Orchestrate Drum Patterns for Better Beats
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- čas přidán 5. 07. 2024
- Learn how to transform your beats from amateur to pro!
►Free Book: HackMusicTheory.com/Books
0:00 Intro
0:36 Orchestrate
1:05 Elements
1:43 Step 1. Toms
2:30 Step 2. Cymbals
3:18 Final Example
If your beats sound something like this (click play above), then you’re missing an essential ingredient!
INTRO
Could you hear the missing ingredient? If not, don’t worry, that’s because the drum beat is actually pretty good exactly the way it is. The kick rhythm is super lively, from all the syncopation (which is an off-beat accent). The hi-hat rhythm is creative, because it’s not just playing the usual 1/8 notes. And the backbeat snare locks it all together. It’s a good drum beat! So, what’s the missing ingredient that will transform this good beat into a great beat? Orchestration!
HACK
Orchestration is how you voice your pattern across the drum kit. In other words, what element of the drum kit you play each individual rhythm on. Drum beats are most commonly played on three elements: kick, snare, and cymbals. But, your drums will sound more creative if you orchestrate them over more of the kit. Drummers tend to do this naturally, because the kit is literally right in front of them, so they see the elements they’re not hitting. For producers, though, it’s not that easy to see if there are elements of the kit that you’re missing.
ELEMENTS
As you probably know, there are four elements in a drum kit: kick, snare, toms, and cymbals. Within two of those elements though, there are also sub-elements, because a drum kit usually has two or three toms, as well as two or three cymbals (and, the hi-hats can also be played open or closed). Each element of the drum kit has a different function. We don’t have time to cover any of that stuff in this lesson, but if you wanna learn how to use each of the four elements based on their specific functions, then download our Hack Drum Beats PDF. Everything you need to know for making creative beats is in this one PDF, and it also comes with MIDI file examples.
STEP 1. TOMS
Most drum beats these days consist of only three of the four elements: kick, snare and hats. The most commonly underused element is toms. So, by adding toms into your beats, they’ll instantly stand out from all the generic beats most producers use. And, they’ll actually sound like something a drummer would play. One of the best ways to incorporate toms into your drum beats, is to partially re-voice your kick rhythm. In other words, move a few of your kicks onto the toms. If there’s anywhere in your beat where you’ve got two of three kicks in a row, move one or two of those onto toms. And feel free to use two or three different toms as well. With those toms in your beat, it’ll have way more depth and texture.
STEP 2. CYMBALS
Next, you wanna partially re-voice your hat rhythm. The easiest way to do that is to move a few hits from closed hats to open hats (or vice versa). This will enliven your beat, as that swishy open hats sound is the perfect contrast to the tightness of those closed hats. Also, move one hit over to a crash cymbal for an accent. The standard place for this is beat 1, but don’t feel like you have to accent beat 1. In fact, in our drum beat we accented beat 2, which adds a little unexpected flavour.
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ABOUT
Hack Music Theory is the fast, easy and fun way to make music. Taught by multi-award-winning music lecturer Ray Harmony, and his protégé wife Kate. Ray started teaching music theory in 1995, and has made music with Serj Tankian (System Of A Down), Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine), and more!
CREDITS
© 2022 Revolution Harmony
Revolution Harmony is Ray Harmony & Kate Harmony
Script & all music in video by Revolution Harmony
Book promo filmed & edited by Maurits Nienhuis
All stock footage courtesy of Pexels
►Drum PDFs: HackMusicTheory.com/Drums
The finished drum hack just gave me chills! Lovin' it .
Hi Beth, great to see you again! How's your music making going these days? Last time you said you were thinking of making music for films. Thanks big time for being here in the HMT community :) Kate
@@HackMusicTheory HI Kate, I've had some struggles understanding how to use the MIDI software I have. So not getting far right now. Not giving up though, as I did recently find someone who has started helping me with this.
Beth
Beth, that's wonderful news that you've found someone to help you with the software, yay! That can be so frustrating, when all you want to do is get to the music making part :) We're wishing you all the best with the software learning curve!
good advice move kick to toms
Please more videos on this
What? No tea? Great ideas, as always. Missed you guys!
Lol, hi Bellamy, thanks for watching and connecting! We tried to keep this video short and sweet, so we took out a lot of the things we usually put in... like tea! Although we're drinking tea right now, so it's all good :) What kind of music are you making?
