Beatmaking
How to Make Trap Beats: The Complete Pattern Recipe
Trap has a recognizable skeleton. Learn it exactly, then bend it. Set your project to 140 BPM (anywhere 130–170 works — see the genre BPM chart).
The drum skeleton
- Kick: beat 1, then syncopated hits that follow the 808 pattern.
- Snare/clap: beat 3 only — that's the half-time feel.
- Hi-hats: straight 8ths as the bed, then rolls: bursts of 16ths, 32nds and triplets before the snare. Velocity variation keeps them alive.
- Open hat: off-beats, sparingly.
The 808
The 808 is the bassline. Follow your progression's root notes, keep it mono, and use slides between notes for motion. Tune it — an out-of-key 808 ruins everything above it.
The melody
Dark minor keys rule trap: try natural minor or harmonic minor, 2–4 bar loops, simple motifs with space. Bells, plucked guitars, dark keys and choir pads all work. Stuck? Generate minor-key starting points with the MIDI Pattern Generator and darken from there.
Arrangement in 60 seconds
8-bar intro (melody only) → hook (everything) → verse (drop the melody an octave, thin the drums) → hook → verse → hook → outro. Mute one element per section change so the song breathes.
The 1%: what separates placements from loops
Contrast. Producers who place records automate filters into transitions, drop drums for the last 2 bars before a hook, and leave silence right before impact. Copy that habit before you copy anyone's drum kit.
Generate trap melodies & drums →Minor-key patterns in one click — free, exports .mid.Frequently asked questions
What BPM are trap beats?
Usually 130–170 BPM with a half-time feel — 140 is the classic. The snare on beat 3 makes it groove at half speed.
What key are trap beats in?
Almost always minor keys — natural or harmonic minor. Dark, simple 2–4 bar minor melodies are the genre's core.
How do I make my hi-hat rolls sound professional?
Mix note lengths (8ths into 16th/32nd bursts and triplets), vary velocity so no two hits are identical, and place the fastest rolls right before the snare.