BeatTips Tutorial: Making Arrangement "Changes" in Beatmaking

"Changes" in Beatmaking Often Run Parallel to Other Popular Forms of Music

By AMIR SAID (SA'ID)

One of the greatest things about hip hop/rap music is the fact that, as much as it is different from other popular music forms, it still employs some of the fundamental practices of those forms. Perhaps there is no better example of this than in the area of arrangement.

Hip hop/rap music is steadfastly based on the groove, more specifically, the loop of a groove. So the prospect of adding in changes (commonly known as "switch-ups" in beatmaking) is sometimes challenging. However, with a number of basic guidelines for adding in changes to your arrangements, you'll likely find that it's not as difficult as you might think. In the tutorial below, I have included a number of basic (but key) guidelines that I follow when I add in changes to an arrangement.

(1) What kind of rhyme and rhyme voice will go with the beat?

After you've established the main groove of a beat, let it play for a while. Do this for one main reason: You want to really think about what kind of rhyme and rhyme "voice" would go well with the beat. Figuring out what sort of rhyme and rhyme voice would match up well with the beat helps you determine if the beat needs any changes. Remember, even mix drops (track solos, mutes) can serve as effective changes. And sometimes, once you've established a great groove, you might not need to add any changes.

(2) Is the arrangement of the beat sample-based or non-sampled-based?

Sample-based beats often allow for fewer and less-complex changes, because of there more strict adherence to the groove. Overly complex changes in sample-based beats tend to cause too much distraction throughout the beat. On the other hand, non-sample-based beats typically allow more room for changes. But that doesn't necessarily mean that this "room" must always be filled up. Changes need not simply occupy space; instead they should exist to serve some purpose in the beat; e.g. to show contrast, for tension or release, etc.

(3) What sort of changes could the beat handle? minor (e.g. an slight embellishment) or major ones (e.g. an main transition or a broad "switch-up")? And how long should they be?

Having determined that the beat could indeed use a change(s), the next thing you want to assess is what kind of change would work best with the beat. Different types of changes can be added to a beat, but just like with other popular forms of music, the most common change is an embellishment. Embellishment typically refers to embellishing (decorating) of a melody. This applies in beatmaking and hip hop/rap music as well; however, because of the "looped groove" dimension in hip hop/rap music, it is the groove—riffs and melodies locked in a rhythm—that is most often decorated. Thus, for our purposes here, think of an embellishment as just any musical component(s) that decorates the main groove or any aspect of the rhythm of the beat.

A "switch-up" in beatmaking can be a much more elaborate affair. Unlike an embellishment, which more often than not is simply a musical element based on something already present in the beat, a "switch-up" is often an independent musical phrase, one that isn't based on something already in the beat, like the main groove.

As far as how long a change and/or switch-up should be, well, each beatmaker is different. That being said, a length of 1-4 bars will be quite effective. If you need more, just duplicate the changes you created and take out or add an additional element to it; you can even program drops (track solos and mutes) here as well.

(4) Where should you add the changes in at?

Typically, for embellishments, it's a good idea to work them in the chorus (the hook) and near the beginning of the second verse—the second pass (the second installment of 8-, 12-, or 16-bars) of the main groove. But there aren't any hard rules; you can work in changes wherever you like. Just be mindful of whether or not a rapper will be able to effectively rhyme over these changes.

(5) How many times should you add these changes?

Generally, if you add your changes in too much, that is to say, on every pass (8-, 12-, 16-bars), the beat may sound cluttered, overworked, or too complicated. But again, this is a guide. And even though there aren't any hard rules that you have to subscribe to, do bear in mind that too many changes can disrupt continuity and undermine the feel of a beat.

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The BeatTips Manual by Sa'id.
"The most trusted source for information on beatmaking and hip hop/rap music education."

Different Ways to Humanize Your Drums in Beatmaking

Maintaining a "Real Drummer” Feel in a Programming Environment

By AMIR SAID (SA'ID)

Drums in hip hop/rap music are, more often than not, out in front. That is to say, they are typically arranged and recorded as a feature of the song, and placed prominently in the mix. But while most beatmakers grasp this common theme in beatmaking, many execute the practice in a way that makes their drums sound less human and more artificial.

Because most beats are a blend of various drum sounds from any number of sound sources (vinyl records, drum sound packs, .wav files, etc.), I've always believed that much of the value and weight of a beat depends on the "human touch" of the drums. Even though we operate in a programming environment using a palette of sampled and synthetic drum sounds, we can still humanize our drums and maintain some level of a "real drummer" feel. Below are two of the methods that I use to humanize my drums and give them that real feel.

Simple Drum Frameworks
The easiest and perhaps most effective way to humanize your drums and maintain a more "real drummer" feel is to use more simplified, straight-forward drum frameworks. Overly complex or busy drum patterns not only undermine the feel, texture, and scope of a beat, they also create distractions for rappers. Simplified drum frameworks and solid, non-distracting drum patterns are in league with a "real drummer" feel because such frameworks and patterns correlate with the physical limitations of a human drummer.

Still, I never overlook the fact that beatmaking, despite some of its live characteristics, is a programmable medium. And such, there are drum frameworks (specifically, sub-patterns) that can be created in beatmaking that can not be matched by a human drummer in a traditional setting. But even those drum patterns that go beyond human limitations can still be made to have a more humanized touch and a "real drummer" feel. In fact, my most complex drum schemes are really just combinations of smaller, simplified drum patterns arranged in a straight-forward scheme.

