How to Make Electro Swing Drums: Essential Patterns and Fills

Electro swing drums are generally built on the beat structure of EDM and other forms of club music.

What makes the genre distinctive, however, is the way it layers rhythmic elements from swing jazz on top of that electronic foundation.

In this guide, we’ll explore how to start with an EDM-style beat and turn it into a groove that feels unmistakably electro swing.

1. Start with an EDM-Style Four-on-the-Floor Beat

The foundation of an electro swing drum pattern usually comes from club music.

Drum Part	Basic Placement
Kick	Four-on-the-floor
Snare / Clap	Beats 2 and 4
Hi-Hat	Offbeats

Offbeat hi-hats are also common in house and EDM, but in electro swing they have become one of the genre’s most recognizable rhythmic features.

🎧 Kick and Snare—or Clap

Your kick and snare pattern can be based on either an eighth-note or sixteenth-note feel.

Eighth-note pattern

Sixteenth-note pattern

If you’d like to study it in your DAW,
you can also download the MIDI file.

[Download here]

There are no strict rules about the drum sounds you should use.

A punchy kick combined with a clap-like snare will give the track a more modern club-music feel.

Using a more natural jazz-style snare will create a stronger vintage atmosphere.

Choose the sounds according to the direction and mood of your track.

2. Create the Groove with Offbeat Hi-Hats and Top Loops

🎧 Offbeat Hi-Hats

In electro swing, the hi-hat is commonly placed on the offbeats. This helps create the bouncing rhythmic feel associated with the genre.

First, listen to the hi-hat on its own.

Next, listen to the same pattern with the kick and snare added.

Compare how the groove changes when the offbeat hi-hat is introduced.

If you’d like to study it in your DAW,
you can also download the MIDI file.

[Download here]

🎧 Top Loops and Percussion

A hi-hat pattern on its own can sometimes sound too repetitive.

To add more movement, layer a top loop or additional percussion over the beat. This strengthens the offbeat groove and makes the rhythm feel more energetic.

First, listen to the top loop on its own.

Adding swing-style percussion or shuffle-based samples can make the beat feel much more like electro swing.

Now listen to the top loop combined with the previous drum pattern.

If you’d like to study it in your DAW,
you can also download the MIDI file.

[Download here]

3. Add Acoustic-Drum Elements

Another common electro swing technique is to add elements inspired by acoustic jazz drums to an EDM-style programmed beat.

Live-drum-style movement brings out the vintage character and energy that define the genre.

🎧 Ride Cymbal

First, listen to the ride cymbal pattern on its own.

Adding an acoustic texture like this to an electronic beat emphasizes the distinctive combination of club music and jazz.

Now listen to it together with the full beat.

🎧 Swing-Style Tom Fills

Swing-style tom fills also work extremely well in electro swing.

Adding one of these fills can instantly make the jazz influence much more noticeable.

Now listen to the tom fill together with the beat.

If you’d like to study it in your DAW,
you can also download the MIDI file.

[Download here]

I also used this type of tom fill in the B section immediately after the instrumental break—at around 1:50—in Anshelly’s “Room501,” which I arranged.

4. Use Both EDM and Jazz Drum Fills

Drum fills can incorporate ideas from both EDM and jazz.

Placing them before a new section or a major transition adds contrast and helps build excitement.

EDM-Style Drum Fills

Common EDM-style fills include snare rolls and kick rolls.

First, listen to each fill on its own.

These fills are often used during buildups or immediately before a drop. They create the rising tension and energy associated with club music.

Now listen to each fill within the full beat.

Notice how the fills increase the tension and energy before the next section begins.

Acoustic-Style Drum Fills

Acoustic drum fills often contain subtle changes in timing, velocity, and articulation.

These details add the lively movement and human feel associated with swing jazz.

First, listen to the movement of the toms and snare on its own.

Now listen to the same fill within the full drum pattern.

