What chord progressions are used in grime?

Grime uses simple, dark chord progressions built around minor keys. The most common progressions are: the Two-Bar Vamp (im-bVII, oscillating between the root and flat 7), the Phrygian Two-Step (im-bII, the signature grime move using the flat 2), the Minor Drop (i-bVI-bVII-bVI), and the Eski-style single-note melody over a static bass (no chord changes, all movement is melodic). Many classic grime beats use no chords at all, just a single-note melody hook over a drum pattern.

What makes grime sound different from UK garage and drum and bass?

Grime is distinct from UK garage and drum and bass in three key ways: (1) Tempo - grime is exactly 140 BPM with a half-time feel; UK garage is 130-138 BPM with a skippy 2-step swing; DnB is 160-180 BPM with breakbeat rolls. (2) MC focus - grime is built for MCs to spit bars, so the beat has more space and syncopated gaps for lyrics; garage and DnB are more dancer-focused. (3) Melodic character - grime uses icy, thin, high-frequency synth stabs and Eski beat chimes over dark bass; garage uses warm chords and vocal samples; DnB uses atmospheric pads and Amen breaks.

Genre Guides › Grime

How to Make Grime Music

The complete production guide for grime: 140 BPM half-time beats, Eski chime melodies, Phrygian bII chords, and MC-driven arrangements.

140 BPM

Genre-defining tempo

Minor Keys

E minor, D minor

Eski Beat

High-freq chime hook

bII Chord

Phrygian flat 2 move

Step 0: Detect Your Sample Key First

Grime heavily uses vocal samples and melodic loops from older UK music. Before you chop or pitch anything, detect its key. A sample in the wrong key will clash with your Eski melody and bass immediately.

1. Upload to BeatKey

Drop your sample or reference track into BeatKey. Get BPM and musical key in seconds.

2. Note the Key

BeatKey returns the key AND Camelot code. Write both down before building your beat.

3. Build in That Key

Set your DAW to 140 BPM. Build your Eski melody and bass in the detected key.

Detect Key Free with BeatKey

Step 1: Set the Tempo (Always 140 BPM)

The 140 BPM Rule: Grime lives at exactly 140 BPM. Unlike most genres where the tempo is a range, grime has a near-universal standard. Deviating far from 140 BPM makes the beat sound like something else: UK garage at 130-138, DnB at 160+, or trap at 135-145.

Subgenre	BPM	Key	Sound	Artists	Tip
Classic East London Grime	140 BPM	E minor, D minor	Eski beat chimes, syncopated kick, sparse production, MC-focused	Wiley, Dizzee Rascal, Skepta early era	Leave space for MCs. If the beat sounds too full, strip it back.
Dark Grime	140 BPM	D minor, F minor	Horror film stabs, deep 808 sub, minimal percussion, menacing mood	Jme, Ghetts, Chip, Devlin	Use Phrygian bII chord and tritone intervals for maximum tension.
Modern Commercial Grime	140-145 BPM	G minor, A minor	Trap hi-hats added, 808 bass, more melodic hooks, radio-ready	Stormzy, Skepta post-2014, Headie One	Borrow trap hi-hat patterns at 140 BPM for a modern UK sound.
Instrumental Grime (Instrumentals)	140 BPM	E minor, D minor	Standalone beat as art, longer melodic development, more complex arrangement	Wiley instrumentals, Terror Danjah, Rude Kid	Instrumental grime can be more experimental. Add more melodic development.
Funky Grime / Percussive	140 BPM	F minor, C minor	Afrobeats and funky house influence, percussion-heavy, harder swing	Butterz label, Plastician, Champion	Add shaker and clave patterns from Afrobeats over the 2-step grid.
Sinogrime / Experimental	140 BPM	E minor with pentatonic	Asian scales and gamelan textures, Burial influence, hauntological	DJ Deckstream, Burial (adjacent), Ikonika	Use pentatonic scale notes and 5-limit tuning for the "Sino" texture.