Velocity/Pedal

I rarely make a beat without manipulating the velocity level of my drum sounds. Although I may initially program/record my drums at the full velocity level, I always go back and randomly decrease the levels of each drum sound (kick, snare, hat). Note: I typically keep variation of the velocity level of my kicks to a minimum, but for my snares and especially my hats, I tend to explore variation of the velocity level. In fact, sometimes after I've created a drum pattern, I'll replay the snare and hats part with the velocity "full level" (Akai MPC 4000) off. This assures that the velocity levels will be random, and, therefore, more humanized.

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The BeatTips Manual by Sa'id.
"The most trusted source for information on beatmaking and hip hop/rap music education."

BeatTips Tutorials: Creating a Section Contrast

An Example of How to Build a Section Contrast

By AMIR SAID (SA'ID)

I was asked by a BeatTips reader to give an example of how a "section contrast" (something I describe on page 129 in The BeatTips Manual) is done. Below is my answer.

What I discuss in that part of my book is how changes or "switch-ups" of sections (e.g. verse section, chorus section, etc.) can be created to show change, even though they're still quite similar. These changes can be subtle and brief, or they can be quite noticeable and prolonged. In either case, a section contrast takes place when a section contrasts with another section but still moves with a similar movement, keeping the "color" and fullness of the section in tact while the "brightness" adjusts. In other words, even though a change actually takes place, everything sounds fluid like one balanced composite.

I've included a beat of mine to give you an example of how this works. In the beat below, the main section is built around a three-note violin riff—this riff is the heart of the entire track; I designed everything in deference to this riff. Then there's an alternating three-note bass part or bass line. And there's an electric guitar stab that lands on the "4", the "8", the "12", the "16", and so on (NOTICE: the clap is always on the "2", the "4", etc. But the guitar stab lands on every other clap).

After the main section, at the 0:20, I slip in a drum fill (a minor change in and of itself) to announce a change, but not to pull too far away. This change, which is a guitar riff that's 3/4's of a bar long, is used to show a contrast to what was already established in the main section—but notice that even though it's a change, it moves with a similar feel with what has already been established. Think of adjusting the contrast on a photo, how just the right value of contrast gives the right balance to the entire image. Using this analogy, I see changes in a beat as degrees of brightness and color. Therefore, I'm always concerned with how to distinguish sounds and sections from one another while maintaining continuity. And often, it is the adjustment of "contrast", that is to say, the level and type of change, that I focus on to make the color of one section less or more brighter.

This "section contrast" concept is not only my own way of approaching the "color" and feel of of a beat, it's also my way of looking at how and when changes should (or shouldn't) be added, and to what degree changes should be built out. Thus, for me, this concept plays a big role in how I compose my beats. And it applies to when I'm making a sample-based beat, just as much as it does when I'm making a synthetic-sounds-based (i.e. live instrumentation with synthetic sounds) beat.

*Beat Note: I played the violin, bass violin, and guitar parts on my Roland Fantom S88 keyboard workstation. Then I sampled everything—each phrase and riff separately—into my Akai MPC 4000. Then I used the MPC 4000 for my drums as well as to sequence everything. Thus, even though this is a *live instrumentation* joint, I still used the sampling approach and aesthetic to achieve the sound and feel that I wanted.

The music below is presented here for the purpose of scholarship

Sa'id - "Listen Up" (instrumental)

Three Things That Can Help You Create "Changes" in Your Beats

Making the Task of Coming Up with Changes Less Daunting

By AMIR SAID (SA'ID)

Ever make a beat that seems like it’s missing something? I mean, the core track is dope; everything is tight and looping correctly, but after 4- to 8- bars, it just seems, well, too redundant? Although redundancy is a good thing in some cases and for certain styles of beats; and although the crux of all hip hop/rap beats is repetition (specifically, frameworks based upon continuously looped riffs/grooves), some beats just work better with effective changes.

In beatmaking, "changes" (an embellishment, breakdown, switch-up, etc.) vary in sound and complexity. They can be as simple as added percussion, something like a mini-phrase of bongo-hits overlaid during the vocals; or they can be as complex as an entirely new arrangement of sounds and textures, something like dual lines of melody and countermelody played out with a synthesizer.

For many beatmakers, coming up with effective changes (changes that really fit) isn’t necessarily an easy part of the beatmaking music process. On one hand, you have to consider the style and sound of beat that you’re making. For instance, to make changes in sample-based beats, many beatmakers simply sample, chop, and insert different parts/pieces of the same source material (sample). In many cases, this approach is all that it takes to come up with an effective change or two. Still, there are those times when the same source material doesn’t have any more pieces that fit with the beat at hand. Therefore, in cases like these, it can be a bit of a task coming up with changes that work. And while there are some who believe that creating changes for non-sampled based beats is a much easier challenge, the truth is, even with non-sampled based beats, creating effecting changes can be rather difficult.

Difficulty aside, however, there are three things that can help you—a great deal or at least make the task less daunting—with your approach to creating (adding) changes to your beats: (1) knowing if a change or changes are actually needed; (2) knowing which types of changes typically work well with which types of beats; and (3) having a good understanding of mood, i.e. the moods that specific sounds and certain categories of sounds invoke and tend to convey.

First, it should always be remembered that some beats simply do not need a change. For example, if beat is made up of a 4-bar pattern, chances are, that complete pattern—from start to finish—is not monotonous. And, therefore, it may be able to do without any significant change. Perhaps a few drops (mutes) and solos at various points of the beat can be all the change that’s needed.

