Making The Beat | Three Different Techniques (Pt.3)

In part one of our 3 part series on how to approach making a beat, we talked about sampling.  In part 2 we detailed the Keyboard Approach to making hip hop beats.  In our third and final installment of how to approach making a hip hop beat we talk about the Composite Approach.

What is the Composite Approach?

Essentially, the Composite Approach is the combination of the first (Sampling) and second (Keyboard) approaches to beat making. Instead of relying on one method, the Composite Approach offers a versatile option by combining the two.  It is called the Composite since the Samples and Keyboard sounds are melded together to create a cohesive sounding track.

How’s it done?

The Composite Approach in hip hop production combines Sampling and the Keyboard Approach – so basically part of your beat comes from sampling and part comes from sounds you played. That’s really the only requirement for a beat to be considered a Composite Beat. There are no real guidelines for how much of the Composite Beat needs to be sampled and how needs to be played from the keyboard. Perhaps you have some skills on the piano but need to step your drum production game up – you just can’t seem to get your snares to sound so rich and crisp. So you’ll sample some drum sounds from one of your favorite producers, or from an old 70’s record, or wherever you hear a snare that appeals to you. The rest of your beat you could lay down with your keyboard skills. Or maybe you have a sick drum pattern laid out, some killer keys on top, and some viscious violin stabs…all you’re missing is a nice bassline.  So you might sample a bassline that you like to round out your beat.

Similarly you may use samples for your whole record and just add a simple hi-hat from your keyboard. Or your beat is all samples but you need but you feel like you need a nice vintage 1920′s brass sound on top  to complete the hook.

Producers who rely on Composite Approach do not have to always follow this method, of course. If they feel like it they can make a record done entirely with samples, or a record done straight from the keyboard sounds. In fact at times it’s good to switch it up.

Another option, which arguably is the Keyboard Approach, is to sample yourself. Typically you may sample something like a piano melody, or a couple horn stabs. You can always play a sample yourself, then chop it up, add some effects, and loop it just like you would with a typical sample.  It’s a great way to go about beat making and something producers should consider trying.

Why Would You Use The Keyboard Approach?  The Advantages

The Composite Approach offers the same advantages and disadvantages as that comes with Sampling and the Keyboard Approach.  Since we already outlined those in detail we will skip it here. We will say, however, the more your beat uses samples, the more of the advantages/disadvantages of sampling you will experience. The reverse holds true for the Keyboard Approach.  That being said there are still some advantages specific to the Composite Approach

1. You’ll be a More Versatile, and Prepared, Producer.

Imagine this: You’re getting your once in a lifetime shot. There you are chilling with Jay-Z and his engineer Young Guru.  Your playing beats for Jay and he’s nodding away, feeling what you got. But then he tells you he has this idea for a track and wants  you to flip a sample off a record he just handed you.  If you only play your beats and don’s sample, what do you do?  Panic.  But if you are versatile and know how to sample, you’re in luck.  Think this is made up?  How do you think 9th Wonder got the chance to produce Threat off of Jay-Z’s Black Album?

2. It Can Spark Your Creative Side

Since you are not reliant on one method, you have different ways to go about approaching your beat-making.  This can come in handy if you are stuck in a creative rut. Can’t quite lay out a melody you are satisfied with?  Try sampling.  Tired of digging through crates of records to come up short finding a horn sound you like?  Play your own.

3. They Complement each other

Digging through crates looking for samples will give you inspiration for melodies that you may want to use, or certain sounds you may want to create.

What are the Drawbacks?

1. You Still Have to Create a Cohesive Sound

Combining old school samples with some of today’s modern sounds can make for some interesting mixes – and not necessarily for the better. You want your beat to sound cohesive, and not like a mish mash of random sounds with different effects and feels to them. This requires some knowledge of producing to blend the sounds to make a nice beat. Likewise, to really create a sound beat you’ll have to have a good ear and understand what blends well together. If you sample a flute from a record, it will pay to understand what key it was played in so that when you play the complimentary keys you know what key to play in.

2. Tons of Options

With lots of options to go about producing it can be overwhelming and a challenge. Many producers get caught up in all their sounds, and all their records that it can actually hinder performance. Being able to manage going through all your records and sounds on your computer takes time and discipline.

3. Jack of All Trades, King of None

Trying to master both sampling and playing the keys takes a lot of time and can be discouraging to producers. You’ll probably never be as knowledgeable and skilled on the MPC as someone who is 100% dedicated to sampling. Likewise for the keys. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but if you really want to be seen as the guru in either field, it may be worth sticking to the one approach that works for you.

The Composite Approach gives you even more freedom, control, and versatility then either the Keyboard Approach or Sampling. It allows you to start from scratch, create some of your own unique melodies and rhythm and fill in the rest with samples. Or, create a solid beat with samples, and take it to the next level by playing on top of it. It requires understanding sampling and music theory to be done right and a decent amount of time to invest in both approaches.  However, producers who have a handle on the Composite Approach are some of the most versatile and face the least limitations to producing.  When done right, it can be the most rewarding of the three approaches.

This is the third and final installment of our Three Techniques to Beat-Making series and we hoped you enjoyed it. That being said, we’ll end off on the same note we ended the first two posts. Whatever approach you choose, the most important way to produce is one that represents you. No one approach is going to all of a sudden make you a hit-maker. Just pick what works for you and produce beats that are representative of you, not someone else.

