Your First Rhythm Pattern: High-Low Alternation

The first three chapters got us ready: we met the drum, made the tones ring, and learned to read a score. Now, let's play the first real rhythm pattern.

Open the "Rhythm Practice" page and select High-Low Alternation (Exercise 4.1, default 70 BPM). You'll see a grid like this:

B  S  B  S

This is the cajon's most natural beginner groove: bass and slap alternating, like walking — left foot (B), right foot (S).

Beat by Beat

In 4/4 time with quarter notes as the unit, one bar has 4 beats:

Beat	1	2	3	4
Note	B	S	B	S
Striking spot	Below center	Upper corner edge	Below center	Upper corner edge

• B (beats 1 and 3): palm heel strikes just below the center of the face — deep and solid, the "foundation" of the beat;
• S (beats 2 and 4): fingers together on the upper corner edge — bright and crisp, the "punctuation" of the beat.

Hand order: following Chapter 2's division of labor, B takes the lead hand and S the support hand — B S B S is the alternating R L R L hand order. From the very first rhythm pattern, let each hand do its own job, so the eighth notes and tempo work later never hit the single-hand ceiling.

Why It Feels Like Walking

When you walk, your left and right feet push alternately and your weight shifts naturally from side to side. High-low alternation moves exactly that motion onto the drum face:

• One note per beat, no rests — the rhythmic skeleton is fully exposed;
• The hands move between the two spots in small motions, never lifting too high (Exercise 4.1 tip: switch hand shapes fluidly, don't lift too high);
• This pattern is a simplified version of the folk foundation pattern (Exercise 2.1) — master it and you upgrade directly.

Mirror Practice: Low-High Alternation

Once high-low alternation is steady, try the version that starts on the slap — low-high alternation (S B S B). The hand order stays the same (R L R L); the tone roles swap: S starts with the lead hand, and the bass B falls to the support hand:

• It breaks the habit of "bass must be the lead hand" — the support hand gets to practice bass and the two hands balance out;
• It also breaks the listening habit of "beat 1 must be a bass" — later, with syncopation and anchor grooves, you'll find beat 1 isn't always the heaviest;
• Tempo requirement matches high-low alternation: 60-70 BPM, with clearly separated tones.

Practice Routine (10 Minutes)

1. Minutes 1-3: play only bass B B B B at 60 BPM, listening for a steady heartbeat (review Exercise 2.2);
2. Minutes 4-6: play only slap S S S S at 60 BPM (review Exercise 2.3);
3. Minutes 7-9: alternate B S B S, following the highlighted grid in the practice player, building the tempo gradually from 60 to 70;
4. Final minute: close your eyes and follow by ear alone — check whether "hearing" has taken over from "seeing".

Check: at 70 BPM, four consecutive clean bars with clearly separated B and S tones — then you're ready for the next chapter.

What You Take Away from This Chapter

• High-low alternation = B on beats 1 and 3 + S on beats 2 and 4, one note per beat;
• The smaller the hand-shape switch, the steadier — keep the strength even on every beat;
• It's the forerunner of the folk foundation rhythm — once it's steady, you upgrade directly.

Next chapter, the anchor groove: the bass on beat 1 anchors, the ghost s joins in, and the rhythm starts to gain layers.