How to Create More Interesting Hip Hop Beats

Quite often when I am hired to mix a song, I get the privilege of being able to see the internal workings of the track. All the various parts of the song are there for me to investigate. Occasionally I will notice various problem areas with the song and try to find the root of why it isn't "working." Sometimes I'll notice a lack of ambition and creativity present in many hip-hop arrangements.



I will offer a few insights into how to create simple, yet effective layering and sample choices for more interesting hip-hop beats.

Things You'll Need

• DAW
• Apple or PC Computer
• Sample Library

Instructions

1. When you decide to lay down the 1 or 2-bar kick pattern, think about how you want the track to affect the listener. The most obvious effect is that it has to make you feel as though your chest will cave in upon hearing it. That is a valid expectation and a realistic one at that.

2. It is common to layer multiple kick samples to create a "composite" sound. You can't expect one kick to handle the chore of every facet of the sonic character. Try using one kick for the sub-frequency, another for the "thump" and another for say, an odd character. The samples don't always need to be derived from the same library either. Not everything has to come from an MPC, 808 or 909 library. When you are layering these sounds you will soon realize that too many like sounds will sound horrible, because they are all doing primarily the same function.

3. Not only is important to create an interesting "orchestration" of the kick or snare, but also the counterpoint.

   For instance, maybe you want to have one or two kicks emphasizing the downbeats of the measure. You can assign different sounds into the pattern by moving on the upbeat within the syncopation.

4. These same methods apply to the snare as well. Try adding different types of snares to your standard 808 sound. Add a snare with more ring. Add another with more "body." Maybe another with more present snare strainers. They don't all have to be specific to a standard hip-hop style. That's the beauty of the art. Once you determine the intention of the track it is easy to dive in and try new things while retaining all of the standard elements.