Till next time,

Cole

This post was written while listening to: Tical – Method Man

Making The Beat | Three Different Techniques (Pt. 1)

In Hip Hop there are basically three ways to go about making a beat:

1. Sampling

2. Starting from Scratch with Sounds (Keyboard Approach)

3. Combining the two techniques above

In Part 1, we are going to talk about the first bullet: Sampling

What is Sampling?

Sampling involves taking sounds on an already established record/song and using it for the track you are producing. You may hear a nice piano loop that you like from an old school Lonnie Liston Smith record and want to flip that piano sound into a hot beat. Sampling involves the process of taking that sound you like from the original record and using it in your song.  Typically the loop that is taking from the original record is chopped up into smaller parts and looped over and over to create a specific sound the producer wants.

How’s it done?

So you may be wondering how is it done?  If you do hear a nice horn stab, odds are it’s playing at the same time as the drums, other sounds, and voices.  How do you isolate just the sound you want?  This is usually done by filtering out all other sounds. So if you hear a nice bass riff you would use your drum machine, or editor of choice, and apply a filter that  only plays the low ends of the sound – or that bass riff.  There are many creative ways to isolate sounds using technology today and depending on what you are trying to get out of a sample, the more creative you will have to be.

On a related note: you can also purchase beats that have all the sounds isolated for you.

Why Would You Sample?

Sampling offers some great advantages.  Four of the biggest advantages are:

1. You don’t have to know how to play an instrument.

This is a major reason most people sample. You don’t have to know how to play the piano or the trumpet, all you have to do is listen. Listen for a hot horn stab, or an ill chord progression; just listen to what appeals to you as a producer. Your ear and your sequencer tools are your only instruments.

2. The sample is already edited

If you played the piano straight without any effects (called “dry”) you will probably have to do some editing for a number of reasons (you may need to compress the sound, you want to add some reverb and some EQ, you have to adjust the signal so it fits in the mix, you want it to sound a little “warmer”, etc).  Once you add effects to the signal, it’s called “wet.”  Since samples already come from an established record, many effects are already applied by professional producers who probably spent hours if not days in the studio getting the sound just right.  All the hard work is done for you.

3. Access to sounds you may not have

You may have access to common sounds like keys, strings, horns, and drums, but what about those rare vintage warm piano licks you heard on your favorite album?  Or that sick snare? Or what about voices?  Do you have singers on retainer that can just come in and lay down some background vocals, or vocals for a hook that you want?  Oh and do you have a studio already set up with the proper acoustical engineering to ensure a clean signal? Probably not. So what can you do?  Sample a classic voice. Done and done.

4. Classic Sound from the Golden Era

Some artists like to sample because you can create sounds reminiscent of the Golden Era of hip hop, somewhere in the time range of mid-1980′s to the mid 1990′s.  This time period was marked by many classic albums being dropped and lots of creative, ground-breaking, and innovative records being produced.

5.  You Pick Up On Music Theory

This probably isn’t the reason why most producers stick purely to sampling but it is a nice bonus. With editing so many sounds, melodies, riffs and musical notes you’ll eventually become good at understanding and hearing sounds the go well together and create a cohesive sound. You are really teaching yourself to learn about melodies, pitch, and many other aspects of music theory.

What are the Drawbacks?

Of course there are drawbacks to sampling. The biggest being getting sample clearances.  You are taking someone else’s work and using it for your project. Since it is someone else’s work, you have to get permission – or clear the sample with the appropriate parties. You will need two clearances – one from the copyright owner of the song and another from the copyright owner of the master tapes. The cost varies from project to project but usually includes an upfront advance as well as a percentage of the song income which typically ranges from 10-50%.

The other drawback is less freedom. If you make your own music from scratch you have a ton of control over the song. Samples are much harder to control and manipulate. In addition, the quality of the sample is only as good as the original source it came from.

A Few Famous Samples used in Hip Hop

Sampling has been done far and wide in hip hop.  Here are just a few hits that have samples:

“Touch the Sky” by Kanye West sampled Curtis Mayfield’s “Move on Up” Link

Notorious B.I.G.’s “Who Shot Ya” sampled David Porters’s “I’m Afraid the Masquerade is Over” Link

Nas’s “Memory Lane” sampled the drums from Lee Dorsey’s “Get Out Of My Life, Woman” Link

And of course Who Sampled is an excellent site to dig into tracking down samples that your favorite artists and producers have used.

In many ways sampling is the essence of hip hop – making something from nothing. Back in the day most artists didn’t have access to studios and all the latest gear with gigabytes of sounds. But they did have some of their parents’ vinyl, microphones, and drum or maybe even karaoke machines. Do a little recording, chopping, and looping, added with some creativity and innovation and great music was being made.  In the end, they were taking stuff already produced and turning into music that represented where they were coming from. Though it may have some drawbacks, Sampling is a great way to go about producing in hip hop.

What’s most important  is that you create music that represents you, not someone else.  Develop your own way of going about producing, develop your own style, and your own sound to be unique.

Cole

This post was written while listening to: 50 Cent’s Power of the Dollar