Second, it’s important to gauge which type of changes usually work well with which types of beats. For instance, does the beat need a breakdown, or a bridge, or an intro, or a stacked synth phrase, or just a simple riff pitched up or down? In either case, a change should relate to the basic style, scope, and structure of the beat at hand. Which means everything from style, sound, form, and tempo must be considered, before incorporating changes. For example, When working with a sample-based beat, particularly a mid-tempo one (93-96 BPM), I prefer to incorporate changes that feature samples, not synths. In fact, if I can help it all, I avoid blending samples and synths. However, when I do add synth sounds to a sample-based beat, I sample the actual synth sounds/phrases, then I match their sound and feel to style and sound of the beat. On the flip side, when I’m working on a synthetic-sounds based (non-sample-based) beat, I take more leisure with the samples that I incorporate. The reason being? Because non-sampled based beats tend to absorb—or perhaps feature—samples more effectively than sample-based beats absorb synth sounds. Most of the time, I find that synths either stick out like an obnoxious blemish, or they betray the sample style and feel of a beat.

Finally, having a good understanding of mood, i.e. the moods that specific sounds and certain categories of sounds tend to invoke and convey, is the third thing that can help you with your approach to creating (adding) changes to your beats. A big part of coming up with an effective change is being in tune with the core mood and feel of a beat. When you know the moods that particular sounds invoke and convey, you’re better equipped to create those changes that work well within the framework of the core structure, form, style, and sound of your beat.
(For more information about moods and sounds, read: "Creating Your Own Moods/Sounds Chart")

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The BeatTips Manual by Sa'id.
"The most trusted source for information on beatmaking and hip hop/rap music education."

BeatTips Beat Breakdown: Creating an Arrangement from Your Composite Idea

Using Your Composite Idea as a Guide to Capture the Specific Essence and Feel You Envision

By AMIR SAID (SA'ID)

Five years ago, my father died. He was the first person to introduce me to music; and because of his interest in "hi-fidelity" stereo systems, premium speakers, and recording equipment, I suppose you could say he was also the first person to introduce me to the wonderful world of audio recording. (Well, maybe that's a stretch...) But his love for music aside, he's also responsible for producing some, let's say, rather turbulent times when I was a kid. So the other day when I began work on a new beat, I was playing back some of these times in my head; and it helped me to come up with a composite idea.

I like to use the term composite idea to refer to the complete picture (or framework, or blueprint) that I get in my head for a song. It's like a photographic snapshot that I both see and hear. Perhaps you could say that it's little more than intuition. But regardless, for me it's a special moment in my creative process. So I like to dignify that moment by giving it a name.

So for the song "I Remember My Dad" (included in this post below for study), the composite idea that I had was for a beat with some sort of challenging overall pitch/tempo scheme, something that could audibly parallel the real shifts in happiness, anger, and disappointment that my father provoked when I was a kid. And, because above all, he really was a kind-hearted, no-nonsense sort of man, I wanted the framework of the beat to convey this conflict in honor. I wanted a sound that not only expressed his tragedy, but a sound that also authentically reflected both the good and bad of those times, and how they filter through to help shape who I am today.

With this in mind, I immediately thought about sampling some strings. So I went through a couple of albums that I have with female jazz vocalists. (There are some terrific string arrangements to be found with female jazz vocalists.) Among the records I listened to, I didn't find anything that quite fit my composite idea. But by listening to those records, I did get a clearer picture of it! And with a sharper focus, I stuck with the female vocalist theme, and shifted my diggin' search from jazz to soul, where I found exactly what I needed to begin the foundation of my composite idea.

There was this really uplifting choir & harps section on this one record. By itself, it was light. But I knew that after I sampled it, I could add weight (bass, boom, dirt, etc.), as well as some "color" to it. This way I could make it sound haunting and robust. Of course, part of boosting it up came before I even sampled it, when I adjusted the EQs on my mixing board (where I have my DJ mixer routed to, before it hits the inputs of any of my samplers).

Having sampled this choir & harps spare-part phrase (I discuss compositional phrases in The BeatTips Manual) via my Akai MPC 4000, I chopped it (manually) to spec. Then, I filtered it using my MPC's high-pass filter. Once I had the feel and the sound cold locked, I duplicated the sample and created two versions of it, one at the original pitch level that I sampled it at, and the other several pitch levels down. So now I had, C&H pitch 1 and C&H pitch 2.

With the two choir & harps phrases, C&H pitch 1 and C&H pitch 2, I created a 2-bar sequence with C&H pitch 1 starting the first bar and C&H pitch 2 at the opening of the second bar. Together, this 2-bar sequence made up a "break" (in The BeatTips Manual I explain this concept of the break in greater detail).

At this point, half of my composite idea was already set. What I needed to do now was to work in the right drum framework. In keeping with the theme of contradiction (or contrast), I wanted to build a drum pattern that was solid enough to rock on its own; I didn't want anything soft or deferential to the choir & harps sound. Also, I wanted to use hi-hats and rides in a way that helped to push and shuffle the beat along as I rhymed to it. Note: I only used 1 hi-hat and one ride, BUT I used them in at least four different ways, from different velocity and duration settings on the hi-hat/open hat to the elongated and truncated ride hits.

After I created the drum pattern on my MPC, I recorded it into Pro Tools. In Pro Tools, I quickly added some reverb and light EQ to each of the drum sounds, then I sampled the pattern—not the individual drum hits—back into my MPC. Once back inside my MPC, I assigned the entire drum pattern to one drum pad. This is what I used as the drum framework—a drum break created and customized by me. Note: This didn't take long at all, because I only recorded about two bars worth of the drum pattern into Pro Tools. Back inside the MPC, I chopped it down and looped it. Now, the framework was nearly complete!

