WingsOfAnAngel
Banned
ill o.g.
Battle Points: 3
This is how I USUALLY make a beat plus a lot of things I know [this is a mini-tutorial for all you beginners or producers who want some tips or ideas]
1. Melody... Here's where I start. I begin by either using samples or creating my own "backbone" melodies. It usually has to sound both real good and urban. This step is the hardest and the most important, but only because I'm basing my whole beat mostly on the melody. Remember it's hip hop so the time signature has to be something/4. Make sure it's not too long and it's loopable. And make sure it’s not too complex sounding... that’s just going to hurt peoples heads as it repeats and repeats.
2. Drums... Obviously drums have to match the melody with the same time signature… and by the hip hop beat structure as the backbone idea to it. It’s important to make the drums match the mood of the melody. For example: by using reverb, distant or close drums, all bass or cut bass, toms, other percussion, volume etc. Here’s a tip for beginners...if you want a decent drum beat, do this…
- Never put drums on the offbeat [in between the 1...2...3...4 count in a typical 4/4 pattern, or the even numbers in the first four steps] UNLESS it’s a double hi-hat or something of a similar effect that doesn‘t START on the offbeat. This is because the drums lay the structure of the whole song…and the offbeat, in a way, doesn’t exist. If you are laying the foundation of the beat on the offbeat it’s going to sound like your beat is screwed up, like the CD is skipping. Double hi-hats and similar hits which involve rolls are an exception because they don’t start on the offbeat and they “roll” for rhythmic purposes…just like you might hear the echo from a kick on the offbeat, but it doesn’t HIT on the offbeat.
- Snares...they usually follow a strict pattern. Usually it’s one every two bars.
- Kicks are not too strict, have them play off of the snares with catchy and unexpected hits. It’s usually two different but similar kick patterns every two bars.
Other drumbeat tips: Usually the snare pattern is always the same. Snares are used as a backbone to the drums. It really goes unnoticed that snares are the backbone of the drums, kicks connect the drum beat with the music, and hi hats connect the kicks to the snares. Clashes sound good in some beats, use them for dramatic effect in patterns where they appear sparingly. For example once every time the melody loops, or once every 8 bars. Use other types of percussion [bongos, toms, etc.] to either replace the typical drum sounds or to add notes and play along with the drum sounds. This is harder and more advanced but they can make or break some beats. Also, not many people realize that most rappers subconsciously prefer beats that play around with hi hats. It adds more mood to the drum beat and also can help them achieve great flow in their rhymes. Instead of doing the common hi hat every other step, try forming catchy patterns in between the kicks and snares that connect them together. For example…
BOOM chh-BOOM chh-PAH chh chh-chh chh- [repeat]
instead of the more commonly used
BOOM chh chh chh PAH chh chh chh BOOM chh BOOM chh PAH chh chh chh [repeat]
And remember ALWAYS LOOP DRUM PATTERNS...don't have like twenty different sets of drum patterns in a song... having one is not bad but it’s smart to loop two or four patterns. No more than four though, unless you have a very good reason.
3. Bass…In my opinion this is the easiest part. It’s simple to make a bassline that sounds good if you know what to do…but the HOTTEST basslines usually take skill, and the producer knows what they are doing. First know there are two types of basslines; one type that is based on the melody and one type that is based on the drums. When they are based on the melody they use the drums for guidance, and when they are based on the drums they use the melody for guidance. Let me explain in a second. Most basslines are based off of the drums.
Drum-based basslines- Most of the time there is a bass note on every kick, unless the beat has a lot of kicks… then it can be on the most important kicks. The notes can either be all the same [when this happens it’s usually mad low] or have notes that are in the same key as the melody [which basically means that the notes you are using in your bassline sound like the same notes as the ones used in the melody]. Sometimes people throw in bass notes on top of the snares, but this usually happens when the snare is also matched with a kick for a dramatic "loud noise" or “hit” effect.
Melody-based basslines- This is when you look at the melody to determine your bassline. These basslines are to make the melody sound better, not the drums. There aren’t many rules to this… you're using the bass as another instrument in the melody like a band or an orchestra. This is way more complicated than drum based. You have to be experienced at making melodies. If you do it this way, make the drums last.
