Article Comments: Less Is More!

[Fade]

If you would like to comment on the article "Less Is More", you can reply in this thread.

 

[Relic]

Less articles is more for this this site....lol....nah nice article..
Good points made here, I have a few beats that just have so much going on in them I know Ill never use them..Its not like they are bad trax , its that I may be adding in that extra pizz section that I dont need because I dont like the way the kix sound or somthing..
Very very true tho, less IS more, I tell myself that and make myself just stop frequently.
Another good article would be, what the hell is missing from this track???
That sound you cant pin point but you know it needs..

 

[bigdmakintrax]

Yes less is the best, I am always amazed at what true emcees like when a beat comes on, usually the one that I always go, damn I think that beat needs something else...really, really good emcees have the ability to join in the lab and sometimes add that bell melody or something super simple that sometimes I would think "what is he/she doing ?"..that is the difference between someone too musical in hip hop as opposed to the elementary mind on a musical level...anyhow think of the best melodies, they are always the most simple, like a nursery rhyme etc...anyhow Fade this is one of the best articles I have read for it's content and purpose!
good shit.

 

[Fade]

Thanks for the feedback.

It's kind of hard to get my point across on this matter, but I hope I did. It's hard to explain some of the stuff I was talking about but basically it's just my opinion that you don't always need all kinds of sounds in your song in order to make it hot. Another example would be a lot of Jay-Z's tracks. It's like as if each track is this epic monumental extravagant masterpiece, when in fact it sometimes comes across as 4 minutes of drum buildups and cymbal crashes!

Anyway, keep the feedback coming.

 

[Relic]

^ good example on the JZ thing, lately its been a good example of overcrowding..

 

[bigdmakintrax]

Thanks for the feedback.

when in fact it sometimes comes across as 4 minutes of drum buildups and cymbal crashes!

Anyway, keep the feedback coming.

ok yeah I see, there is a lot that going on in beats right now and the thing is, producers listen to this and try and emulate it and think the beat overall is hot or really something special...on the other hand though if you use those buildups correctly and in the right places it can make for a hot joint.

 

[afriquedeluxe]

"Chicken noodle soup" is a nice example where less is more aint it?

lol just playing, but this is good article. I think it could be applied to gear aswell. Recenlty i just got rid of most of my refills and put them off my laptop onto dvds. I left very few on the computer, the core ones i need. That way i can spend less time browsing and more time creating.

 

[Fade]

LOL @ Afrique.

Yeah this can be applied to equipment too. Very often I hear people that say they're stuck with their beats and don't feel creative, yet they have tons of gear. I've always been the type to stick to a few pieces, hell even with too many FX it's too easy to spend time playing around instead of making music.

 

[StressWon]

great article man,,,i agree 100% as I'm sure the other emcees here will. I know alot of times when I throw somethin in the showcase 25% of the feedback is statin',"it's missin somethin",,yeah, an emcee. This article definitly is a must read for any beatmaker.

 

[Ash Holmz]

great advice ...... too add to what is already said .. many times it pays to wait untill AFTER the emcee spits over the beat to add additional items to ur tracks... u might find that track u think was so empty sounds very full with the emcee on it... i hardly ever "finish" my beats until the words are on them... its much easier to arrange/pick and choose what u need to add AFTER the vocals are done.

 

[MarkN]

yea its a good point i think the art is making not a lot sound like a lot ... or in making a lot of sounds sound concise !
and i agree with AD on the gear thing at the moment im down to one keyboard with sounds and a rack ( and im planning on selling the rack) and i've been pretty productive with it because thats the only piece of got to worry about sometimes you spend too long just looking for a sound !

