Drum Machine Lite
Discover our simplified Drum Machine!
The drum kit and the Drum Machine Lite
Kick
The Kick or Bass Drum corresponds to the bass drum in English. It is the most visible part of the drum kit: the drum shell placed vertically in front of the drummer. It most often marks the tempo for the entire band or orchestra with impacts, percussion hits in the low frequencies. It is played using a bass drum pedal, which can be single or double.
Snare
The snare corresponds to the snare drum. The snare drum is the essential element of the drum rhythm section, and it is the drum positioned between the drummer’s legs. It can be likened to a drum.
Hi-hat
The hi-hat corresponds to the hi-hat cymbals, sometimes called simply the “hat”. The “hat” is a pair of cymbals mounted on a vertical rod, usually placed to the left of the drummer, played using a pedal. The drummer uses it with the foot, but also with a drumstick to mark a groove, in eighth notes, sixteenth notes, or syncopations. The open-hat refers to the hi-hat played with the stick while the cymbals remain open.
Tom
These are the other drums besides the snare and bass drum. The three most common toms are: in front of the drummer, mounted on the bass drum, the high tom and the mid tom; placed on the floor, often to the right of the drummer, the floor tom.
Crash
The crash is a cymbal located to the left of the drummer. It is mainly used to accentuate beats or introduce a new measure.
Ride
The ride is a cymbal placed to the right of the drummer. It can mark the tempo instead of the hi-hat. It is struck either on top of the cymbal with the tip of the stick (the “olive”) or on the edge with the stick’s shaft.
What is the purpose of the Drum Machine Lite?
The Drum Machine Lite is a deliberately simplified version of the imusic-school Drum Machine. It is intended for:
- Those who have never used a drum machine before and want to get started and understand its essential functions.
- Musicians and singers who want a simple tool to be accompanied by a drumbeat while practicing. The tool can thus be considered an enhanced metronome, more motivating and enjoyable.
- Anyone who wants to easily visualize the most commonly used drum rhythms without needing to read music.
How to use the Drum Machine Lite?
For this simplified version, all you need to do is:
- Choose a rhythm or pattern, predefined in the first menu: rock, funk, reggae, bossa nova…
- Slow down or speed up the tempo according to your needs. The tempo is adjustable from 20 to 300 bpm (beats per minute).
- Click on the gray and green boxes to add, change, or remove beats. For example, on the hi-hat, if you click twice on the box, you can switch from a closed hi-hat sound to an open hi-hat sound.
Please note:
- It is possible to modify the offered rhythms.
- But it is not possible to save personal patterns or modifications.
- The simplified tool deliberately only offers binary rhythms and does not allow chaining different patterns.
- And it is not possible with this tool to change the sound of the tracks or add your own sound tracks.
Would you like to work on ternary rhythms, combine various patterns, save your own rhythms, or add your own sound tracks?
Simply download the free imusic-school app, or create a free account on the imusic-school online course platform to access the full imusic-school Drum Machine.
Download the imusic-school app on your smartphone
Discover all our online tools for musicians
Discover them on this website or in the imusic-school course area. You can also download the app to have them all on your smartphone.
Tempo Correspondence Table
| Italian | English | Beats per Minute |
|---|---|---|
| Larghissimo | Very broad | 20 – 40 |
| Largo | Broad | 40 – 60 |
| Lento | Slow | 52 – 68 |
| Adagio | At ease | 60 – 80 |
| Andante | Flowing | 76 – 100 |
| Moderato | Moderate | 88 – 112 |
| Allegretto | Slightly lively | 100 – 128 |
| Allegro | Lively (cheerful) | 112 – 160 |
| Vivace | Fast | ~ 140 |
| Presto | Hurried, Fast | 140 – 200 |
| Prestissimo | Very fast | > 188 |
