Level 5 · Styles & Musicality
5-3 - Half-time chill
Space and patience: the laid-back singer-songwriter groove.
How to practice it
Bass on 1, snare only on 3, sparse tips: B - t B S - t -. The snare on 3 (instead of 2 and 4) makes it 'half-time' - twice as spacious. This is the groove for slow acoustic songs. Resist filling the space.
Suggested take: ~90s · start 65 BPM → pass around 85 BPM
1
B
&
·
2
g
&
B
3
S
&
·
4
g
&
·
65 BPM
Start at 65, exercise passes around 85. Legend: B bass · S snare · g ghost · - rest
Tips
- • The silences are part of the groove. Sit in them.
- • Play 10% behind where you think the beat is - lazy on purpose.
- • One big snare per bar: make it warm, not aggressive.
Watch out for
- • Adding extra notes because space feels uncomfortable
- • Rushing - this groove exposes rushing mercilessly
- • The snare on 3 arriving timid
Record your take
Aim for ~90s. Put the phone ~1m away, facing the front plate. You'll get Rafa's feedback within a minute of submitting.
Up next after this: 5-4 - Play a song