The combination of dramatic EDM-style fills and jazz-inspired acoustic fills is another reason electro swing arrangements can sound so dynamic and unpredictable.

5. Add Percussion and Sound Effects for Extra Character

The following sounds are not usually played continuously throughout the track.

Instead, they work best as one-shot accents that enhance the retro or cartoon-like atmosphere.

🥁 Timpani Bounce

A timpani bounce is a low, bouncing sound effect commonly associated with cartoons.

Placing it immediately before a break or a rhythmic hit can instantly strengthen the playful vintage atmosphere.

💰 Cash Register Sound

A cash register is an iconic sound effect with a comical, old-fashioned character.

It is most effective when used only once or twice as a small accent.

I also used this sound at around 1:06 in “Oshare ga Shitai wa,” my collaboration with Anshelly and zensen.

🧼 Washboard

The washboard is a rhythm instrument commonly used in early jazz and blues.

Even a short washboard phrase can immediately evoke an old-time atmosphere.

You can also hear it at around 1:47 in “Oshare ga Shitai wa.”

Summary

Electro swing drums may sound complicated, but the basic approach is relatively simple:

1. Start with an EDM-style four-on-the-floor beat
   —Kick, snare or clap, and offbeat hi-hat
2. Strengthen the offbeat groove with top loops and percussion
3. Add jazz-inspired elements such as ride cymbals and swing-style tom fills when needed

Combining these elements creates the distinctive blend of club music and jazz associated with electro swing.

You can also add one-shot effects such as a timpani bounce, cash register, or washboard to give the track even more character.

Use the patterns introduced in this guide as a starting point and experiment with your own electro swing drum grooves.

For Producers Who Feel Stuck Learning on Their Own

✔ “My tracks never sound as cool as I imagined.”

✔ “No matter what I try, it still doesn’t sound like electro swing.”

✔ “I feel like I’ve reached the limit of what I can learn on my own.”

If any of these sound familiar, I offer one-on-one online music production lessons.

Creating a convincing electro swing track involves several important techniques, including sound selection, rhythm, arrangement, and the use of effects.

Without understanding these techniques, it is only natural that endless trial and error may not bring you any closer to the sound you have in mind.

I experienced the same problem myself. When I was determined to learn everything on my own, I managed to complete only one track in four years.

Looking back now, even that track was nowhere near a level I would have felt comfortable sharing with other people.

After studying with a teacher, I learned the correct approach to arrangement and music production. I began to understand how to combine sounds, chords, rhythms, and other elements to create the sound I was aiming for.

Today, I’m able to analyze electro swing, write detailed production tutorials like this one, and produce music for artists and companies.

If you want to develop the knowledge needed to create the music you envision—and make tracks that captivate your listeners and fans—please take a look at the details of my online lessons.

My students include people from Japan, the United States, and Austria, ranging from complete beginners to those working toward a professional career.

[View the Online Music Production Lesson Details]

🎁 Get the Drum Pattern MIDI Files Featured in This Guide

I’m giving away the MIDI files for the essential drum patterns and swing-style tom fill introduced in this article.

Good ready-made samples of this type of tom fill are difficult to find, and there are also very few tutorials explaining how to program one yourself.

With these MIDI files, you can freely adjust the tom fill to fit the rhythm and arrangement of your own track.

My newsletter also includes:

✔ Production techniques not covered on the blog
✔ Behind-the-scenes insights into electro swing production
✔ Practical MIDI resources you can use in your own tracks

If you want to expand your production toolkit, subscribe below and receive the free MIDI files.

👉 [Subscribe to the newsletter and receive the free downloads]

🎧 Want to Learn More About Electro Swing Production?

For a complete overview of electro swing production—including bass lines, chords, rhythm, arrangement, and sound selection—read the full guide below.

👉 The Complete Guide to Making Electro Swing

How to Make Electro Swing: The Ultimate Production Guide

Bookmark this page so you can return to it whenever you are working on an electro swing track.