Although there are, of course, no rules when it comes to making music, familiarity with the percussive tropes of the many dance and electronic styles out there is essential for any producer. So, we can argue that groove is formed first and foremost with drum patterns. This means if you’re making a Deadmau5-like progressive house track and you’re not sure if you need to add an extra percussion sound, you should err towards not doing so. A good way to achieve this is by using parallel distortion or simply picking samples that have a rough characteristic. Typically, big room will feature a subby, distorted kick. One thing to note is the laid-back feel of the drums, especially in this particular track. For example, instead of having a reverse clap before the last clap every 2 bars, you have the last clap hit twice (one hit on the beat, and then another straight after on the offbeat). Why are they so simple? For example, Ableton Live has a dedicated groove pool as shown below. Working with more acoustic genres, or maybe you like to add manual swing? Like trance, there’s sort of a disagreement on what “real” dubstep is. I’ve included future house too, just because I don’t want an elitist to come along and tell me that what I’m calling deep house isn’t deep house. Before we look at drum patterns in the electro house genre, I want to clarify what I mean by electro house. Adding groove or swing to your drum patterns can take them from being straight and boring to funky and exciting, or it can, Uplifting trance is pretty straight forward in terms of programming. Many deep house tracks use a standard 707 clap, for example. The song I’m modelling is Dreams by Tough Love. Drum patterns. Almost all DAWs provide the option to add swing to audio and MIDI clips. Using a sample that you hate forces you to think outside-the-box to fix it. A more constant, faster-moving part on hihat or ride cymbals completes the texture. The use of samples also stands out. It includes artist packs for artist such as KSHMR, Deadmau5, KRNE, and more, I’ve only linked a few premium sample packs above. At its core, drum programming is easy. In this comprehensive guide (~6,000 words), you’ll learn: Following that, there’s a section titled Genre Studies. If there’s complexity, you’ll find it in the high-end with the hi-hats and ride cymbals. In this section, I’ll break down Mr. Carmack – Pay For What (Alexander Lewis Trombone Flip). It needs to work in relation to something, i.e., drums. The key thing to note with deep/future house is the use of swing. Always ask yourself whether you need to add another sound. Another tip that I wish I’d been told is to keep your sample collection to a minimum. Step 2: The fast tempo and sub-heavy sound of drum ’n’ bass demand a cautious but confident approach to the kick drum, and you’ll want to keep it punchy and to-the-point, as shown by this ubiquitous template groove. A lot of melodic house songs will feature the clap on the second beat, but not the fourth. In the case of Firestone, Kygo has a very interesting pattern, with a snap on the second followed by a sidestick/snare on the third. Problems require creative solutions, which is why it’s a good idea to use a sample you absolutely hate from time to time and do your best to make it fit with the rest of your drums. Make decisions that help the track as a whole. Layering kicks is a complex process in and of itself, and often it’s better to find just one quality kick sample. There are often many different layers of hi-hats going on at the same time. It’s purpose is to make people jump up and down, go crazy, and enjoy themselves. The kick/snare rhythm is simple and static. Use ADSR extensively to make samples fit with the rest of your drums. I’m using Mord Fustang’s remix of Fussy Boy’s Gold as an example. I didn’t notice it at first, but after listening more closely it becomes clear. Before we look at drum patterns in the electro house genre, I want to clarify what I mean by electro house. Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, And instead of having a gated snare on the last beat of the 8th bar, you remove everything apart from a clap. Jan 8, 2017 - Cheat sheat on sequencing drum patterns for Push, Launchpad, or other MIDI devices. Use it. Many producers, however, feel they need to focus on complexity more than anything. And finally, before we start, if you find this article helpful in any way, I’d love if you could share it around. It’s very creative, and the drums are always amazing. We’ve looked at the importance of good drum programming, why you need to listen in order to learn, and we’ve also worked through a range of different genres, analysing the drums in one song from each. There was a problem. Instead of listening to the sample as it is, listen to what it could be. Drum Patterns for Electronic Music - Subaqueous Music Cheat sheat on sequencing drum patterns for Push, Launchpad, or other MIDI devices. Sharing on Facebook and Twitter help immensely, but even letting a producer friend know about it is just as helpful. I’m not going to tell you how to pick the right samples for your drum section, because that should be an intuitive process. Here’s the pattern for Boulevard by Jamie Walker: And it sounds like this: There are a few things you notice when listening to the drums in uplifting trance. Bath For example, you’re looking for a meaty snare that has a nice thwack around 200Hz and a crisp high-end. Others are far more complex. Johnny Norberg – There For You Now, Flume – Smoke & Retribution (Ekali Remix). I’m going to be using the middle ground as an example. I made The Drum Pattern cheat sheet to help me draw out some quick drum patterns. 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Listen to them in the playlist at the bottom of the page. Below is an example of groove being applied to a basic drum group. Step 1: The kick drums in house and techno couldn’t be simpler: stick one on every beat of the bar and you’re pretty much golden. Save money and get creative with what you have. MIDI is great if you’re working with more rigid, 4-on-the-floor type music, like trance, house and techno. , which is why it’s a good idea to use a sample you absolutely hate from time to time and do your best to make it fit with the rest of your drums. Obviously using good samples still means you have to actually sequence your drum patterns. Drum step sequencers generally have 16 slots or “steps” which represent 16th notes (semiquavers) in a single measure of music … The drums of nearly any trap song are defined by the kick, snare, and hi-hat. Alright, we’ve looked at the four-on-the-floor stuff, so it’s time to branch out and look at two other popular genres, starting with drum ’n’ bass. I’ve put together a pack of two cheat sheets that you can easily reference while producing. The best way to do this, other than to practice, is to again listen to other music.