Step 2: Build the Grime Drum Pattern

The Half-Time Grid: Grime uses a half-time feel at 140 BPM. The kick and snare sit on beats 1 and 3 of a 2-step half-time grid, not the standard 4-on-the-floor or breakbeat patterns. This gives grime its distinctive heavy, stomping weight despite the fast tempo.

Element	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	Note
Kick																	Beats 1 and 3 only (half-time). Deep and punchy. Not clipped like phonk.
Snare																	Beats 2 and 4 (same as kick, half-time grid). Dry crack. No reverb.
Clap																	Layered with snare. Bright and sharp. Key grime texture.
Hi-Hat																	8th notes, not 16ths. Tight, closed. Occasional syncopated offbeat accents.
Open HH																	Syncopated upbeats. Adds the "2-step" swing feeling of UK garage heritage.
Eski Chime																	The signature grime melodic element. High-frequency, short, icy. Often a steel drum or music box sample.

Kick Drum

Half-time placement on beats 1 and 3. Deep 808-style sub punch. Sample or synthesized. Never clipped like phonk.

Snare / Clap

Sharp, dry crack. No reverb on the main snare. Layered clap adds high-frequency presence. Hits beats 2 and 4 on the half-time grid.

Hi-Hat Pattern

8th notes, not 16ths like trap. Grime is more open and spacious. Occasional syncopated open hi-hat on upbeats gives the 2-step swing from UK garage heritage.

Eski Chime

The signature grime melodic element. High-frequency, short decay, icy sound. Often a steel drum, music box, or Skacid-style synth. Syncopated rhythm pattern is key.

Sub Bass

Deep sub-bass below 80 Hz. Clean and monophonic. Follows the root note of the chord progression. Must be in key with the Eski melody.

Swing Setting

Minimal swing on the hi-hats (5-15%). Grime is stiffer than UK garage but not as mechanical as techno. A slight push gives energy without losing the half-time weight.

Step 3: Chord Progressions and Melody

The Phrygian bII Move: The single most important harmonic move in grime is the flat 2 chord, one semitone above the root. In E minor this is an F major chord. This is the Phrygian sound and it instantly signals "grime" to any UK music listener. Use it.

Two-Bar Vamp

im - bVII

Em - D (in E minor)

The foundational grime move. Oscillate between root minor and flat 7. Add a single-note melody on top.

Phrygian Two-Step

im - bII

Em - F (in E minor)

The signature grime chord move. The flat 2 chord one semitone above the root creates instant dark tension.

Minor Drop

i - bVI - bVII - bVI

Em - C - D - C (in E minor)

Descending from the root to the flat 6 and flat 7 creates the classic grime "falling" feeling.

Eski One-Note Hook

Single melody over i chord

High-frequency chime melody, no chord changes below

Many grime beats use no harmony at all, just a single-note melodic hook that loops. Leave space for MCs.

Phrygian Minor Sequence

i - bII - i - bVII

Dm - Eb - Dm - C (in D minor)

Combines the Phrygian bII with a flat 7 resolution. Dark and harmonically complex without sounding busy.

Horror Stab Vamp

i - bVI - bVII - i

Em - C - D - Em (in E minor)

Used in dark grime and instrumental grime. The flat 6 and flat 7 before returning to the root build tension.

Root minor chord. Home base for grime melodies and bass lines.

bII

Phrygian flat 2. One semitone above root. The signature grime harmonic move.

bVII

Flat 7 major chord. Natural in minor keys. Gives grime its brooding weight.

bVI

Flat 6 major chord. The "falling" chord in grime progressions. Creates dark descent.

Detect chords in a grime reference track

Upload any grime track to the Chord Finder to see exactly which chords are used and in what order.

Open Chord Finder

Step 4: Grime Keys and Hz Reference

Tune your bass to the root Hz of your key. Use notes.beatkey.app for exact Hz values per note. Grime producers detune 808s and sub bass to the root note for maximum impact.

