Core Drum Sounds Serve Key Role

The Number of Drum Sounds You Carry Should be Determined by Your Core Set and Sound

By Amir Said (Sa'id)

Drums have always been one of the cornerstones of hip hop/rap beats. Because drums are often the most fundamental element of a beat, beatmakers give careful consideration to the types of drum sounds that they use. That being said, opinion is split about the number of drum sounds that you should carry.

Some beatmakers are of the opinion that you can never have enough drum sounds, that an unlimited assortment of drum sounds are absolutely essential. Still, there are others who would caution that too many drum sounds are just plain unnecessary, and even detrimental. So who's right? Well, I'm not sure if this is one of those right or wrong sort of questions. However, in making your decision about how many drum sounds to carry, I recommend that you consider the following.

Many of the greatest drummers of the past half century, from soul to reggae to rock, mostly worked off of JUST ONE DRUM kit! For those drummers, the idea wasn't about amassing an arsenal of different drum sounds; it was about getting their kit (which they knew all too well) to match up with whatever their group was playing. There were no arbitrary sounds for them to choose from. The color, pitch, and overall sound of their drum sounds were distinguished by their individual imagination and playing technique. Similar to how beat-makers/producers tune drum sounds, these drummers also tuned and truncated their sounds--albeit manually. In to me, that is the key: modification and manipulation of a core set (kit) of drum sounds.

Carlton "Carly" Barrett (drummer for The Wailers)
John Bonham (drummer for Led Zeppelin)
Al Jackson (Stax Records -"Souslville U.S.A.")

Just to name a few infamous drummers who worked off of a set kit. Each of these drummers were unique in their own way. Carlton Barrett preferred a simple kit: bass drum, snare, one tom (some times two), one cymbal, and a hi-hat... John Bonham was infamous for the double bass drum and his customized mega-size drum sticks that he called "trees"... Al Jackson, one of he most well-known drummers from the Stax Records backdrop, refused to ever tune his drums, thereby giving him a manual level of control that many drummers could not match...

Drums are extremely important to what we do; but really, the idea that you could never have enough drum sounds? No way, I don't buy that notion. A solid drum stash of 15-25 sounds, that you really know, is often MORE than enough. Plus throw in the fact that the fewer the number of sounds, the more efficiently you can create and manage your core drum sounds, which ultimately helps you create and maintain your own overall beat style and customized sound.

Beatmaking Offers Extensive Music Experience

Beatmaking Points to the Core of the Hip Hop/Rap Music Tradition; Leads to New Kind of Multi-Skilled Musician

By Amir Said (Sa'id)

Among the many different ways to experience hip hop/rap music, there is no other art form in hip hop culture that allows one to immerse themselves more extensively than beatmaking. And among the various elements that make beatmaking a uniquely intricate art form, I have found that there are three major characteristics that most underscore its uniqueness.

The first characteristic that jumps out at every beatmaker is the meticulous nature of the various processes that beatmaking requires. Because beatmakers are one part musician and one part programmer, we have to control a number of different steps in the musical process that DJs (and traditional musicians) simply do not. For instance, prior to the compositional phase of the musical process, beatmakers are enjoined with the task of finding and making sounds to work with. And in beatmaking, after the compositional and arrangement processes are completed—processes, I should add, that require any number of programming steps—many beatmakers transform into defacto mix engineers, as we further lock in the sound and sonic impression that characterize our individual styles.

The reliance upon technology in the creative process of beatmaking is another major characteristic that, on one hand, helps define beatmaking's uniqueness, and on the other hand, leads beatmakers to experience hip hop/rap music more extensively than fellow artists within hip hop culture. In beatmaking, the connection of creativity and technology is paramount; it's a force that binds beatmakers to the perpetual pursuit of creating and manipulating sounds. Moreover, as witnessed by beatmakers' staunch product and brand loyalty to leading electronic music production instrument (EMPI) manufacturers, the connection of creativity and technology in beatmaking serves as a form of identity and, in many ways, a badge of musically creative honor.