But I still wanted to add in some stylistic changes.... First, I sampled a vocal part (from the same record as the Choir & Harps) that had some bass behind it. I did this on purpose, because I knew that I was going to turn it into an elongated sound-stab that could play and rise up at certain parts of the verse section of the arrangement. Once I sampled it, I chopped it down. I wanted to make it rise and to sound somewhat brighter, so I filtered it with the MPC's notch filter and turned up the volume on it.
(I should point out that when I had the entire beat tracked into Pro Tools, I had to slap a limiter on this sound-stab so that it didn't rise too much.)

Next, I sampled a piano & guitar riff, which I chopped down and filtered with my MPC's high-pass filter; I had to cut a lot of the original treble to make it much warmer, and to make it blend with the fade of the choir & harps sample.

Finally, I worked in my customized floor tom. Here's where knowing your sounds really comes into play. I used my floor tom, at two different pitch levels, not as percussive elements but mostly as bass support for the choir & harps sample. When you hear the song below, listen carefully to how I arranged the floor toms; you will notice that the timbre of the floor toms work like a bass when pitched, arranged, and combined with fade of the choir & harps sample. Because I know my floor tom sound, I know what it's capable of and how it can be used like a bass-stab.

When I was finished with the beat, my composite idea was realized; and the only thing then left for me to do was to write and record the rhyme composite that I had....

The music below is presented here for the purpose of scholarship.

Sa'id - "I Remember My Dad" (Prod. by Sa'id)

Download "I Remember My Dad" by Sa'id

Sa'id - "I Remember My Dad" beat breakdown

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The BeatTips Manual by Sa'id.
"The most trusted source for information on beatmaking and hip hop/rap music education."

Creating Your Own Customized Drum Signature, Part 1

Matching Up Certain Sounds and Keeping Them Together

By AMIR SAID (SA'ID)

There is perhaps no better way to add continuity to your beats—while at the same time distinguish your sound—than having your on custom drum signature. Just like a typical overall "signature sound," a custom drum signature is your own personal drum sound. Various beatmakers have custom drum signatures. Think of DJ Premier, Pete Rock, Nottz, The RZA, 9th Wonder, The Neptunes, and so on.... But how do you create your own custom drum signature (sound)?

Building your own custom drum signature starts with a core set of drum sounds. So how do you get a "core set" of sounds, you ask? Well, the best way (perhaps the only way) that you can develop a core set of drum sounds is through an "audition" process of the drum sounds that you already have. Thing is, whenever you select any drum sound for one beat, you are essentially "auditioning" it for future beatworks. Remember, each beat that you make (good or bad) acts as a reference for another. Thus, using this understanding as the foundation for auditioninh drum sounds, I'll break down how I developed (and continue to develop) my core drum sounds and, subsequently, my own drum signature.

Strip the Beat

First thing that I did was I "stripped" down five of my most favorite beats to just their drum framework, no non-drum sounds at all. Each of these beats I made with a mid-range tempo of 94 to 97bpm. Next, I listened to each beat to determine if there were any discernible patterns. Having noticed specific sonic and texture consistencies between the sounds in each drum framework, I then examined the "value settings" for each drum sound (one by one) that I've used.

Here, I should point out that although I use an Akai MPC 4000 and an Akai MPC 60 II, the vast majority (90%) of my core drum sounds were sampled and modified in my Akai S950 sampler. Therefore, I must spend a brief moment discussing the main "page" in the Akai S950 in which I modify sounds. In "PAGE 08" inside of the Akai S950, each sound—once assigned to a program—can be modified in four ways: (1) Loudness; (2) Filter; (3) Transpose (pitch); and (4) Fine Pitch. (Note: Most contemporary samplers—both hardware and software—have multiple filter options and even effects. Still, in most cases involving drum sounds, I prefer the sure-short simplicity of the Akai S950.) For each drum sound that I use, I wrote down the values of "PAGE 08" on a yellow posted note and/or a yellow legal pad. For example:

This allowed me to objectively examine the settings for each sound, which in turn helped me determine the typical settings that I tended to use for each type of sound, e.g. kick, snare, and hi-hat. Thus, by writing down my tendencies, I was better able to modify those drum sounds that I was drawn to.

Having found a clear scope of the characteristics that drew me to a particular drum sound, I then auditioned those sounds with each other—pattern after pattern—to see which sounds "fit" together and which sounds fit with everything. Here, it's worth remembering that Sounds do not play alone; therefore, the true test of a drum sound is how well it plays with and off of other sounds in the drum framework (and the entire beat for that matter). Therefore, auditioning drums sounds together rather than alone better helps you identify those drums in your arsenal that are "sure-shot" and those that are better used as "featured players."

After many drum sound audition practice sessions, I was able to identify roughly 15 "sure shot" (go-to dependable) drum sounds and about another 20 "feature players" (auxiliary drum sounds) that could be used for special beats and mitigating circumstances, i.e. matching beat styles. As of today, my 15 "sure-shot" sounds are composed of 4 kicks; 4 snares; 4 hi-hats; 1 crash; 1 tambourine, and 1 ride cymbal. From just these 15 drum sounds, I create the drum frameworks for the bulk of my beats. I should note, however, that although I always use at least one of my core drum sounds (especially my infamous "Hat X"), I routinely use slightly modified versions (e.g. slower pitch) of my core drum sounds. I should also point out that, I have another set of 15 "2nd-tier" drum sounds that I use for specific types of beats or for certain layering effects.