Key	Root Hz	5th Hz	Camelot	Why Grime Uses It
E minor	164.81 Hz	246.94 Hz	9A	Most common grime key. E string resonance, sits well in the Eski beat register.
D minor	146.83 Hz	220.00 Hz	7A	Second most common. Deep and menacing. Dizzee Rascal and Ghetts territory.
F minor	174.61 Hz	261.63 Hz	4A	Dark and claustrophobic. Works well for horror-influence grime beats.
G minor	196.00 Hz	293.66 Hz	6A	Modern commercial grime. More melodic headroom in the higher register.
A minor	220.00 Hz	329.63 Hz	8A	Accessible minor key. Used when producers want a familiar but dark sound.
C minor	261.63 Hz	391.99 Hz	5A	Funky grime and percussive grime. Higher root note leaves room for sub bass below.

Step 5: Grime Arrangement

MC Space Rule: Grime arrangements must leave space for MCs to perform. Unlike pop or EDM where the production fills every frequency, grime beats are deliberately sparse. If your beat sounds full and complete without a vocal, an MC will not be able to add bars over it effectively.

Section	Length	Elements	Production Tip
Intro (0:00-0:08)	4 bars	Drum pattern only or single Eski chime melody. Leave space for MC to set the tone.	Start sparse. Let the beat breathe. MCs often freestyle over intro.
Verse 1 (0:08-0:32)	12 bars	Full drum pattern, bass line enters, melodic hook introduced.	Keep the mix lean. Bass and drums are primary. Melody is secondary texture.
Hook/Chorus (0:32-0:48)	8 bars	Same production, possible filter lift, vocals shift to hook pattern.	Grime hooks are not as dramatic as pop. The energy shift is subtle - a filter open or a chord change.
Verse 2 (0:48-1:12)	12 bars	Same as verse 1. Maybe introduce a counter-melody or variation on the Eski chime.	MCs expect consistency. Do not change the beat significantly between verses.
Bridge/Reload (1:12-1:24)	6 bars	Stripped back - kick and snare only, or complete silence. "Reload" point.	The reload point is where grime sets rewind the beat. A bare drum breakdown is classic.
Final Hook (1:24-1:48)	12 bars	Full beat returns with maximum energy. Possible additional melodic layer.	Build back up gradually. Bass returns first, then melody, then any additional elements.
Outro (1:48-2:00)	6 bars	Drum pattern fades or cuts hard. No fade-out - grime ends with a stop or a reload rewind effect.	Hard stop or reverse sample effect. No gentle fades.

Step 6: Mix and Master Grime

Element	Priority	EQ	Compression	Effects
Eski Chime/Lead Melody	Primary	High-pass below 200 Hz. Boost 3-5 kHz for icy "bite."	Fast attack (2 ms), medium release. Keeps the stabs punchy.	Short reverb (pre-delay 20 ms, decay 0.5s). Subtle stereo width.
Kick Drum	Primary	Cut 200-400 Hz (cardboard mud). Boost 60-80 Hz sub and 4-5 kHz click.	Parallel compression for punch without losing transient attack.	No reverb. Clean and dry. The half-time kick must hit hard.
Sub Bass	Primary	High-pass below 40 Hz. Cut 200-400 Hz. Keep it sub-only below 120 Hz.	Light limiting. Keep sub consistent but not crushed.	Mono sum below 100 Hz. No effects on sub.
Snare/Clap	Secondary	Cut 400-600 Hz (boxy). Boost 5-8 kHz for crack and presence.	Fast attack, medium release. Transient shaper to enhance crack.	Short room reverb (0.2-0.4s). Keeps it dry but not dead.
Hi-Hat and Open HH	Secondary	High-pass below 1 kHz. Cut 4-6 kHz harsh zone if needed.	Light compression for consistency. Hats should swing slightly.	No reverb on closed hats. Tiny room on open hats for air.
Master Bus	Final	Subtle high shelf boost at 12 kHz for air. No heavy master EQ.	Light master bus glue (2-3 dB GR, slow attack, medium release).	Limiter: target -10 to -9 LUFS. Grime is louder than ambient but quieter than hyperpop.