The depth of analytical study that's involved in beatmaking is the third, (and perhaps most important), characteristic that most underscores beatmaking's uniqueness, and prompts beatmakers to experience hip hop/rap music in quite an extensive manner. Beatmakers engage in a high level of self-imposed study. In the constant pursuit of a higher skill level, we study a great deal—often much more than traditional musicians. Indeed, all beatmakers necessarily study the fundamental techniques, methods, and practices of the beatmaking tradition as well its history, in particular, the lineage of styles and sounds from beatmaking's inception to the present. And while most traditional musicians will never study the art of beatmaking, even once in their life time, most beatmakers regularly study the elements and processes of other music traditions outside of hip hop/rap. In fact, for beatmakers, no music form is forbidden territory; wherever we find inspiration, we use the styles, techniques, methods, and practices of our tradition to convert such inspiration into hip hop/rap form.

Here, it should be noted that the level of analytical study involved in beatamking leads to time-intense and style-focused practice. And it should be further noted that whenever we work on the creation of our beats, we enter into a ritualistic-like cycle that's every bit hypnotic as it is therapeutic and creatively meticulous. Finally, it also bares mentioning that precisely because of the analytical study component of beatmaking, many beatmakers subsequently become serious purveyors of music history. Thus, no matter how you look at it, in the final analysis, beatmakers represent a new kind of multi-skilled musician.

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

Diggin' in the Crates: The Marvelows

Overlooked, but Jewels Abound

By Amir Said (Sa'id)

In the early/mid-60s, rhythm and blues was transitioning to soul. There were many recording artists who served as a bridge to both music; most notably Ray Charles. But there were many other recording artists that had less recognition, but still made contributions all the same. Here, in this vein I present to you The Marvelows - "In The Morning."

For educational purposes...

The Marvelows - "In the Morning"

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

Proven Leaders Found in the NFL, Not the Music Industry

Poor Leadership Often Rewarded in Music Industry

By Amir Said (Sa'id)

Why is the NFL's business model so solid, and why is there so much talent parity throughout the league? I'll tell you why: It's because the NFL values veteran leadership. Indeed, the NFL routinely recycles proven winners at coaching and front office positions.

In contrast, the major record companies have traditionally relied on leadership that was never REALLY proven at all. In the old music industry, a "hit record" was secured through the avenues of traditional media and controlled distribution channels. So when traditional media gave way to "new media;" and when new distribution channels opened up, the fraudulent music experts—so-called "proven leaders"—were exposed.

Success of Miami Dolphins: One Example of NFL's Solid Business Model

The competitiveness of the Miami Dolphins football team is not a fluke. It is a direct result of Bill Parcells' proven leadership. On the other hand, the so-called proven track record of some of the music industry's greatest names is not the result of their leadership, but instead the benefit of a rigged playing field that virtually guaranteed hit records—so long as the general public only had real access to just a few artists already in the machine. And now that music listeners have real access to choice and variety, it should come as no surprise that many of the music industry's most celebrated leaders have nothing really to celebrate at all.

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

Alternating Pitch on Drum Sounds

Technique Adds Unique Dimension to Your Drum Frameworks

By Amir Said (Sa'id)

Even though "the drums" are fundamental in beatmaking, many beatmakers overlook the various ways to get the most out of their existing drum sounds. One way to get more out of your drums sounds is to alternate the pitch of each drum sound within various measures—if not all measures—of a beat.

