement.
- Add groove and space. Try swing, remove a hit or two, and move one kick off the beat. Small changes make a pattern sound human.
Drum Patterns and Tempo by Genre
| Style | Typical BPM | Signature |
|---|---|---|
| Hip-hop (boom bap) | 85–95 | Swung hats, punchy kick, snare on 2 and 4 |
| Trap | 130–150 | Half-time snare on 3, hi-hat rolls, long 808 bass |
| House | 120–128 | Four-on-the-floor kick, off-beat open hats |
| Rock | 100–140 | Straight 8th hats, kick on 1 and 3, backbeat snare |
| Reggaeton | 88–100 | The dembow snare pattern over a steady kick |
| Funk | 95–115 | 16th-note hats, syncopated kick, octave-jumping bass |
What Is Swing?
Swing delays every second 16th note slightly, so the rhythm goes long-short, long-short instead of perfectly even. A little swing (10–20%) adds a subtle human feel; heavy swing (40–60%) gives a bouncy, shuffled groove like classic hip-hop and jazz. Producers like J Dilla famously played with timing to make programmed drums feel alive.
What Is an 808?
The 808 is named after the Roland TR-808 drum machine from 1980. Its long, booming kick drum was tuned and stretched into a bass instrument, and it became the foundation of hip-hop, trap and modern pop. In this beat maker, switch the bass sound to 808 to hear the long, deep tone.
From Loop to Song
A beat is a loop; a song is an arrangement. Most producers build a strong 1- or 2-bar loop, then create a song by adding and removing parts over time:
- Intro (4–8 bars): just hats or a stripped-down part.
- Verse (16 bars): the full beat, a bit sparse to leave room for vocals.
- Hook or chorus (8 bars): the fullest, most energetic version.
- Bridge or breakdown: drop the kick or bass for contrast, then bring it back.
Need chords and melody on top? Build them with our Chord Progression Builder.
Beat Maker FAQ
Is this beat maker free?
Yes. It runs entirely in your browser with no download or sign-up. Use “Copy link to this beat” to save your pattern or send it to a friend.
I can’t hear anything on my phone.
Turn up the volume and make sure your phone isn’t on silent: on iPhone, the ring/silent switch also mutes web audio. Phone speakers can’t play very low bass, so headphones help, especially for the 808.
What software should I use to make beats?
GarageBand (free on Apple devices) is a great start. FL Studio and Ableton Live are popular with beat makers, and Logic Pro is a common next step on Mac. The skills (step sequencing, tempo, swing and arranging) are the same in all of them.
Do I need to know music theory to make beats?
No, you can start by ear. But knowing rhythm counting, keys and chords helps you make beats faster and work with singers and rappers. That’s exactly what we cover in music production lessons.
Ready to go further? Learn to produce, record and mix your own songs in music production lessons in Canton, write lyrics and melodies in songwriting lessons, or get real-life groove with drum lessons. You can also browse all of our free music tools.