 

[Q Star]

Good Lookin Out Fade Yes Yes Less Think About Most Hits/ Rap Beats There Simple ALL U GOTTA HAVE IS A CACHTY SIMPLE MELODY

 

[Hi-Lo]

good article fade. i think this is a matter of opinion so im just putting mine out there with this...i dont so much think the less is better should be the rule for ALL producers. some tracks, yeah, should be kept really simple. but, here's the thing; now that i've gotten into really studying the producers making moves in thebusiness right now...timbo, polow, bryan cox, hi tek, rotem, whoever...there is a lot going on in the beats- but to the casual listener it is hardly perceptable. i've come to realize a huge part of getting your production to that top level is being able to add elements that genuinely do add to the rhythm or harmony, or occasionally the melody, but that aren't noticeable to most people, especially a casual listener. and i'm the first to realize the people i'm looking to learn from arent producers who everyone is a fan of, and thats cool. everyone has their own vision of their music in the future and i respect that.

best beatmaking tip i ever got was that listeners (and most a&rs look for this) hear kicks, snares, and melody. the places you can color in between those lines that make people feel a track more without even being able to place their finger on it, thats what sets a lot of big producers apart from those who havent made it yet. i think the biggest mistake that i've made and that a lot of producers not at that level make when trying to add things is not understanding how important it is to keep a lot of the additions very short or purposeful, and not looping for 8 or 16 bars- thats where i think keeping it simple is really important.

 

[DJ Excellence]

completely agree , make simple beats so the emcee can shine...

 

[bigdmakintrax]

good article fade. i think this is a matter of opinion so im just putting mine out there with this...i dont so much think the less is better should be the rule for ALL producers. some tracks, yeah, should be kept really simple. but, here's the thing; now that i've gotten into really studying the producers making moves in thebusiness right now...timbo, polow, bryan cox, hi tek, rotem, whoever...there is a lot going on in the beats- but to the casual listener it is hardly perceptable. i've come to realize a huge part of getting your production to that top level is being able to add elements that genuinely do add to the rhythm or harmony, or occasionally the melody, but that aren't noticeable to most people, especially a casual listener. and i'm the first to realize the people i'm looking to learn from arent producers who everyone is a fan of, and thats cool. everyone has their own vision of their music in the future and i respect that.

best beatmaking tip i ever got was that listeners (and most a&rs look for this) hear kicks, snares, and melody. the places you can color in between those lines that make people feel a track more without even being able to place their finger on it, thats what sets a lot of big producers apart from those who havent made it yet. i think the biggest mistake that i've made and that a lot of producers not at that level make when trying to add things is not understanding how important it is to keep a lot of the additions very short or purposeful, and not looping for 8 or 16 bars- thats where i think keeping it simple is really important.

Good point, also you have to think you can arrange with many sounds and instruments but every instrument has its place, time and LEVEL in the track...it can be done without overdoing it.

 

[olujade]

You opened my eyes Fade, I am going to take your advice on that. Great article.
Thanx

 

[J-ReZyN]

Great article Fade. You and all the others made some really good points. I think the more gear and software people get, the more they feel they need to use it all. If you look back at many of the hottest tracks through the years most of them were very minimal and gave center stage to the vocalist which IS the key component in hip hop. Unless you're doing tracks strictly meant to be instrumentals, you need to keep it simple especially during the verses so that you don't drown out the vocalist. Again, thanks for the article. I'm gonna just refer people to it next time I get into a discussion on the subject!

 

[Fade]

I'm glad everyone enjoyed it, I'm going to try and write some more like this.

 

[5th Sequence]

Good point, also you have to think you can arrange with many sounds and instruments but every instrument has its place, time and LEVEL in the track...it can be done without overdoing it.

Excellent excellent advice, I was going to add this but you hit it right on the head. Fade, great article you resparked a few ideas for me.

 

[phayzebeatz]

Speaking of JZ and less being more brings up a debate I had w/ a friend who thinks the beat for lost ones is boring...I agree it is laid back and very open compared to the show em what you got track..but i told him..sometimes less is more (IMO there are better examples of Dr. Dre tracks where less is more, than lost ones..but it supports Fade's point notheless).
Good Post