*For customizing drum sounds that I sampled and modified in my Akai MPC 4000, the process is similar, in terms of writing down tendencies on a yellow posted note. However, the Akai MPC 4000 has a more extensive filtering editing section than the Akai S950, which leaves room for an expanded area of exploration. That being said though, I often work to match the sounds from my MPC 4000 to those made in my S950, the only difference being the level of brightness and perhaps reverb.

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The BeatTips Manual by Sa'id.
"The most trusted source for information on beatmaking and hip hop/rap music education."

Think Outside the Box for Custom Snare Sounds

Presets Get the Job Done, But Customized Sounds Help You Create Your Own Style and Sound

By AMIR SAID (SA'ID)

You know the deal—drum sounds are fundamental. Whether you made your 10th or 1,000th beat this week, you’ve learned the importance of dope drum sounds. And when it comes to drum sounds, you can get away with a limited number of non-descript kicks. But without a distinct group of snare sounds, your beats might suffer. Why? Because since the advent of the MPC 2000, widespread sample packs, and software programs galore, many beatmakers have taken to using the exact same stock snares. And, in the process, they’ve decreased the chance of giving their beats a distinctive sound.

Now, don’t get me wrong. There have been some beatmakers who have been able to get away with rocking one or two snares. But in those cases (most of the time), the snares have been cultivated to an ultimate level of distinction, a level in which they work almost with any non-drum arrangement. Keep in mind, though, in order to arrive at such snare sounds, some level of customization had to have gone on previously. So for this post, I want to discuss some different methods for customizing snares. Some of which were taught to me, and some of which I developed on my own.

The first set of snare sounds that I ever customized were part of a classic rock kit (on floppy disk) that came with the E-Mu SP 1200, the first drum machine/sampler I ever used. Some of the snares on the kit were OK, but they didn’t fit where I was trying to go sonically. So after finally being honest with myself about the fact that none of the snare sounds fit with the feel and style of music that I was going for, I went about customizing them. At the time, I didn't have an analog mixing console to run my sounds through. Therefore, I couldn't easily boost up the bass (the low end) of the sounds I wanted to modify. I did have a dual *cassette* recorder and a lot of imagination, though.

So here’s what I did the first time I ever attempted to customize snare sounds. I recorded every snare sound that I had to cassette tape. Next, I dubbed (duplicated) them. After dubbing the sounds, I sampled them into my Akai S950. Once inside of the Akai S950, I was really able to get creative. It wasn’t that I couldn’t have chopped or filtered the sounds inside of my old SP 1200; I could have. It was just that the S950 gave me a different sound; plus I felt more comfortable working with its sampling functions than the SP-1200.

Next, I went around my room (at that time) with a Shure SM-58 live microphone sampling all sorts of sounds. I took a hammer and hit the bottom of a metal folding chair. I took a drum stick and rapped back and forth on a Nike sneaker box filled with socks—I should note that I sampled the sneaker box with and without the lid on; there was indeed a noticeable difference. Switching up between the hammer, the drum stick, and a wooden hanger, I hit the inside of a window pain. Needless to say, I sampled every sound that I could imagine, anything that I thought might be interesting. All of this sampling probably took me no more than 10 minutes, tops. By the way, I would also like to think that this process taught me more about acoustics, but I digress…

So having sampled this wide assortment of sounds—all in the same room, mind you—I went about "matching" the sounds with the cassette versions of E-Mu's classic rock kit as well as several other snare sounds that I had. Incidentally, this was around the time that I first began to understand the process of layering sounds. Particularly, I was discovering the potential for layering, both as a means for customizing drum sounds as well as other sounds. I was also learning how layering could affect the overall texture and tenor of a beat. Not too long after that, I began applying these techniques to all of the drum sounds that I used. And after while, I stopped buying other peoples' drum kits altogether, and I started sampling drums from records and literally making my own.

Special Note. Since I first began customizing my snare sounds, I have never used a pre-set drum sound again. Although pre-set drum sounds undoubtedly serve a purpose—I’ve heard some pretty dope pre-set drums—, I've always found that customizing your own sounds goes a long way in helping you carve out your own unique style and sound.

Short list of items great for customizing snares

*Live microphone...with a LONG chord to travel freely around your room.
*A tambourine. Any percussion instrument you can pick up from a music store will help you customize your snare sounds as well create sound composites that are unique.
*A wood block.
*At least one drum stick. You can use two in rapid succession on any hard surface. You’ll be surprised what you can come up with after you filter and adjust the pitch on a sound created by two drum sticks.
*A mallet AND a hammer
*A shaker.
*A real set of bongos are ideal but not absolutely necessary.
*A cassette tape player! Yes…they're dirt cheap now, and they allow for connection back to the analog age (if that matters to you). Also, nobody will ever be able to duplicate your sounds if you’ve used some combination involving a cassette tape.
*Some sort of wooden board, maybe a chef’s cutting board, something that you can strike with anything, like a bottom of a shoe, a mallet, a set of keys, a hockey puck, and, of course, a drum stick.
*Some studio foam.

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The BeatTips Manual by Sa'id.
"The most trusted source for information on beatmaking and hip hop/rap music education."