To be good at making melodies/basslines and alternative drum beats it’s good to know at least a little bit of music theory. All the music theory you need to have an advantage at making beats is to know about musical keys/notes and time signatures. Just pick up a book or type music theory in Google. You don’t need to know how to read music, just read about keys and time signatures and anything else that looks useful. Try to memorize this information… it might take some hours of reading or light studying for a few weeks, but it’s VERY worth it, and definitely helps a lot of producers make the illest and most complex melodies.
IMPORTANT FINISHING TIPS
Throw in EQ and effects when you are happy with a particular instrument/loop/ or sound. Remember to mess with a lot of things like pitch, tempo, volume, EQ, and effects. Take into consideration the mood you want in your beat though…don’t ever forget your basic idea of the beat. If you do, you’re going to be tweaking shit until it sounds twisted and far away from what you were trying to do. Just carefully mess with everything until you are happy with every sound and pattern. Go learn about things like these in other guides; it’s very important.
When I finish constructing my basic beat pattern, I might make a few more patterns and make a chorus along with the intro/outro. These things are entirely up to you. Just make sure that the chorus and the intro/outro match the song's key, pattern, and time signature. And most importantly listen close for switching between patterns/ intros/verses/ chorus/ outro etc. If it doesn’t sound natural or if it doesn’t make sense, change it. [most of the time it’s simple, sometimes it’s just the drums kick in with the bass] Listen to a few different types of songs and you'll notice that most of the time the chorus isn't too different. Sometimes I switch the instruments and take the hi-hats out of the chorus. Also look at other songs and you'll notice aspects of my tips incorporated into other people's beats… both old school and new. Also, you’re going to hear that hip hop beats are supposed to be in 4/4 time. While I think hip hop will always be mostly 4/4, we are in a new era of beats where tracks can be anything/4. As long as it loops consistently and you do things with knowledge it will sound hip hop enough.
So don't forget to study music theory, learn more about music, listen closely to beat structures, and try out different software/hardware to see what ways of making beats suite you best. Develop a style and sound…and soon you'll be getting to the point quicker, knowing what you want to hear, knowing exactly what to do, and screwing up less. Study drum patterns and experiment. I always recommend that people spend as much time as they can on beats that they feel have a lot of potential. Remember, a piece of music can have anything and sometimes on the best tracks every little detail can make or break a song. If you feel a beat has potential, experiment with every little thing. Cross out what you like and don’t like, have multiple versions of the beat, and keep tweaking it until you find exactly what you’re looking for. A piece of art isn’t complete until the artist KNOWS it’s complete.
MOST IMPORTANT THINGS TO REMEMBER
The guidelines I’ve posted are actually not that complicated and they’re very flexible…I guarantee you 99% of good beats incorporate most of the aspects which I’ve mentioned. These tips and techniques will help you understand beat structure and give you help you with your ideas. If any amateur keeps these things in mind, they can make a decent sounding beat. The best of the best producers have practiced techniques such as these so much that they know exactly what to do quickly and effectively. Personally, whenever I hear a little melody I like in my head, or any little detail in a song that I’m listening to, and I think it has potential to become a beat… it will likely be an ill peace of music within the next few days. People get so caught up with what hardware and software they should use for making music. I say it doesn’t matter as much as you think. You definitely have to explore all of the hardware and software yourself and see what clicks with you. There’s just so many ways that big-time producers make beats. Some people actually believe that producers are amateur if they don’t have top notch hardware…don’t listen to this bullshit. You can bang pots and pans with chopsticks and record it on your cell phone if that’s the way you find it most effective to express what you want to hear. I say definitely have a go on the most popular hardware and software and learn a lot about them, then experiment with some other things. It really doesn’t matter as long as you’re satisfied with the power that you have at your fingertips. The most important part of beatmaking/ art is the artist being satisfied with what he hears when the play button is pressed/ masterpiece is looked at. When this satisfaction comes, the equipment, tools, and guidelines which were used to get to that feeling don't matter very much. Guidelines, special rules, recommended tools… they are all there to help you avoid what doesn’t work…and you’ll realize that they are correct. When you have this realization you can experiment with what satisfies you. Remember that a beat can be based off of anything. As shown in this tutorial, most of my beats are based off of melodies. Switch steps 1, 2, and 3 around. You can base drums off of the bassline or melodies off of the drums or drums off of the melodies… whatever you think is the most important part of YOUR particular beat. Feel free to experiment when you understand the structure of beats, and feel free to explore to your heart’s content.