Deciding on which hihat hits to open up is definitely something I've struggled with. To anyone with that issue, it can bear repeating: go listen to some music you love. Listen for how those hihats change and what it does in context. Now try again.
Hi Paul, great to see you again, thanks so much for stopping by! How's you music making going these days?
I was wondering how to make my drum beats better and this showed up in my recommendation today. Haha, what a happy accident. Thank you so much for the value you two! :D
Hey hey EKLV, thanks so much for being here in the HMT community, we're happy to hear this one came at the right time! What kind of music are you making these days?
@@HackMusicTheory I've recently learnt Music production after waiting for a long time so I'm just experimenting and figuring out whatever I can make. Haha
But personally as an artist I'm releasing Hip-Hop and R&B music, and working on producing psychedelic soul type of music.
Thanks for sharing EKLV, we love to hear that you're experimenting, that's the best! Take care and have a lovely weekend :)
Love you two. This is so simple, yet so effective. :)
Wow thats a banger! My drum beats were always pretty boring this will help me out a ton! Thanks alot
Hi Diego, great to see you again, thanks for stopping by and connecting! Happy to hear this will help :) How's your music making going these days?
Awesome, thanks so much!
Thanks for dropping by, HAZARDOUS88, we wish you a lovely week!
@@HackMusicTheory Thank you very much. Same to you!
I liked this video
Amazing.
Hi Pornpot, thanks for stopping by :) What kind of music are you making these days?
Very groovy beat. Nice lesson!
Hey thanks Jason, lovely to see you! How's your music making going these days?
As always, thank you for being a part of the Hack Music Theory community!
@@HackMusicTheory Music making is great! I released my debut album in February and am making good progress on my next one despite having a cast on my hand that prevents me from doing some of the things I'd like to.
That's awesome, thanks for sharing Jason! Sorry to hear about your hand, though, that sucks :/ We're praying for a quick recovery on your hand so you can get back to playing :)
Like always perfect
Awe, thanks Khaled, we really appreciate you being here in the Hack Music Theory community :) What kind of music do you make?
Here is film composer
Awesome, thanks for sharing! We wish you all the best with your film composing, as well as a fabulous weekend :)
orchestrating the toms and cymbals is the difficult part for me
Hi Kate & Ray! I'm telling you now, my first child was born a week ago! But he came home only yesterday, so I'm late on this video :)
Wow, congratulations Andrei!!! That's very exciting, you've got a whole new adventure unfolding before you! Does he have a name yet? We're honoured you showed up in the midst of this wonderful season, and we're wishing you and your family all the best and praying you get as much sleep as possible! Kate :)
@@HackMusicTheory Thank you very much! No, the name is not decided yet :)
👍 - _also_ for the YT algo! 😊
Thanks Jost :) Wishing you a great week!
Fucking hell yeah sick
Thanks Codi, happy you enjoyed this one, and a warm welcome to the Hack Music Theory community :) What kind of music do you make?
@@HackMusicTheory I quit actually, a bit happier but more bored.
Hi Codi, thanks for sharing, though we're sad to hear you quit making music. We'd love to know more about why you made that decision?
You mentioned a free drum PDF, but I don't see it. Did I misunderstand something?
Check pinned comment
Hi orchidcolors, great to see you, hope you're having a great June so far :) How's your music making going these days? You can find all our drum PDFs here: HackMusicTheory.com/Drums. You'll also find our free book on that page :)
@@Bumper210 None of the drum pdfs following that link are free...
They never specifically said the drum PDFs were free, though.
Yep don't see a free pdf for drums?
Very Very Informative, Where is the tea?!
Hey hey MD Derrek, great to see you again! We tried to keep this video short and sweet, so we took out a lot of the things we usually put in... like tea! Although we're drinking tea right now, so it's all good :) How's you music going these days?
Where Djend?
Hi Max! Hope you're having a great week so far :) We tried to keep this video short and sweet, so we took out a lot of the things we usually put in... like the Djend. We'll see how it goes, although I definitely missed having a Djend! Have a great weekend, Kate :)
@@HackMusicTheory Yeah, finde so far. Thanks! Hope the same is true for you! I was actually tempted to ask at some point, If I could play tue Djend of one of your tutorials.