It's Never *Just* a Loop

Truth Is, Creating a Loop is Only Part of the Equation

By AMIR SAID (SA'ID)

With regards to sampling, no statement is more misguided (and irritating to me) than someone saying, "It's just a loop." Whether sampling and then looping a 2- or 4-bar phrase of music, or piecing together spare-part phrases and sound-stabs, there's much more going on in the total creative process than some beatmakers care to acknowledge—or that some hip hop/rap bloggers even realize.

The gleaming misconception about sampling is that it's easy; that anyone can do it. While it's true that anyone can buy a digital sampler and press record, the notion that anyone can automatically acquire a skill for what goes on before and after they press record on that sampler is ridiculous. Truth is, no matter what any beatmaker samples, no matter how much or how little he or she samples, the total creative process of sampling requires any number of decisions to be made at various levels within the process. And these decisions, prompted by the residue of skill and understanding, are not always easy to make.

The Main Decisions Made Before, During, and After a Sample is Looped

What Should You Sample?

What to sample is obviously (well, perhaps obvious to those who actually make beats) the first decision to be made. And, of course, this decision depends on everything from one's mood to motive (purpose), to their style and sound preference, to their imagination and individual work ethic. For the purpose of this post, I've used the song "Heartbreak Hotel" by The Jacksons.

I chose "Heartbreak Hotel" for a number of reasons. First, it's a well-known hit—with a great groove—by a popular group. Many people are familiar with the record; so coming up with a beat and song that references such a hit, while still creating something "new" and appealing, is a bit of challenge. Second, I wanted to choose a vinyl record that could readily be found in used record shops or at online vinyl record stores, or in a relative's basement or attic. Third, "Heartbreak Hotel" has been sampled before, and I wanted to demonstrate the versioning tradition that runs deep in hip hop/rap music's roots, by offering up my version. Fourth, because "Heartbreak Hotel" has a dominant drum pattern. As such, I wanted to show how even a sample with drums can be tailored to your style and sound. (Also, any seasoned beatmaker knows the type of obstacles drums in a sample can present.) Finally, I chose "Heartbreak Hotel" because I'm a big fan of The Jacksons, and this is as good as any reason to thoroughly listen to one of my favorite songs by them (actually, it's one of top 10 favorite songs of all time).

What Section or Part Should You Sample?

Now having settled on the song, what section of the song should I sample? The beginning? The middle? Near the end? Either way, it's gotta be a part of the record where the groove is "open" (well, as much as possible with a record like this). So that being said, it comes down to either the intro, the lead-up, or the bridge. I ruled out the bridge, simply because I heard something before with that part. And the strings intro isn't the part of the song that most people are familiar with.

So I go for the "2nd intro," or what I'm calling the "lead up," as in lead up to the first verse. But exactly where in the lead up? There's approximately 35 seconds between the beginning of the lead up and where Michael Jackson's first verse vocals begin. And within that 35 seconds, there are slight embellishments on the basic groove of the song. Not to mention, at one point in this lead up, we hear one of Michael's signature vocal exclamations. No one wants that in there, right? Wrong! I do. I think it's dope; so I decided that no matter what, it had to be in the phrase that I would sample. (In my "Heartbreak Hotel Remix" below, you'll hear it.) Note: If I was using "Heartbreak Hotel" as source material for a beat for another rapper, I'm not sure what section I would've used. But since I'm rapping on this joint, I know which part of the song will suit my style, delivery, and flow.

So, How Do You Sample It?

Now that I've chosen the section of the record that I want to use, I have to decide how to sample it. Wait, what? You mean there's no one way how to sample a record? That's right! Some beatmakers sample in stereo, some in mono. Some sample wet—that is, with effects—, some sample dry, no effects. Some sample in 24 bit, 16 bit, even 12 bit.

For starters, I always sample in mono. Next, I always sample wet. I never sample any audio without its signal first flowing through my Numark DJ mixer (aside from the EQs on my mixer, a DJ mixer makes me feel linked to the earliest roots of our tradition). My DJ mixer routes into my Mackie mixing console, where I do further EQ'ing, like "beefing up" (making a sound heavier or warmer) the sample. Then I run the signal from there—the DJ Mixer's output on the Mackie—into either (a) My Akai MPC 4000; or (B) my Akai S950. For the sample below, I sampled a portion of "Heartbreak Hotel" into my Akai S950.

What about the pitch question?

Do you sample the audio leaving the pitch as is, or do you turn it up or down? This decision, like others in the creative process, mostly depends on the ultimate beat/song that you envision. For my "Heartbreak Hotel Remix," I turned the pitch up a bit before I sampled it, then I fine-tuned it as I arranged my drums (and note: NO timestretch function was used in the making of this beat/song).

Did somebody say chopping?

Of course, how to chop something is one of the big decisions in the sampling process. But I supposed the more complete a phrase is, the less difficult it is to loop, right? Not always! In fact, depending on what's actually in the phrase, getting it to loop "correctly" (according to your own rhythmic standards), it can be rather difficult finding and fine tuning the best start and end points. (In The BeatTips Manual I discuss looping, as well as composition, in greater detail.)

Here, let's remember that all of these aforementioned creative decisions have been made before the drum arrangement enters the picture. Of course, as those above decisions are being made, one should already be thinking about the ways in which to arrange the drums...

Which Way to Go with the Drums?

Even if one skips most of the aforementioned processes, he or she must still come up with a suitable drum framework. To pull this off takes a decent arsenal of drum sounds, a knack for choosing the right ones, and the ability to arrange those drum sounds into a drum pattern that works effectively with the so-called "loop" sample. So, again, decisions, decisions.

