Components of a beat - Basics to beat making

So what is that every beat must have to give it that groove?

Drums…

Drums are the core of your beat making and are the foundation of every beat.

So you discovered last time what is the foundation of all beats.

It’s in the drums.

Drum loops are the starting point to beat production.

This is just 1 of the 3 major components of making a beat.

The next layer in making a beat are the basslines.

Basslines add jazz, blues, funk, dub and electronic music such as the electric bass, double bass or keyboard.

Basslines in popular music often use “riffs” or “grooves”, which are usually simple, phrases that are repeated, with variation, throughout the song.

At the same time, basslines work along with the drum part and the other rhythm instruments to create a clear rhythmic pulse.

The final layer can be called the supporting instrumentals.

A variety of instruments can be added to ‘support’ and complement the overall beat.

For example a R&B tune might add some jazz guitar, horns, congas or sax.A dirty south beat may include pitched snare rolls, Hi-hat rolls a lot of synths with a broken rhythm combined with a slower tempo around 70-90bpm.
While a lot more can be said about what makes up a beat, armed with the 3 components above you can now begin to practice and mix different sounds together to see what works.

Trial and error is your friend in beat making …

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