Help Low G Spice it Up (making loops more interesting)

[Low G]

Ok so the #1 response I get for the majority of my beats (like many other new producers) is they're too repedative. My beats are typically chopped samples mixed with composition and for the past month I've been going through tracks checking how others go about variety. Now aside from the basic structure of a song (intro, verse, hook, verse, bridge, verse etc...) I was wondering how some of you at illmuzik like to spice things up? Whether it's mutes, changes in precussion and drums, or building ontop of the melody as the song plays out. I'm just hoping to get some veteran responses so us producers having difficuty with this step can work at sounding more interesting. Peace.

 

[NobleWordz]

You need to experiment.

On a beat I'm making now I have a 4bar drum loop, I bring in a new hat pattern on the 3rd and 4th bar that weaves around the hats from the 1st and 2nd bars. And I switch rest of the drums up on the 4th bar.

I like to layer my lead instrument with other instruments and bring them in and out randomly. It adds texture along with variety. But I keep the levels low in the mix.

Dropping tracks like a bar or two before the verse/chorus comes in can work well. Especially if you really change it up after the drop, keeps the listener thinking.

When I sample I like to reverse the sample ever 8 or so bars. Can work out well depending on the sample.

Anyway yeah experiment.

~NW~

 

[MarkN]

hmm its one of those things that comes with time really i used to have that problem a lot, obviously it helps if you can play a bit and add a few things to it but just try different things with the drums and listen thru the record your sampling for extra stuff to use outside of your main loop ! add strings in the chours etc and then when someone raps over it that will normally emphasise the difference between the verse and the chorus !

 

[open mind]

great threat.i agree that beats WITHOUT vocals on it can get repetetive but once the vocals are on it it changes a lot.most genres are loop based as long as its not some orchestral INSTRUMENTAL stuff but even there is repetition.we talkin bout hiphop here mayne let it loop its all good.and uhm the mc needs some fixed rythm to flow to it if its to complex he will struggle even if his name is jiggah.

i think the best objective way to find out if a beat is repetetive is listen to it with an ACAPELLA on it dont listen to it WITHOUT vocals to judge if its missing sumtin or not. if it still missing sumtin then uhhhhm yeah add or mute certain sounds and add breaks and stuff like that.but keep in mind that the beat is just 50% the other 50% is the mc.

biggie ounce said, i dont know exactly the quote but he said sumtin like "give me a fuckin drumloop and iam ready!"

r.i.p. biggie

 

[Low G]

biggie ounce said, i dont know exactly the quote but he said sumtin like "give me a fuckin drumloop and iam ready!"

lol I don't have anyone like Biggie coming over to my house to record but I hear what you are saying. But I guess what I'm going for are those ill little details that can take a nice track from just plain nice to dope. Plus I feel as a producer it's my responsibilty to try and make the best I possibly can so I don't disrespect fans and possible listeners because of a wack or boring track.

So far this advice has been helpfull and it's much appreciated. At first when I would make a beat and lay it out with an intro a 16 bar verse and a hook I would often get the most criticism on the verse. I thought it was just that 16 bars with no emcee was a touch long to listen to a loop for. After listening to many tracks there were often subtle changes throughout and I know that's what I've been missing. It's pretty much all the things NobelWordz was describing.

Now I hear what open mind was saying about not going overboard so the emcee isn't distracted so perhaps the best method to go about applying the alterations and details would be in 2 parts. I guess pepper some in the instrumental to liven it up and after recording add a bit more just to add emphasis to certain parts and sculpt the beat around the emcee.

I still want to hear what some other heads have to say about this so keep the input coming... and much respect to those who put up a reply I appreciate it. Peace.

 

[Chubb-E]

add some drops, compose around the notes or chords you have used. layer claps/snares along the way. change hi hat pattern. pan PAN pAN. basslines are good. BTW Low G what are you sequencing on?.

 

[Low G]

I rock pro tools for recording samples and vocals, recycle for chopping, and I use reason with a midi controller for beat creation.

