Free Online Drum Machine
Browser-based drum machine with 10+ preset patterns, 5 sound styles, adjustable BPM, reverb, and delay. Build your own patterns by clicking the step grid, or browse presets from Basic Rock to Bossa Nova. No download, no signup.
Try it
When to use this
- When you need to feel the tempo of a song idea before tracking anything
- When you're writing over a loop and want a drum track that isn't just a metronome
- When you're learning about rhythm and want to hear how different patterns feel
- When you want to experiment with groove before deciding on a drum style for a recording
How to use the drum machine
The step grid is the heart of the drum machine. Each row is one drum part: SNR (snare), HAT (hi-hat), and KCK (kick drum). Each column is one 8th-note step in the bar. Click a square to arm it — it turns blue — and when you hit Play, those steps fire on every loop. Click again to disarm it.
The preset navigator at the top lets you jump between named patterns like Basic Rock, Funk Groove, and Bossa Nova. These are good starting points to hear what different grooves feel like before you start tweaking. You can change individual steps after loading a preset — the preset just gives you the starting grid.
The style selector changes the actual drum samples — Default, Indie, Chill, Dance, and Latin use completely different recordings of snares, hi-hats, and kicks. The same pattern sounds dramatically different in Indie versus Dance. Swap styles while the pattern is playing to compare them without stopping.
The four knobs control Volume, Reverb, Tempo, and Delay. Drag a knob upward to increase its value, or click the number field below it and type directly. Reverb and delay are worth exploring at subtle values (20–30%) before going heavy — a little goes a long way on drums, especially reverb on snare.
Time signature changes the number of steps per bar. At 4/4 (the default), you get 8 steps — two per beat. At 3/4, you get 6 steps, which gives the waltz feel. Higher time signatures like 5/4 and 7/4 are useful for more complex, asymmetrical grooves. Changing the time signature reloads the preset pattern for the new step count.
Common questions
Do I need to download anything to use this drum machine?
No. It runs entirely in your browser using the Web Audio API. No download, no app, no signup required.
What drum styles are available?
Default, Indie, Chill, Dance, and Latin. Each style uses different drum samples — so the same pattern sounds different depending on which style you choose.
How do I change the tempo?
Drag the Tempo knob upward to increase BPM or downward to decrease it. You can also click the number field below the knob and type a value directly. Range is 40–200 BPM.
What time signatures are supported?
2/4, 3/4, 4/4, 5/4, 6/4, 7/4, and 9/4. Changing the time signature resets the pattern to the preset layout for that step count.
What is reverb and delay on a drum machine?
Reverb adds a sense of room or space to the drums — more reverb sounds like a large hall, less sounds dry and close. Delay adds an echo effect that repeats each drum hit. Both are subtle at low values and dramatic at high ones. Try reverb at 25% on just the snare row first to hear what it does.
Can I save my patterns?
On this standalone page, patterns are not saved between visits. For patterns that travel with your songs, open the full WriteHook app — drum patterns are stored per song automatically.
Related tools
WriteHook is a forever-free songwriting app
This drum machine plus chord diagrams, rhyme finder, lyrics editor, and more — all in one place, patterns saved with your songs, free forever.
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