Dots! add a dot for funk and fun!
Adding dots to notes can create interesting groves while adding a Polymeter feel due to working in odd numbers, and without the arrangement difficulties.
A dotted note is a musical note which sustains half the time longer than its original length, this is expressed with a dot in standard music notation, as can be seen below;
Some examples of dotted notes are
A Whole Note, or a Bar is a note sustaining over 4 beats, so a Dotted Bar would be 4 beats and half again, totaling 6 beats long.
4 Beats + 2 Beat = 6 Beats
A Half Note sustains over 2 beats, so a Dotted half note sustains over 3 beats.
1/2 + 1/4 = 3/4 of a bar
I think you get the idea.
Oscar From underdog demonstrates using dotted notes to create groovy and Funky rhythmical basslines for electronic dance music. Although this is done in Ableton, this knowledge can be transferred to any DAW which uses a standard MIDI grid.
And although the tutorial is aimed at using dotted notes in your bassline, the rhythm is used in Drums, Percussion and driving trance sequences. Stranjah uses a dotted rhythm in his drum and bass fundamental bassline patterns tutorial, and Oscar demonstrates this rhythm being used in an electro style track in the video below.