1. Melody... Here's where I start. I begin by either using samples or creating my own "backbone" melodies. It usually has to sound both real good and urban. This step is the hardest and the most important, but only because I'm basing my whole beat mostly on the melody. Remember it's hip hop so the time signature has to be something/4. Make sure it's not too long and it's loopable. And make sure it’s not too complex sounding... that’s just going to hurt peoples heads as it repeats and repeats.
2. Drums... Obviously drums have to match the melody with the same time signature… and by the hip hop beat structure as the backbone idea to it. It’s important to make the drums match the mood of the melody. For example: by using reverb, distant or close drums, all bass or cut bass, toms, other percussion, volume etc. Here’s a tip for beginners...if you want a decent drum beat, do this…
- Never put drums on the offbeat [in between the 1...2...3...4 count in a typical 4/4 pattern, or the even numbers in the first four steps] UNLESS it’s a double hi-hat or something of a similar effect that doesn‘t START on the offbeat. This is because the drums lay the structure of the whole song…and the offbeat, in a way, doesn’t exist. If you are laying the foundation of the beat on the offbeat it’s going to sound like your beat is screwed up, like the CD is skipping. Double hi-hats and similar hits which involve rolls are an exception because they don’t start on the offbeat and they “roll” for rhythmic purposes…just like you might hear the echo from a kick on the offbeat, but it doesn’t HIT on the offbeat.
- Snares...they usually follow a strict pattern. Usually it’s one every two bars.
- Kicks are not too strict, have them play off of the snares with catchy and unexpected hits. It’s usually two different but similar kick patterns every two bars.
Other drumbeat tips: Usually the snare pattern is always the same. Snares are used as a backbone to the drums. It really goes unnoticed that snares are the backbone of the drums, kicks connect the drum beat with the music, and hi hats connect the kicks to the snares. Clashes sound good in some beats, use them for dramatic effect in patterns where they appear sparingly. For example once every time the melody loops, or once every 8 bars. Use other types of percussion [bongos, toms, etc.] to either replace the typical drum sounds or to add notes and play along with the drum sounds. This is harder and more advanced but they can make or break some beats. Also, not many people realize that most rappers subconsciously prefer beats that play around with hi hats. It adds more mood to the drum beat and also can help them achieve great flow in their rhymes. Instead of doing the common hi hat every other step, try forming catchy patterns in between the kicks and snares that connect them together. For example…
BOOM chh-BOOM chh-PAH chh chh-chh chh- [repeat]
instead of the more commonly used
BOOM chh chh chh PAH chh chh chh BOOM chh BOOM chh PAH chh chh chh [repeat]
And remember ALWAYS LOOP DRUM PATTERNS...don't have like twenty different sets of drum patterns in a song... having one is not bad but it’s smart to loop two or four patterns. No more than four though, unless you have a very good reason.
3. Bass…In my opinion this is the easiest part. It’s simple to make a bassline that sounds good if you know what to do…but the HOTTEST basslines usually take skill, and the producer knows what they are doing. First know there are two types of basslines; one type that is based on the melody and one type that is based on the drums. When they are based on the melody they use the drums for guidance, and when they are based on the drums they use the melody for guidance. Let me explain in a second. Most basslines are based off of the drums.
Drum-based basslines- Most of the time there is a bass note on every kick, unless the beat has a lot of kicks… then it can be on the most important kicks. The notes can either be all the same [when this happens it’s usually mad low] or have notes that are in the same key as the melody [which basically means that the notes you are using in your bassline sound like the same notes as the ones used in the melody]. Sometimes people throw in bass notes on top of the snares, but this usually happens when the snare is also matched with a kick for a dramatic "loud noise" or “hit” effect.
Melody-based basslines- This is when you look at the melody to determine your bassline. These basslines are to make the melody sound better, not the drums. There aren’t many rules to this… you're using the bass as another instrument in the melody like a band or an orchestra. This is way more complicated than drum based. You have to be experienced at making melodies. If you do it this way, make the drums last.
