Five Components of a Hip Hop Track

When you produce a track you definitely want create a nice beat.  Maybe it’s a sick drum pattern with some horns and keys layered on top all anchored by a sick bassline.  No matter how dope your beat is however, listening to it over and over can be monotonous. Variety is the spice of life and you need to know how change up the track to keep it interesting and keep the listener listening.

In most hip-hop tracks there are five major sections:  The Intro, the Main Melody (or Main Beat), the Hook (traditionally called the Chorus), the Bridge, and the Outro.  Using these sections correctly to build your song will keep your beat fresh and interesting.

The Intro

The Intro, obviously is the first part to the song.  It’s typically a simplified version of the main melody. For example, you may take your main melody and take out the percussion elements (such as snares and hi-hats) and just have the kicks and any other instruments playing.  The intro typically lasts for about 2-4 bars but can go longer if the artists so desires.

Main Melody

The main melody is the voice of you track.  It’s the part of the beat that is played most often during your song.  This is you primary pattern, the part that works the most since it is played the most throughout the song.  Since this part is the part the listener hears the most, it needs to be a solid banger of a melody – really, who wants to listen to a weak melody over and over?

It’s typically 2-4 bars in length and is repeated throughout the song.  Some songs rely heavily on the main melody and it will make up most of the song structure.  Hey, if it’s that dope and it works, by all means.  Most songs however benefit from mixing it up with a hook and/or a bridge (both described below)

Hook

This is the headliner – your stand out part of the track.  This is the part people usually remember and the catchy part of the song (something that is catchy, “hooks” you in; get it?).  It’s the part most people remember and the part you usually catch yourself rapping/singing. The hook can be done in two ways:

1. By adding more sounds on top of the main melody. This is the most common method.  Whatever you melody is, the hook may include an extra sounds layered on top, perhaps more kicks, and since we are talking about creating songs, catchy lyrics or vocals.

2. Some hooks are actually done by removing sounds or stripping down the main melody. This is not the most common method and is generally used when the beat is already complex and so the hook is a simplified version but usually has some extra vocals added in.  A simplified beat will help the vocals stand out – and if the vocals are that catchy then that makes for a great hook.

Bridge

The Bridge is a critical part to the beat and can really help a song stand out.  It’s often overlooked for the hook, and though it may not be used as much throughout the song it’s just as important and can really help a track stand out.

The bridge is usually done also by modifying the main melody.  Unlike the hook; it typically involves removing elements of the main melody.  A typical bridge is done by muting the drums.  Another way is by letting a single instrument stand out. So say your beat had a sick strings section that really stood out; You might take out whatever other instruments you have to let that string section stand out.  A change in an instrument pattern can also serve as a bridge.

Bridges usually come right before the hook (pre-hook bridge). However, they also can come right after the hook (post-hook bridge) to serve as a way to transition back into the main melody from the hook . The former is more common, but the latter can make for some interesting effects.

The Outro

The Outro is obviously the melody heard ending the track. Sometimes this can be the main melody just fading out, or even the hook fading out. Other times it’s its own unique patten that’s a variation of the main melody.

The five patterns described above are the basic elements of hip hop songs.  When composing your tracks, you have to think about more than just starting with a dope beat and melody. To truly step it up, think of how to create a hook that is just crushing it, or a real smooth bridge that lets the MC shine leading into the Hook.

Most important of all, the main melody, intro,outro, hook, and bridge should all work and be produced with the MC in mind such that your final product is more than just a track with an MC rhyming over it, but rather a nice beat and and an MC’s lyrics and flow that both work together, accompanying each other to create a sound record.

-Cole

This post was written while listening to: Back in Business – EPMD