Hip Hop Loops: Building Block to a Successful Beat
The Power of the Loop
As we continue our journey through the maze of material on how to make hip-hop beats, one very important lesson to learn is how to incorporate loops into your tracks. A good method for this is to select a loop pattern from your available database of loops and build your beat around it.
I usually start the loop and listen to it a few times and then add a hi-hat (or a snapping sound, or a clap, it all depends on your individual preferences). After each new addition, let the track ride out for a few bars so that you can feel what you’re starting to create.
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As you begin to get a feel for the flow of the loop, add a simple bass lick to the hi-hat. Remember to add each new instrument in its own separate track so that you have full control of it later, when you pepper the track with little effects.
As a general rule if you have a limited amount of tracks to work with, it’s cool to connect a bass lick with a hi-hat lick in the same track. You can fatten up the bass by using the same bass pattern in a separate track. This method is known as ‘overdubbing’.
Avoid the Clutter
At this stage, you should be well into the construction of your new beat. Always let the track play for a few bars before you add something new to it so that you get a view of the track in its totality. This makes it easier to avoid cluttering your sounds together.
The only artists that I can think of who get by with cluttered beats is Three Six Mafia. They have perfected the art of the cluttered beat. Every other biter of their style fails miserably. Believe that, homie.
The thing about loops is that they are a fantastic way to get ideas for a new track. Most software programs for beats have dozens of looped material to choose from. Some software programs require that you purchase plug-ins for additional material, but you can usually do alright with the loops that come automatically.
After you have moved through your entire library of loops, plug-ins are available through the software provider’s website. You can also shop for them at your local musical instrument shop.
More of Flow-a-bility
MC’s like to approach a beat that has an empty canvas for them to add their strokes of genius with the pen. That used to be the major complaint we would get whenever we would offer a track to an MC: too much clutter…….That’s the reason I keep repeating the phrase: “no clutter”, because I had to learn that one the hard way, yo.
Another method I like to use during the creation phase is to jot down a few lyrics as the beat is playing. This helps you to recognize where and when you should place your breakdown beats and/or the hook. Start the track at the beginning and spit your lines along with the beat. You will be surprised at how easier it is to progress towards the finish line using this method.
Don’t fret if you can’t come up with that “hot as fire flow,” just scribble a few lines as you go to make sure that your track has the right balance. Also, keep tempo in mind.
You can always slow the beat down a little, or speed it up a tad if you find that you’re just not feelin’ it.
Now you should be ready for that phase of production that I like to call ‘spicing up the track’. This is the time to throw in those little extras, like cowbells, water splashes, tires screeching, etc. Some producers add these effects throughout the process using the ‘vibe’ method. They will listen to the track and be like: “Dude, you know what would sound good right here? A little cowbell!
As for me, I prefer to do everything in stages. Occasionally, I will add little effects as I go, but for the most part I prefer to get the basic structure of the track in place before I get fancy with it.