Dembow
The 3+3+2 snare figure over a steady kick. This one pattern is the genre.
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Hi-hat
Snare
Kick
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Reggaeton Drum Patterns
The dembow — one rhythm that has powered an entire genre for thirty years, plus the variations producers actually use.
2 patterns 90–100 BPM Free MIDI
Drum kit
Real recorded kits, not synthesised. Loads on first play.
Dembow with Open Hats
The same snare figure with a sparser kick and open hats on the offbeats — the modern, airier production style.
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Open hat
Hi-hat
Snare
Kick
Made with Drumloop AI — describe a beat and hear it in seconds.
Generate drum loops with Drumloop AIHow to play these reggaeton patterns
- Press play to hear the pattern, and follow the moving column on the grid to see where each hit lands.
- Slow the tempo down until you can play along comfortably, then raise it a few BPM at a time.
- Filled cells are full-volume hits and dim cells are ghost notes — play them much quieter, they matter more than they look.
- Download the MIDI to open the pattern in your DAW, or generate an original variation with AI.
How reggaeton drum programming works
Reggaeton is built on a single pattern: the dembow. The snare plays a 3+3+2 figure across the bar — hits on the first, fourth and seventh sixteenths of each half — over a steady kick. Written out it looks trivial. In practice that 3+3+2 grouping against a four-beat kick is a genuine cross-rhythm, and it is why the pattern has stayed danceable through three decades of production trends.
The rhythm came from Jamaican dancehall by way of Panama, and the specific drum sound most producers still reach for descends from Shabba Ranks' "Dem Bow" and the Bobby Digital riddim behind it. Because the source is a sampled break, the timing is slightly loose — programming it perfectly on the grid tends to sound sterile, and most producers nudge the snare hits a few milliseconds around.
Tempo is narrow: 88 to 98 BPM covers almost the entire genre, with 95 as the centre. That tight range is unusual and it makes reggaeton unusually easy to mix. Practise against the metronome at 90 BPM and browse the free reggaeton loop library.
Reggaeton tempo and feel
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Typical tempo range | 90–100 BPM |
| Centre of gravity | 95 BPM |
| Character | The dembow pattern locks to this narrow window. |
| Practise with | 90 BPM metronome |
| Loops at this tempo | 90 BPM drum loops |
Frequently asked questions
What is the dembow rhythm?
The snare pattern that defines reggaeton: a 3+3+2 grouping of sixteenth notes, so the snare lands on the 1st, 4th and 7th sixteenth of each half-bar, over a steady four-beat kick. It originated in Jamaican dancehall and reached reggaeton through Panama in the early 1990s.
What tempo is reggaeton?
88–98 BPM, centred on 95. It is one of the narrowest tempo ranges of any genre, which is part of why reggaeton tracks mix together so easily.
Should I quantise the dembow perfectly?
Usually not. The rhythm descends from a sampled break with slightly loose timing, and programming it dead on the grid tends to sound stiff. Nudging the snare hits a few milliseconds early or late — or applying a small amount of swing — gets closer to the records.
Where can I get reggaeton drum loops?
The free reggaeton drum loop library has royalty-free recorded loops you can use straight away. Drumloop AI will also generate an original reggaeton loop at any tempo from a text description.
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Need an original reggaeton groove?
Describe the beat you want and Drumloop AI generates it — original, royalty-free reggaeton drums at any tempo.