Simple Beats

[jaydub23510]

A yo I'm sitting here at work listening to this roc freestyle with the INCARCERATED Scarface's beat, the beat is very simplistic, drums with a lil piano type sample, that's it, no complex chord structures and no major changeups or nothing, and this was and remains one of the best beats of our time, but I know if someone had posted it they would've caught flack for it being minimal with the sounds, but the beat is very rappable. So my point is this hip hop doesn't have to be all that complex and even melodic for that matter, it has to have a nice groove!! some of the best beats have no music value, at least in the sense that the guy programming could tell you what notes he played and all that, hell I know for a fact TIMBERLAND the king, can not read sheet music, PHARRELL either, Most of us started out playing drums in church or band etc. so i know eigth, quarter, half, whole notes, but not a chromatic scale, which is one reason sampling works for me.

 

[dacalion]

YOU HAVE A GREAT POINT! No, beats don't have to be complex to make your head bop. As a matter of fact, when you come into a situation where complex beats seem to dominate, a simple beat with a decent melody stands out the best. So many cats overdo a beat by wanting it to be so complex and full, I'm guilty of that myself at times but I usually catch myself at the mixdown and say what needs to stay or go.

feelin dat,
dac

 

[MarkN]

yea i agree with you often producers get caught out trying to fill up tracks and making everything over complicated but as yu said some of the best beats are often the most simple ! Dr Dre is another example of a top producer not being able to read or write music yet he has an eear for what sounds good and thats wot is more important !

 

[incogneeto]

I Have To Agree Tottally Here......i Am A Beginner At The Producing Thing....and I Only Have A Fantom X-7...my Beats R Pretty Simple.....just Drums With A Bassline And A Little Melody Over It...it Seems To Work For Me, And I Suck At Sampling...but Basic Beats Rappers Can Rip Apart....look At Lil Jon, His Beats Are Sooooooooooo Simple (i Hate Em But The Whole County Seems To Love Em)....but N E Way......i Heard Shiek From The Lox Spit Fire On That Beat (yeah) And It Was Sickkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk..........just My 2 Cents, But This Is A Great Point..........1

 

[Shonsteez]

If you can make LESS = MORE than u got a good ear, period. THis does not make u a bad producer...If anything, it makes u a good producer....Besides, once you mix-down lyrics everything changes anyways.

Steez

 

[-xs-]

^i agree totally, for example, when i first heard "You Don't Know My Name", i was like, damn that beat is tighttttt, but then i heard the instrumental by itself, and it's like 3 vocal samples saying "oooh" then 4 piano notes, and that's basically it, very simple, but with Alicia singing over it it sounds like a very complex beat

 

[RigorMortis]

there are many roads, if ya like complex make it complex if not.. not..
try to variate is my opinion or producing might get boring, switch up from complex to basic so often.. best waist your time on variation not on structures how a beat should be like,,
btw did i mention pharrel and timberland are gay?

 

[classic]

i agree with rig. there is some really simple shit out their that is banging.basically a bassline and some drums.
But im a very musical dude and i cant help but add. basslines,countermelodies and chourdprogressions when i make somtheing. Its just me.

hopefully their will be a demand for those style of beats someday and ill be ready to go!!!!

class....

 

[RigorMortis]

word@classic only a fool would disagree with me!

 

[sYgMa]

You know what? I had the same argument with P_Gyal the other day. You dont need to put 6 or 7 instruments in a beat with a lot of effects and background sounds to make it a great beat. Those are a kind of production, but, sometimes, it's better to make a beat and make it so it's not overwelming. The beat is supposed (in my opinion) to accompany the rhymes and should'nt be overpowering the the MC...

 

[classic]

you have a good point sygma

I think u have to take everything i moderation. U cant make simple ass beats all the time and u also cant make overly complex beats all the time either. I guess u have to find out what suits u.

Me persnolly though. I know my style is musical and i cant help it. Most of my beats could stand alone without and MC. But i still give em room to flow

class...

