Schlagmuster

Schlagmuster is a German term that translates roughly as "beat pattern" or "rhythmic pattern." In music theory and practice, it denotes a particular arrangement of notes, rests, and accents that forms a groove or accompaniment figure for a bar or phrase. The concept is used in instruction, arrangement, and performance to describe how rhythm and emphasis are distributed across the beat. In percussion notation, a Schlagmuster specifies which beats are struck and when, guiding players in reproducing a groove.

Common examples include the backbeat, where emphasis typically falls on beats 2 and 4 in 4/4 time; and four-on-the-floor, in which the bass drum plays a hit on every beat, forming a steady pulse. More complex Schlagmuster involve subdivisions such as eighth or sixteenth notes, syncopation, or swing; they are used across genres from pop and rock to jazz and dance music.

The term is primarily used in German-speaking contexts and is encountered in multilingual music literature as a direct translation for English "rhythmic pattern" or "groove." Etymology: Schlag (beat, stroke) + Muster (pattern). See also rhythm, groove, percussion, drum set.