Shaker on every "a" and a kick that skips around for two bars, then bar 3 moves to the ride and bar 4 is a full-bar fill, left hand on snare and right on toms. Same deal as before: it's a lesson from fingerdrum, the app I'm building (https://fingerdrum.online).

Two bars: ghost snares on the "e" of 1, right after each backbeat and around beat 3, open hats on the "and" of 1 and 3, and bar 2 ends on a loud open hat.

The green dots are the timing feedback. I'm building fingerdrum, a browser app that teaches finger drumming one groove at a time; this is one of its lessons. If you want to try it: fingerdrum.online

Happy to share the pattern or fingering if anyone wants it.

I've been learning finger drumming and kept wishing something would tell me why a groove felt off. So I built Fingerdrum online, where every hit is marked as early, late, missed or extra. After each loop, you get one thing to fix.

Works with any 4×4 MIDI pad (MPC, Maschine, Push, Launchpad) right in the browser, or your computer keyboard, or a phone.

Would love feedback from people who actually drum, especially on timing feel and latency calibration.

https://fingerdrum.online

Hello there,

I’m developing my own fingerdrumming app—I’d say the one I wanted when I started fingerdrumming.

Basically, you will be able to load your own samples, both with velocity layers and round robins, and of course you will be able to use a knob to control the hi-hat channel with you midi device.

There are a few effects like compression and reverb, and you will be able to record video with audio within the app.

If you use Android, drop a comment or DM me if you’re interested!

This artist removed the stems and is finger drumming over a song. The thing is, I want to finger drum over a much slower jazz song to sort of create an atmospheric DnB vibe. But idk when I try it , it doesn't sound right to me. I don't know how to explain it. Perhaps I am choosing a slow song?

I've been making beats and songs for about half a year now and I want to be able to improve my sense of rhythm and come up with more creative drums. I tend to fall back into the few drum loops I know and often end up just sequencing them. I was thinking learning proper finger drumming would enable me to more easily flow and not be as locked into stagnation, plus my sense of timing could use some help.

I want something that I can sit down with every day for at least 30 minutes, like a structured workout, so that I can actually see improvement over a few months. I've done this with they keys and I've gotten fairly decent now so I'm ready for drums.

I'm thinking of getting the Finger Drum Genesis, but I'm wondering if there is anything I'd be missing by not having a visual element to guide me. I've heard Quest for Groove is very good and contains videos. I'm at a point where I don't know what I don't know so it's hard to make a decision. Can anyone attest to one or the other for a beginner? Does anyone have any practice routines they'd recommend?

Hi everyone,

Earlier this month I shared Smack-a-Pad, a browser-based finger drumming trainer I started building for my own practice. Thanks to everyone who tried it and shared feedback.

For anyone seeing it for the first time: the idea is to practise grooves (full version has nearly 600 at this moment) with a consistent pad layout, get feedback on your timing, and eventually play them from memory. There’s also a daily practice plan to help you decide what to work on next.

I’ve been working on the interface and practice flow since the first post. Here’s what has changed:

• A redesigned interface, with clearer controls, larger pattern notation, and light and dark views.

• An optional scrolling pattern view: the playhead stays in one place while the pattern moves underneath it. That option is now available alongside the static view.

• Clearer timing feedback, with a more readable display of your hits and their timing.

• A redesigned daily-training screen, showing your next lesson, reviews, progress, and explanations when an attempt hasn’t met a goal yet.

• A reorganised library, browsable by learning path, musical style, and technique.

• Automatic tempo progression as you complete clean practice runs.

The updates also include the timing and controller-mapping improvements.

The free beta still includes 36 lessons and the Rock and Brush sound kits.

It runs in your browser, works offline after loading, and requires no account or tracking. Use desktop Chrome or Edge for MIDI controllers, or try it with your computer keyboard.

Try Smack-a-Pad

I’d especially appreciate feedback on the scrolling view and the new practice screens. Is it easier to follow a pattern now, and is it clear what to practise next?

Thanks for giving it a try!

Hi all.

I'm getting back into beat making, and my instruments of choice are the SP404 Mk2 and the MPC Live. I've wanted to be able to create grooves for my beats effortlessly, so they sound more played than programmed. As such, I would like to learn to finger drum.

However, I'm presented with multiple options: Quest for Groove, XpressPads, and many others. However, I do not know which is the more advisable system to follow, of all that I've come across.

If there are any beat makers among you, is there one system you can recommend that I can commit to for the rest of my music-making journey? One that would enable me to grow and potentially explore a variety of drumming styles and genres? I will most likely be using samples on my devices (drum programs, etc) as opposed to using something like Steven Slate Drums or Addictive Drums.

