Motorik

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Motorik is a term coined by music journalists to describe the 4/4 beat often used by some so-called "Krautrock" bands such as Neu! and Kraftwerk. (Klaus Dinger of Neu! actually called it the "Apache beat") ^{[citation needed]}. The word "motorik" means "motor skill" in German.

The name perhaps derives from the repetitive yet forward-flowing feel of the rhythm, which has been compared to the experience of motorway driving -- indeed, the motorik beat is utilized in one section of Kraftwerk's "Autobahn", a song designed to celebrate exactly this experience.

The motorik rhythm pattern generally consists of three crotchet hits of a bass drum, followed by one crotchet hit of a snare, repeated each bar throughout the song. Some variations have the bass drum hitting every crotchet (maintaining the single hit of the snare). Another variation features a hi-hat cymbal on every crotchet or quaver note. A splash or crash cymbal is often hit at the beginning bar of a verse or chorus.