With audio that already has drums in it, you can fall back and let the drums in the sample do the work, only adding in light touches of your own drum sounds. Or you can also add your own drums to completely "mask" (cover up) the drums in the sample. Or you can match your drums with the drums in the sample; but this can be very difficult, especially if you don't posses the right kind of drum sounds.

Now, with a song like "Heartbreak Hotel," who could blame someone for going easy on the drums, that is to say, doing nothing much at all. Well, I never sample anything without a base idea of how I'm going to arrange the drums. Moreover, depending upon the extent of the groove—i.e., the feel and the level of kick and snare drums—that I've sampled and the ultimate groove that I'm going for, I will usually not only mask and match the drums, I'll flank everything with my own signature percussion. And this is exactly what I did with my "Heartbreak Hotel Remix."

*Editor's Notes:
The construction of the sample(s) is only part of the equation. Diggin' for the actual source material is another major part of the equation. Also, never forget the matter of the overall sound design. Here, I'm referring to the "color" of the sample that's achieved through sound modification techniques like filtering and EQ'ing, etc.

The music below is presented here for the purpose of scholarship.

Sa'id - "Heartbreak Hotel Remix" (Prod. by Sa'id)

Download "Heartbreak Hotel Remix" by Sa'id

The Jacksons - "Heartbreak Hotel"

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The BeatTips Manual by Sa'id.
"The most trusted source for information on beatmaking and hip hop/rap music education."

Using Percussive Elements and Sound Effects to Create Unique Textures

For Unique Texture, Percussion Elements and Sound Effects Work Well; For Example, Chimes and Police Sirens

By AMIR SAID (SA'ID)

So much of quality beatmaking comes down not only to how well you can create drum frameworks, but also how well you can match those drum frameworks with unique sound textures. And when it comes to the arrangement of textures, there are a number of different approaches you can take. In this article, I want to discuss an approach that utilizes unique percussive elements and sound effects.

One of the greatest things about beatmaking is its ability to absorb and convert literally any sound into hip hop/rap form. No more is this true than in the area of percussive elements and sound effects. Indeed, unique percussive elements and sound effects (combined or alone) can be used to create memorable arrangements and distinct sound textures that both fit and reinforce the hip hop/rap form. For example, I like to use chimes and sirens (typically police sirens) together. Here's my process...

In my customized sound library (comprised of sounds sampled and "treated" by me), I have a tailor-made sample of chimes as well as a sustained measure of police sirens. Each of these sounds—which I use differently depending on the beat—offer specific characteristics that fit the attributes and goals of my particular style and sound. My chimes sound offers an eerie, ambient-like (non-"emo," though) texture. And my police sirens sound keeps everything "airy," giving off a texture akin to late-night street corner or alleyway background noise. Whether I use these sounds individually or in tandem, I always have a clear grasp of how they will effect the overall arrangement and texture of the beat that I apply them to.

Finally, I should mention how I customized my chimes and police sirens samples. The fundamental way in which I customized both my chimes and police sirens sounds—and similar sounds—is by modifying the attack (how/where the start of the sound actually begins), sustain, decay, and release (how full the sound is on the tail end) of each sound. For my my chimes, the attack I have set as my default is like a fade (I like my chimes to fade in to the arrangement), and the release descends abruptly. On the other hand, the attack that I have set for my police sirens sound is minimum (I like my police sirens to almost drop in), and the release dissolves slowly. Also, for my police sirens, I added some reverb so that the end of the sound has a slight rumble. This slight rumble works well whenever I fold or loop my police sirens sound into itself.

*Editor's note: For more detailed information about modifying attack, decay, sustain, and release, see "BeatTips Tutorial: Modifying the ADSR Sound Envelope Pattern"

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The BeatTips Manual by Sa'id.
"The most trusted source for information on beatmaking and hip hop/rap music education."

BeatTips Tutorial: Sampling Live Instrumentation: Guitar Riffs

Sampling Your Live Playing and Making It Sound Like a "Sample", Not Just Live Instrumentation Re-Recorded

By AMIR SAID (SA'ID)

Perhaps one of the most misused and misrepresented terms in beatmaking is “live instrumentation”. What does live instrumentation actually mean, anyway? On the surface, one might be quick to say that live instrumentation is the making of music without the use of samples. But given the fact that a great deal of so-called live instrumentation relies on the use of samples (e.g. sound modules, software samplers with stock samples, etc.) I’m not sure that’s an appropriate description. But I concede that generally speaking, live instrumentation simply refers to playing and arranging, in the traditional sense, any series of “notes” in a pattern or sequence.

As it stands today, there are those in the beatmaking community who elevate the use of live instrumentation above the use of sampling, as if sampling's primitive and "unoriginal". An absurd notion, of course, especially when you consider the fundamentals of beatmaking and hip hop/rap music and the reality of modern music production tools’ use of samples. But nonetheless, there are those who tow the generic line that live instrumentation is original, and sampling is not; or that live instrumentation is more original than sampling—you get the picture! That being said, how should sampling live instrumentation be looked at? Further, does the process of sampling live instrumentation belong in the live instrumentation side of things or in the sampling column?

While some may stubbornly debate this, my view is that sampling live instrumentation is just as original and creative as any other beatmaking method. I draw no elitist or fundamentalist distinction. Moreover, I see the process of sampling live instrumentation as clearly being a fusion of both concepts and compositional processes, wherein the more skills and understanding that you have, the more likely you’ll be able to express your ideas in the style and sound that you want.