Changing the pitch of drum sounds is something that I often do in the creation of my beats. For snares, I typically have the same snare sound landing in a beat at three different pitch speeds (degrees). That is to say, I'll have one snare sound set at its original pitch level, the same sound set at a faster or slower pitch speed (usually one eighth or quarter note faster or slower), and the same sound again set at a faster or slower pitch speed (usually one eighth or quarter note faster or slower). Sometimes I determine the right pitch-degree of each snare-hit in real time, usually by assigning the same snare sound at three different pitch-speeds to three different pads on my MPC, and playing the snares while the rest of the beat is in play/record mode. Still, there are other times (perhaps more often) where I simply play each snare-hit at the same pitch, then I later go back in and program the pitch changes at the points that feel right to me.

For hi-hats, rides, and tambourines, I use the same alternating-pitch technique for; however, for hi-hats, I usually only alternate the pitch of hi-hits at specific points within a beat. And when it comes to kick sounds, I use the alternating-pitch technique even more sparingly. With kicks, I only slightly change the pitch of the kick at certain times within the drum pattern.

Finally, I should point out that not only does alternating the pitch of your drum sounds allow you to get much more out of your existing drum sounds, such a technique also helps you create drum frameworks that really come alive. In other words, in addition to creating unique textures and sonic impressions, using the alternating pitch technique allows you to make your drums come off more natural, and it helps lesson the mechanical feel that often occurs with electronic drum sounds. Moreover, used in the right way—that is, for feel and sound, NOT just for the sake of using a technique—the alternating pitch technique also helps with the tightening up of the rhythm of your beats.

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

Time Spent Making Beats Helps Quality Control

How Long You're on the Clock Plays a Big Role

By Amir Said (Sa'id)

Dedicated beatmakers know how meticulous the art of beatmaking can be. Moreover, we all know how very methodical and diligent that we often have to be. Whether cranking out a drum framework, or even just tuning a snare sound to the right timbre, beatmaking takes time. With this in mind, I often wonder how long most beatmakers typically spend on the clock; you know, how long do each of us usually work on a beat?

For me, the time frame averages out to about one solid hour per beat—from concept to preliminary (pre-tracking) execution. However, that being said, I must concede that some ideas take much longer than others; so with certain beats, I'll purposely keep crafting for another day or two, if necessary. But at this stage of my beatmaking ability, if after two days I find that a beat is "decent" but not DOPE—to me, I just put it on the shelf. Sometimes I come back to it in the near future; other times I simply store in my personal music vault, to be considered at a much later time.

Still, to be certain, when it comes to making beats, there also those times where I can rip something off rather quickly, like say, 20/30 minutes. But most of the time, that's certainly not typical for me. Indeed, when I create a beat in 15 minutes, it's more like a "quality check" point, a directional blueprint and barometer that confirms whether or not I'm on to something that's worth continuing. It is at this juncture that I'm most critical on myself; it's this time where I'm brutally honest about whether my idea and structure is popping (sounding dope) or not. Thus, if after 15 minutes I find that what I'm working on is whack—to me, I scrap the beat. NO HESITATION! As per my own personal standards and sense of quality control, I never plow through something just for the sake of "completing" it. If I think that a beat I'm making is even kind of whack, I scrap it and move on to another idea. I never force 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."

BeatTips Community Question: Chopping Samples?

When Chopping a Sample do you fade out the end of it to make it sound smooth?

By Amir Said (Sa'id)

This BeatTips Community question comes from member BrandonF4208:

"Yo when you chop a sample do you usually fade out the end of the sample to make it smooth instead of abruptly stopping making a click sound? Obviously you don't want that click shit but I am just wondering what other people out there do. maybe you use a different technique?"

Here's my response:

I never "fade out" the end of a sample! If there is an unwanted sound at the end, whether it be a click or pop, I just chop the end a little more. And in the case where I don't want do that, I decrease the amount of "sustain" and "release" on the sample. These sustain and release functions are inside of my Akai S950.

Note. Another way that I sometimes handle this situation is that I just sample a really short sound-stab—something close in sound to the sample—and layer it (overlap) the very end of the sample; this masks any audio defects at the end of the main sample. Also, the sound-stab that I use in this case usually sustains (lingers) for at least 1/8th note longer than the main sample. So not only does it work to mask a glitch or abrupt ending, it also serves as an effective sample blend.