To be good at making melodies/basslines and alternative drum beats it’s good to know at least a little bit of music theory. All the music theory you need to have an advantage at making beats is to know about musical keys/notes and time signatures. Just pick up a book or type music theory in Google. You don’t need to know how to read music, just read about keys and time signatures and anything else that looks useful. Try to memorize this information… it might take some hours of reading or light studying for a few weeks, but it’s VERY worth it, and definitely helps a lot of producers make the illest and most complex melodies.
IMPORTANT FINISHING TIPS
Throw in EQ and effects when you are happy with a particular instrument/loop/ or sound. Remember to mess with a lot of things like pitch, tempo, volume, EQ, and effects. Take into consideration the mood you want in your beat though…don’t ever forget your basic idea of the beat. If you do, you’re going to be tweaking shit until it sounds twisted and far away from what you were trying to do. Just carefully mess with everything until you are happy with every sound and pattern. Go learn about things like these in other guides; it’s very important.
When I finish constructing my basic beat pattern, I might make a few more patterns and make a chorus along with the intro/outro. These things are entirely up to you. Just make sure that the chorus and the intro/outro match the song's key, pattern, and time signature. And most importantly listen close for switching between patterns/ intros/verses/ chorus/ outro etc. If it doesn’t sound natural or if it doesn’t make sense, change it. [most of the time it’s simple, sometimes it’s just the drums kick in with the bass] Listen to a few different types of songs and you'll notice that most of the time the chorus isn't too different. Sometimes I switch the instruments and take the hi-hats out of the chorus. Also look at other songs and you'll notice aspects of my tips incorporated into other people's beats… both old school and new. Also, you’re going to hear that hip hop beats are supposed to be in 4/4 time. While I think hip hop will always be mostly 4/4, we are in a new era of beats where tracks can be anything/4. As long as it loops consistently and you do things with knowledge it will sound hip hop enough.
So don't forget to study music theory, learn more about music, listen closely to beat structures, and try out different software/hardware to see what ways of making beats suite you best. Develop a style and sound…and soon you'll be getting to the point quicker, knowing what you want to hear, knowing exactly what to do, and screwing up less. Study drum patterns and experiment. I always recommend that people spend as much time as they can on beats that they feel have a lot of potential. Remember, a piece of music can have anything and sometimes on the best tracks every little detail can make or break a song. If you feel a beat has potential, experiment with every little thing. Cross out what you like and don’t like, have multiple versions of the beat, and keep tweaking it until you find exactly what you’re looking for. A piece of art isn’t complete until the artist KNOWS it’s complete.
MOST IMPORTANT THINGS TO REMEMBER
The guidelines I’ve posted are actually not that complicated and they’re very flexible…I guarantee you 99% of good beats incorporate most of the aspects which I’ve mentioned. These tips and techniques will help you understand beat structure and give you help you with your ideas. If any amateur keeps these things in mind, they can make a decent sounding beat. The best of the best producers have practiced techniques such as these so much that they know exactly what to do quickly and effectively. Personally, whenever I hear a little melody I like in my head, or any little detail in a song that I’m listening to, and I think it has potential to become a beat… it will likely be an ill peace of music within the next few days. People get so caught up with what hardware and software they should use for making music. I say it doesn’t matter as much as you think. You definitely have to explore all of the hardware and software yourself and see what clicks with you. There’s just so many ways that big-time producers make beats. Some people actually believe that producers are amateur if they don’t have top notch hardware…don’t listen to this bullshit. You can bang pots and pans with chopsticks and record it on your cell phone if that’s the way you find it most effective to express what you want to hear. I say definitely have a go on the most popular hardware and software and learn a lot about them, then experiment with some other things. It really doesn’t matter as long as you’re satisfied with the power that you have at your fingertips. The most important part of beatmaking/ art is the artist being satisfied with what he hears when the play button is pressed/ masterpiece is looked at. When this satisfaction comes, the equipment, tools, and guidelines which were used to get to that feeling don't matter very much. Guidelines, special rules, recommended tools… they are all there to help you avoid what doesn’t work…and you’ll realize that they are correct. When you have this realization you can experiment with what satisfies you. Remember that a beat can be based off of anything. As shown in this tutorial, most of my beats are based off of melodies. Switch steps 1, 2, and 3 around. You can base drums off of the bassline or melodies off of the drums or drums off of the melodies… whatever you think is the most important part of YOUR particular beat. Feel free to experiment when you understand the structure of beats, and feel free to explore to your heart’s content.