BPM-Synced Delay Times at 140 BPM

BPM	Quarter Note (ms)	8th Note (ms)	Dotted 8th (ms)
130	461.5	230.8	346.2
135	444.4	222.2	333.3
140	428.6	214.3	321.4
142	422.5	211.3	316.9
145	413.8	206.9	310.3

Calculate all delay values for 140 BPM

Get dotted 8th, quarter note, and reverb pre-delay times for grime at any exact BPM.

Open at 140 BPM

Free Tools for Grime Production

BeatKey

Detect BPM and key of any sample before chopping. Essential for staying in key when building from existing loops.

Note Frequency

Get exact Hz values for tuning 808s and sub bass to the root note. Critical for grime's sub-heavy low end.

Chord Finder

Upload a grime reference to see which chords are used. Identify the Phrygian bII move in any track.

Delay Calculator

Sync reverb and delay to 140 BPM. Dotted 8th at 140 BPM = 321ms. Quarter note = 429ms.

Phrygian Scale Guide

Learn the Phrygian mode for grime's bII chord and the dark minor sound. Notes for all 12 keys.

39 Genre Guides

Full production guides for UK garage, drum and bass, drill, trap, and 35 more genres.

6 Common Grime Production Mistakes

Mistake: Wrong tempo

Fix: Grime is 140 BPM. Not 138 (UK garage) or 145 (modern trap). Set your DAW to exactly 140 BPM.

Mistake: Major key chords

Fix: Grime uses minor keys. Major chord progressions sound out of place. Stick to im, bVII, bVI, bVII, and bII.

Mistake: Too many elements

Fix: Grime beats are sparse. If the beat sounds busy, strip it back. MCs need space to breathe.

Mistake: Skipping key detection

Fix: Detect the key of any sample before chopping it. Use BeatKey to find BPM and key simultaneously.

Mistake: No Phrygian bII

Fix: The flat 2 chord (one semitone above the root) is THE signature grime harmonic move. Use it.

Mistake: Clean, polished mix

Fix: Grime has a lo-fi, icy texture. Do not over-polish. The thin, sharp frequency range is intentional.

Grime Production FAQ

What BPM is grime music?

Grime is produced at exactly 140 BPM. This is the genre-defining tempo. Unlike UK garage (130-138 BPM) or drum and bass (160-180 BPM), grime locks to 140 BPM with a half-time feel. Set your DAW to exactly 140 BPM before building any grime beat.

What key is grime music in?

Grime uses minor keys almost exclusively. E minor and D minor are the most common. F minor and G minor are also frequently used. The Phrygian bII chord (one semitone above the root) is the signature harmonic move. Detect sample keys with BeatKey before building.

What is an Eski beat?

An Eski beat is a grime production style created by Wiley. It features a high-frequency, icy melodic hook (the "Eski chime") using a steel drum, music box, or Skacid synth sound with a syncopated rhythm pattern over the half-time drum grid. The chime is the main melodic element and often the only harmonic content in the beat, leaving maximum space for MCs.

What makes grime different from UK garage and drum and bass?

Grime is distinct from UK garage and drum and bass in three key ways: (1) Tempo: grime is 140 BPM half-time; UK garage is 130-138 BPM skippy 2-step; DnB is 160-180 BPM breakbeats. (2) MC focus: grime beats are sparse and built for lyrical performance; garage and DnB are dancer-focused. (3) Melodic character: grime uses icy, thin Eski chimes; garage uses warm vocal chops and piano chords; DnB uses atmospheric pads and Amen break rolls.

Related Production Guides

UK Garage

130-138 BPM, 2-step swing, vocal chops. The genre grime evolved from.

Drum and Bass

160-180 BPM, Amen breaks, atmospheric pads. UK electronic sibling genre.

UK Drill

140-150 BPM, dark minor chords, sliding 808s. Modern UK MC genre.

Trap Soul

60-80 BPM (half-time), dark chords, emotional R&B over trap production.

Phrygian Scale Guide

The theory behind grime's dark bII chord. Notes for all 12 Phrygian keys.

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