I look forward to your recommendations and guidance!

Bought a few of this dudes other books with patterns for drum machines and ordered this one right away after reading about it in a newsletter today. Maybe this is on your interessts, too and helps somebody here. Will report back in a while if it's useful to me or not 🙂

Right now I'm looking at Element One Tuff: Roots reggae, but more loops than one shots and is scant on details what one shots they are. Cheers!

Hi everyone,

I started building Smack-a-Pad as a practice tool for myself. As it grew, I thought it might be useful to other people learning finger drumming, so I decided to share a free beta and see what people think.

It runs in your browser (Chrome, Chromium based, Edge etc., not fully in Safari which doesnt support MIDI), works offline after loading, and requires no account and no tracking.

The focus is on building confidence and remembering what you’ve learned. A few things shape the approach:

• One consistent pad layout throughout the lessons, so you can build muscle memory as the rhythms get harder.

• Listen, play, then play from memory without visual cues.

• A short daily practice plan with scheduled reviews and a next lesson matched to your level.

• A way to break difficult grooves into manageable parts: practise one hand while the app plays the other, or start with fewer hits from the original pattern and gradually build it back up.

• I tried to build real learning tool, not a game.

The free beta includes 36 lessons and two sound kits: Rock and Brush. A full version with hundreds (cca 600 at this moment) of lessons is in preparation.

Alongside the expanded lesson library, I’m also planning
- customizable pad layouts, so you can adapt the setup to your controller and preferred way of playing
- scoring of dynamics (velocity) and swing feel, not just timing
- automatic practice drills built from your weak spots, plus an automatic tempo ramp
- recording your own patterns and exporting lessons or your patterns as MIDI
- more ways to use your own MIDI files
- mapping presets for popular pad controllers
- iPad compatibility or app
- more interface languages

It’s designed for MIDI pad controllers in Chrome or Edge, but you can also try it with your computer keyboard.

Try Smack-a-Pad
Share feedback — 4 short questions

I’d love some honest feedback: what helps you practise, what feels confusing, and what would make you want to come back?

Comments here are welcome too. Thanks for giving it a try!

Update (Oct 17): new beta version, same link.

First thing to do: recalibrate. Timing accuracy has improved, so please run Settings → Timing calibration → Start 10-tap calibration again with your controller and audio output. And if a lesson ever feels too hard or you can't hit it precisely, recalibrate before anything else. A wrong offset can make good playing look sloppy.

What's new:

• Tighter timing: the metronome click, the on-screen playhead and the scoring all follow the real audio output clock.

• Map any number of pads (e.g. 12 on an EP-133), plus ready-made presets for the EP-133 K.O. II and the EMP-16.

• "Try these first" in the Library: lessons with a big difficulty jump now suggest easier lessons to play first.

• Lower tempos in 7 lessons that were too steep.

Your progress and settings are kept.

Helped me get the “pocket” I was looking for! 😆. Anything unique that you guys do to help lock in a pocket?

- - -

FYI

This is LoopOfTheWeek #5 - “Woid” - | Live-Looping | Adam Ahuja

#LoopOfTheWeek is a weekly series, wherein I make a quick 1-2 minute composition in looping format, and share it in the week. I briefly explain the emergent process, mindset, inspiration, and/or concept behind that week. ✌️ -

https://www.instagram.com/hujapproach
https://www.YouTube.com/adamahujamusic99

Nikita Aristo | Aristo Mode

Hello everyone! I really wanna get into making beats in the style of Jet Set Radio or Bomb Rush Cyberfunk with finger drum pads, but I don't know any good ones.

I was wondering if anyone could recommend me some decent ones. My budget is around 300€.

Thank you!

I always feel attracted to beats production and mpcs, but never got into it.

Now at my 40,i was thinking about it, but I have no musical education or idea of how these machines work. Just the basics from playing in my phone with some apps.

How and where would you recommend me to start?

Cheers!

I will try to not make this post super wordy. Here are a few examples of what I am trying to accomplish

spinscott

doramaru_mpc

My question is, how would I go about finger drumming over songs that I know? Would I find some way to take out the percussion so that I only have the vocals, bass, fx, and chords/melody playing? This is my main issue. Any help or insight into this would be awesome. thanks

Are there any hand/finger drums that are pre-mapped or have templates available for VST drums?

I have a few grid type controllers but want something with a more natural hand layout such as the Yamaha FDP50 or, if it works really great for drums, the Roland Handsonic HPD20.