But how do you bring these two worlds together? That depends on you and the style and sound that you’re going for. My approach is always to convert my live instrumentation into the sampling form. In other words, whatever I play out live, in the traditional sense, I sample it (and chop it) then fuse it (combine it, blend it) together with other samples—either traditional vinyl record samples or other live instrumentation converted samples. Thus, in the tutorial below, I break down my method for converting live guitar riffs into samples.

Step 1: Understand and Respect What a Riff Is and Can Be

A riff is a short series of notes played in a pattern. A riff can be simple or complex. Further, riffs are most commonly associated with the guitar (“guitar riff”) but in fact, they can also be played on other instruments, e.g. a piano riff, a sax riff, etc. All popular forms of music employ riffs, and depending on the style, sound, and form, riffs can be used as an accompanying sub-melody (motif or melody within a melody) or as the basis for which an entire song is built upon. Because hip hop/rap music is a fundamentally rhythmic, grooved-based music form, riffs often play a central role in the composition of beats (in The BeatTips Manual, I discuss this concept, as well as hip hop’s/rap’s unique relationship with Western music theory, much more in detail).

Step 2: Live Instrumentation: Play Some Riffs on My Fantom S 88 Keyboard Work Station
(Note: You don’t have to use a keyboard, you can use a MIDI controller and a standalone software sound module like Native Instruments’ Guitar Rig to do the same thing.)

Before I began playing some riffs, I adjust the filter envelope on my Fantom. Usually, I’ll adjust the ARP RANGE and ARP ACCENT. I always leave the release and tempo the same as part of my custom “preset”. After I’ve made these adjustments, I play riffs based on the ideas and themes that I have in mind at the moment. For the audio example I included below, I had a scene from a 1970s movie in my head. It was a brief scene really, nothing major, just two cats walk into a pool hall. But the background music that was playing when they walked in was dope, so I used that as inspiration. I didn’t try to mimic the notes; Instead, I went for the style, sound, and feel of that entire scene. After I play a riff that fits what I'm going for, I hit the "Skip Back Sampling" button on my Fantom and record it.

Step 3: Get Riff into Pro Tools for Effects Processing

At this stage, depending on the riff itself and the type of idea I’ve got going, I will do either one of two things: (a) I Record the riff directly into Pro Tools (my DAW of choice); or (b) I sample the riff into my Akai MPC 4000, loop it, then record the sampled riff from the MPC 4000 into Pro Tools. (Either way, I'm routing through my Mackie analog mixing console into Pro Tools.) For the example that I’ve included in this post, I recorded the riff directly into Pro Tools.

Step 4: Track the Riff on Repeat, Then Duplicate the Track

Here, I try to give myself at least 50 seconds of the riff on repeat; this way I can work the effects as I listen to what the riff is doing, all the while I’m getting a better picture of how I should flip the riff, once the effects are set. After I’ve recorded the riff into a Pro Tools track, I duplicate the track and apply all the effects on the duplicate, leaving the source riff track as is. This allows for quick A and B references. (Note: This becomes particularly important when I make multiple duplicates).

Step 5: Work in the Effects

Usually, I only use three effects (plug-ins) on guitar riffs: reverb, 7-band EQ, and compression. (In Guitar Rig you could go even further with it, adding distortion and other effects.) For reverb, I like using a “large room” setting because it gives me the dusty airiness that I’ll need to make a riff from today sound old and in line with the types of vinyl record samples I like to use. In other words, I use reverb keeping in mind the overall texture and feel of the beat that I’m going to be making.

Step 6: Sample the Riff Into My MPC 4000

Once the effects are set, I sample the riff into my MPC 4000.

Step 7: I. Gets. Busy!!!

At this stage, I’m in complete sampling mode, so everything moves FAST. After chopping the riff to my liking (the initial chopping), I put it in a sequence, then loop it. I listen to the loop of the chopped riff to see what direction to go in. Do I pitch it up or pitch it down? It always depends on the style, feel, and sound that I’m going for. With the example below, I went with the “pool hall” theme from the movie that inspired the riff, which prompted me to pitch the riff up. At this point, I also made one more chop, completely cutting off the tail of the original guitar riff.

After I got the pitch of the riff right, I built a drum framework around it, using one of my 5 default kicks, “kick 4 S950”; a snare, “snare bucket lid” (yes, I literally made a snare from striking a small bucket with a lid on top, combined with my “snare 34”); two hi-hats (two strikes of my “hat vintage”); and my signature “gunshot snare”.

Once I had the drum framework rocking, I added in a piano/bass stab that I sampled off of a vinyl record. To make the guitar riff and the piano/bass stab sound as though they came from the same time and space (not necessarily the same record), I threw a notch filter on the guitar riff to blend and tuck it, then I opened up some treble on the channel where the piano/bass stab was being outputted (I could have used the Lo-Hi Pass filter on my MPC 4000 to get the same effect, but I was moving fast; I knew where this beat was headed and I wanted to finish so I could write a rhyme to it).

After a couple a couple EQ adjustments on the Mackie console, I dumped the beat into Pro Tools. Back in Pro Tools, I did some additional EQ’ing, created a master track, and bounced the beat to disc. Done…

Note: Below I have included both the original guitar riff as I played it and the beat made using the sampled riff. (Next week I might post the rhyme vocal I did for this beat)

The music below is presented here for the purpose of scholarship

Pool Hall Guitar Riff (Live riff played by Sa'id)

Pool Hall beat (prod. by Sa'id)

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The BeatTips Manual by Sa'id.
"The most trusted source for information on beatmaking and hip hop/rap music education."