 

[Hi-Lo]

Ok so the #1 response I get for the majority of my beats (like many other new producers) is they're too repedative. My beats are typically chopped samples mixed with composition and for the past month I've been going through tracks checking how others go about variety. Now aside from the basic structure of a song (intro, verse, hook, verse, bridge, verse etc...) I was wondering how some of you at illmuzik like to spice things up? Whether it's mutes, changes in precussion and drums, or building ontop of the melody as the song plays out. I'm just hoping to get some veteran responses so us producers having difficuty with this step can work at sounding more interesting. Peace.

be creative is the best advice i can give you. i remember when i was at where you are- i used to be really frustrated by not understanding how to get that overall non repetitive and professional sound to my beats. all i can say is it comes with time and a lot of practice...its not really something where someone can give you a magic formula.

remember, everything, not just the entire drum or melody, in your beat is something that can be changed...that means shuffling the hi hats or shaker(s) a little different for a bar, then syncopating the snare while dropping a subtle effect, dropping the drums, using fades, pans, delays, all kinds of things can be done with each element. when you combine all of that over the course of a beat you'll eventually get that professional progression you're going for. more than anything i would say it really pays attention to listen to the subtleties in professional beats...i.e. i was listening to that track the runners did for young buck, 'puff puff pass' today...the average listener wouldn't notice but the chorus uses an 808 snare added to an 808 clap while the verse uses just an 808 clap. it can be little things like that that will give you professional depth and freshness to a beat.

 

[Chubb-E]

be creative is the best advice i can give you. i remember when i was at where you are- i used to be really frustrated by not understanding how to get that overall non repetitive and professional sound to my beats. all i can say is it comes with time and a lot of practice...its not really something where someone can give you a magic formula.

remember, everything, not just the entire drum or melody, in your beat is something that can be changed...that means shuffling the hi hats or shaker(s) a little different for a bar, then syncopating the snare while dropping a subtle effect, dropping the drums, using fades, pans, delays, all kinds of things can be done with each element. when you combine all of that over the course of a beat you'll eventually get that professional progression you're going for. more than anything i would say it really pays attention to listen to the subtleties in professional beats...i.e. i was listening to that track the runners did for young buck, 'puff puff pass' today...the average listener wouldn't notice but the chorus uses an 808 snare added to an 808 clap while the verse uses just an 808 clap. it can be little things like that that will give you professional depth and freshness to a beat.

AINT THAT THE TRUTH!!!....................

 

[Icemanbeats]

if u got a loop goin on get some chops in too an switch the volume of em around

putting some subtle chops in the background of a loop can add some nice flavour if you get the sounds in the right place, also throw in some extra FX/synths, as long as they are in key they might work, anything to grab ppl's interest, but obviously dont overdo it, switch up ur drums every now an again, drop the drums out on the last bar before the chorus, like other ppl are sayin u gotta experiment and b creative

 

[Low G]

This is all good and helpful advice thanks very much on the responses. For the practice I'm gonna try going through some of my older beats and see if I can't liven them up a bit. I'll try posting a before and after in the showcase for some feedback on how it's all comin along. Peace.

 

[Mantas]

i gotta agree that people often forget one of the most important instruments - vocals. repetitiveness is only important if u make instrumentals (without vocals). if u make beats for rappers its a different story.

 

[open mind]

i gotta agree that people often forget one of the most important instruments - vocals. repetitiveness is only important if u make instrumentals (without vocals). if u make beats for rappers its a different story.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Chubb-E]

What?????????????????????????????????????

repetitiveness is only important if u make instrumentals (without vocals). if u make beats for rappers its a different story.

WHAT????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

 

[Mantas]

^^^^^

what i meant was if u make music without any mcs, singers etc on it, then it shouldnt be the same 2 bar loop. it should have some variations and stuff, cause a listener will loose his interest in the track.

BUT if u make beats for people to rap on, u can use that 2 bar loop over and over and the beat wont sound repetitive, cause u'll have one more instrument - rapper's voice. there are lots of examples of 2 or 4 bar beats with dope mc on them.

sometimes simplicity is the key.

 

[xtrordinare]

i gotta agree that people often forget one of the most important instruments - vocals. repetitiveness is only important if u make instrumentals (without vocals). if u make beats for rappers its a different story.

my first post on illmuzik and i gotta cosign what dude said!