Ghost notes are most often soft notes played on the snare drum, usually on the “e” and/or “a” (pronounced “ah”) of a 16th-note count: 1 e & a. Ghost notes are used to create an underlying double-time feel that helps propel the rhythm along in a subtle but very funky way. The granddaddy ghost-note groove is the so-called “James Brown beat.” We don’t really know who invented it, but it was made popular by Clayton Fillyau in his work with JB, especially on Live At The Apollo, Vol.1, recorded in 1962.