i need some help with my beats .ive can get a basic riddim down from tunes i like but i have trouble with the hats a percussion riddims..i think they are swinging and find it hard to count them,can someone explain swing(do u vary lengths accenting shorter note)any help u can give examples any thing is appreciate.funky ging the 1/3rd

swing advances the timing of every 2nd note as set by the quantise rate. So for example, if you lay down a bar of 16th note hihats, every 2nd hihat will be pushed whilst the 1st, 3rd, 5th etc will remain bang on the beat. So the unswung rate of swing (confused? you will be) is 50%, ie every 2nd note is exactly halfway between the 1st + 3rd etc, etc. ....if you apply 66% swing, then strictly speaking you`re quantising every 2nd note to a triplet quantisation rate whilst the 1st, 3rd yada yada yada remain as is. So thats swing - every 2nd note is pushed, like a jazz drummer might play his/her hihats: tish-ti-tish-tish-tish.

i get your explanation ..thanks,can you or anyone help me with(advise,patterns) on programing the percussion side of garage, broken beat..ive started useing the little wood block sound csharp,you can get nice things going on between the base drum and that.but i am stuck with cowbells and congas if you can help with nice(earthy)garage type riddims..its appreciated.

not sure I get what you mean - like hihats and stuff? You can use finger bells and the like too, timkly sounds, just eq or filter them so they`re nice n light ...pitching em up a little helps too. Even try *very* light kicks, and I mean very (not the one you`re using as the main beat either), in 16ths pushed quite far off the beat - that can make things bump along a little better.