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

Jewel Droppin': Bangout, Pt. 2

Drawing Inspiration from Other Beatmakers is Pivotal

Bangout interviewed by Amir Said (Sa'id)

Sa'id: What would be the first thing that you know about making beats that you would want to teach your son?
Bangout: The first thing… Fuck with the drums, learn how to sequence drums! That’s what I want my kids to do. Put your heart and your soul into your drums, that’s your rhythm right there.

Sa'id: Do you have preset drum patterns or do you always start drum patterns from scratch?
Bangout: I literally start from scratch every single beat. But I got my program that I always load up, my Bangout kit. It’s got all of my favorite kicks, all my favorite snares, all of my favorite claps and hats. I load it up every time.

Sa'id: How do you approach arrangement? Do you look at arrangement as sort of a typical Hip Hop producer or more like Gamble & Huff?
Bangout: I can tell you how I arrange shit… I make the whole fuckin’ beat, I’ll fill the beat up as big as… like I’ll make the hook first! The hook is all the sounds in at once. Then after that, I start breakin’ the beat down. Then I start finding out what part is the verse or what part will be right before the hook come in, what part could be the bridge…

Sa'id: Most people don’t start with the hook. You fill it up, then start breaking it down. Usually, most beatmakers start with 2 bars, 4 bars, copy, then they build it up. They get to certain segments, then they build the hook part up. Not too many dudes can do it the other way, let alone try doing it the other way… Making beats is a "moment" thing. You go on immediate feeling, you know what I mean. So if you invest a lot of time in filling it up right off the bat, by the time that you get an ill groove you may be burnt out from that beat. So that leads me to my next thing. You must kick off beats real fast! Do you have a time frame that you try to deal with?
Bangout: I can kick off a beat in 5 minutes, and it’ll be a fuckin’ smoker. But I take my time to get there, to the actual beat. Every sound gotta be there for a reason. I’m not caught up with how fast I can make a beat. Sometimes I’ll spend a whole day on a beat! And as far as erasing beats, sometimes I’ll have something in mind that I’ll want to get out. And I’ll go to the beat machine, and I’ll try as hard as I can to get that shit out. And I’ll listen to it for a while, then I’ll be like: ‘You know what, I ain’t gonna commit to this, ‘cuz this ain’t it. It’s almost there, but that’s not it. And I’m not going to be able to get that sound in my mind, if I keep listening to this.’ Cut the machine off!

Sa'id: Sometimes you measure a man sometimes by what he can give up, not how much he can try to get. I’ve been tryin’ to tell dudes that it’s better to sacrifice 10 joints that could be good for 1 joint that’s an absolute flame! That one flame is going to be the last thing in your mind, and your mind mentally is going to tell you to make something at least as good as that. A lot of producers, they got it twisted. They concentrate on quantity, not quality.
Bangout: I be seeing niggas produce, and they’ll take anything. And I be like: ‘That’s why you ain’t got no placements right now’. I got mad beats that niggas would never hear, ‘cuz the thought is not complete. That’s why I erase so much shit at times.

Sa'id: When you’re doing your joints, since you start off with the hook, do you start off with 8 bars or do you start off with 2 or 4?
Bangout: I start off with one bar, my nigga…

Sa'id: That’s what I do… In the third edition I talk about getting one bar, one main groove…
Bangout: Exactly!

Sa'id: But the way that sequencing is being taught, by certain people, it’s so strict…
Bangout: Yo, I’ve seen niggas do beats and literally do the whole drum pattern for the whole 4 minutes, come back and play the keyboard for the whole 4 minutes, come back and play the bass line for the whole 4 minutes. Now that shit is amazing to me [Pause] but it was whack! [Big laughs] It was amazing, but it was very whack!