 

[J Rilla]

If u listen to Def Jam's early catolog in the 80s most of it was just drums,bassline, and the occasional scracthin over tha sample........Hip Hop started with simple beats...no reason to completly abandon it in my opinion

 

[Loose Cannon]

Look at the producers who sequence on an ASR10. Red Spyda and alchemist's beats both usually sound real complex, but think about it.
The ASR10 only lets you use 8 Channels at the most.

 

[Equality 7-2521]

sometimes simpler beats are good for MCs. but if you take that simple beat and do more to it, it will be phatter. the end result is a phatter song.

oh, and if your not keen on making complex beats, dont even think about putting out an instrumental hiphop album.

people dont appreciate instrumental hiphop these days. thats why producers are lazy.

 

[pirell]

every good producer should tell you that simpler is better, or less is more.

 

[jaydub23510]

^i agree totally, for example, when i first heard "You Don't Know My Name", i was like, damn that beat is tighttttt, but then i heard the instrumental by itself, and it's like 3 vocal samples saying "oooh" then 4 piano notes, and that's basically it, very simple, but with Alicia singing over it it sounds like a very complex




X/S, Nottz raw did the remix with Mad Skills rapping, it sounded like he chopped the piano, the vocal samples and overdubbed the Alicia's vocals, it was a simple beat

"btw did i mention pharrel and timberland are "



Pharrel and Timbo get mo pussy than you get to look at my man, they ride around our lil country ass place in LAMBOURGHINI'S AND FERRARI'S, no kidding, and buy bitches shit like 320 benzes, they living the life you can't hate, and they been doing the damn thing for over a decade. both used to work for Teddy, now Timbo's style is complex from his drums to samples!!! I once caugth rapper MCGOO in Uno's this Chicago pizza place kissing and fondling two bad ass broads, if his ugly ass can do the damn thang I know when I get my money I'mma be Hugh Hefner!

"Look at the producers who sequence on an ASR10. Red Spyda and alchemist's beats both usually sound real complex, but think about it.
The ASR10 only lets you use 8 Channels at the most"



"Got IT Twisted" one sample and some drums 4 to 6 tracks at most, Alchemist's and REd spyda's beats I would consider simple, Alchemist is dope at finding the right samples and sometimes you can chop them so they are unrecognizable

 

[kaivai]

i got this beat and its just kick bass sum heavy claps and a wasp synth doing two stabs and i have nowhere for it to go but it just seems to go bangin' on and on i luv it but everyone sez it sounds like sumthing theyve heard before is that annoying or what

 

[RigorMortis]

its foolery to say something is better in music there is no better..
i put down complex sounding beats with some simple techniques, it is all about creativity..
so there is no better or worse, my word is keep it diverse and try to go several roads like i said before.
and about the fact that hiphop started simple doesnt mean it has to be kept simple, everything evolved even you did growing up from a baby that could be squashed easily to a grown man/woman with physical and intellectual powers.
it is all a matter of taste off course but there is no better.
And a good MC is able to rock a simple beat as well as a difficult beat if he cant he aint a mc he is merely a rapper.
And a good beat wether it be complex or simple will fit any good MC..

 

[jaydub23510]

i got this beat and its just kick bass sum heavy claps and a wasp synth doing two stabs and i have nowhere for it to go but it just seems to go bangin' on and on i luv it but everyone sez it sounds like sumthing theyve heard before is that annoying or what

you know what to do, get an accapella and put a voice over it, when you listen to beat instrumentals they don't sound as good as something with a rapper or voice on it to most people, from now on in the showcase I'm only gonna put up beats with rhymes over them.

 

[classic]

its foolery to say something is better in music there is no better..
i put down complex sounding beats with some simple techniques, it is all about creativity..
so there is no better or worse, my word is keep it diverse and try to go several roads like i said before.
and about the fact that hiphop started simple doesnt mean it has to be kept simple, everything evolved even you did growing up from a baby that could be squashed easily to a grown man/woman with physical and intellectual powers.
it is all a matter of taste off course but there is no better.
And a good MC is able to rock a simple beat as well as a difficult beat if he cant he aint a mc he is merely a rapper.
And a good beat wether it be complex or simple will fit any good MC..

dito!! Usually the people who say simple beats are better etc...
dont have the abitltiy to make complex beats. If u can make complex beats then u can make simple beats but not vice versa

class....