Read Jewel Droppin': Bangout, Pt. 1

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

Jewel Droppin': Bangout, Pt. 1

Drawing Inspiration from Other Beatmakers is Pivotal

Bangout interviewed by Amir Said (Sa'id)

Sa'id: With “Disco Inferno”, was that something that you made with the intention to be for 50?
Bangout: I made that beat exactly for 50 Cent… Me and my wife was puttin’ a bed together in the room… and “Lean Back” came on the radio. And I was like: ‘Yo, this shit right here is going to be big’. So the next day, I was like: ‘I’m going to go in the studio wild early’. I didn’t go into the studio with the intentions to bite off “Lean Back”. It was my first time hearing it, it was out of my head. But I was like: ‘Yo, I’m gonna make a big fuckin’ record like that’… Some up-tempo, party shit with doofy-ass drums, and the gutter shit still in it.

Sa'id: A lot of dudes don’t understand how beatmakers feed off of [other beatmakers] they listen to… a lot of times, they get their inspiration from other real producers!
Bangout: To add on to that, I’m-a tell you some of my inspirations. First of all, Premier is my #1 nigga. Because of… the nigga was way, way, WAY ahead of his time, as far as samples going, drums going. Like yo, he was just in another whole world with beats. He was that innovative nigga. After Premier, then when we got Dre. Dre is fuckin’ phenomenal. Then The RZA is a fuckin’ genius. Then we got Just Blaze. Just Blaze, he’s one of the illest producers, period, I ever heard. ‘Cuz he put together all the Premier shit, all the Dre shit… And then another one of my favorites is Timbaland… All of these are the niggas that inspired me. And I’m just now discovering how ill Darkchild is. He’s a fuckin’ monster.

Sa'id: Did you intentionally go for your sound?
Bangout: No. Like we said, we Hip Hop niggas, I’m not no fuckin’ musical nigga. I’m a Hip Hop nigga. I lived this shit. And when I make beats, I try to make soundtracks to shit that I experienced! Like sometimes, I could be makin’ a beat, and I’ll just be thinking about the wildest game of Manhunt [street tag] that niggas ever played, that turned into throwin’ rocks, and my man getting’ hit by a fuckin’ police car. Or I’ll be thinking about a time when niggas was on the roof fightin’, on the roof, like 8 of us just scrappin’ for like a half hour. All my street shit, I put in my beats. All my beats got a story behind it…

Sa'id: There are beatmakers who are calculators, who do things by calculations, then there’s beatmakers who are visualizers. Are you a visualizer producer or calculator?
Bangout: Both.

Sa'id: How so… Explain the part of you that’s a calculator.
Bangout: Because a lot of this shit is math, like really understanding the machine. Understandin’ what the filters are, understandin’ pitch. You gotta pitch everything up 10, if you want the sample to feel a certain way, or you gotta pitch the sample down by 3… Or if you wanna pitch the sample in the same way that the keyboard is lined up, you gotta pitch all them shits up 5; or on some machines, 10. That’s the math part behind it…

Read Jewel Droppin': Bangout, Pt.2

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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 Daily Favorites: "Run;" Ghostface Killah, Jadakiss, and The RZA

The Break is Always Inviting to True Lyricists

By Amir Said (Sa'id)

The pinpoint essence of hip hop/rap music is the "break." And here on "Run," RZA takes an enchanting, eerie karate-flick interlude sound—something that's not otherwise a break by any stretch of the meaning—and turns it into a break that draws in only the most capable rapper, as evidenced by Ghostface and Jadakiss. In addition, to the newly created break, RZA's drumwork is a clinic on break-beat drum phrasing. The syncopated snare action tumbles and rolls over, as the kick punches in and out, only doubling up at the ends of each 1-bar measure.

For educational purposes...

Ghostface Killah featuring Jadakiss - "Run;" beat by The RZA

Ghostface Killah featuring Jadakiss - "Run;" beat by The RZA (official music video)

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