Discuss the various methods you use in music production, from compressor settings to equipment type.
By Scrawny Fri Jan 22, 2021 8:47 am
I'm looking for some tips or links where I can read up on some drumming concepts I can apply to my drums so they don't all sound the same. Both patterns and the sounds I use themselves.
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By NearTao Fri Jan 22, 2021 2:03 pm
Sampling Drum Tips. An older but still good thread... you can find a ton of similar on this site alone.

High Level...

Get a pattern book - PDF is free here: Pocket Operations. It's geared towards PO-33 and OP-1, but the patterns obviously work anywhere...

Learn how to change up or tweak your patterns.

Make a core pattern like you have been, but then turn of timing correct and lay down hats.

Vary your kick, snare, hat, toms, etc... don't use just one sample... try round robin... layer your drums... etc...

Panning will allow you to give more space in your tracks. Try panning elements left/right... heck play two different snares at the same time and pan one left and one right...

Filtering can give you movement by just doing LP or HP sweeps for a bar or two...
By Scrawny Fri Jan 22, 2021 2:29 pm
NearTao wrote:Sampling Drum Tips. An older but still good thread... you can find a ton of similar on this site alone.

High Level...

Get a pattern book - PDF is free here: Pocket Operations. It's geared towards PO-33 and OP-1, but the patterns obviously work anywhere...

Learn how to change up or tweak your patterns.

Make a core pattern like you have been, but then turn of timing correct and lay down hats.

Vary your kick, snare, hat, toms, etc... don't use just one sample... try round robin... layer your drums... etc...

Panning will allow you to give more space in your tracks. Try panning elements left/right... heck play two different snares at the same time and pan one left and one right...

Filtering can give you movement by just doing LP or HP sweeps for a bar or two...


It's really my bad, I should've typed a bit more on the post.
I'm not asking about sampling the actual sounds. I'm pretty satisfied with the results I'm getting there. I always layer, sometimes the same and sometimes different sounds.
When I finish the beat I do what I can with mixing in the mp, experimenting with more extreme panning on the beats that call for it. I'm not sure if I can do sweeps inside the MPC neither. I only use timing on the snare to get it in place as a grid to do the rest of the drums... Metronome is always choked out by the drums.
I will check out the pattern book but I think I want to understand some theory behind the actual patterns. Not learn "boom bap boomboom boom bap" but learn about why boom and why bap :lol: :lol: :lol:
I read some stuff on weak and strong beats. That fueled some new stuff for me so I'm wanting some more like that.
Thanks.
By CharlesRandolph Fri Jan 22, 2021 2:34 pm
Scrawny wrote:
It's really my bad, I should've typed a bit more on the post.
I'm not asking about sampling the actual sounds. I'm pretty satisfied with the results I'm getting there. I always layer, sometimes the same and sometimes different sounds.
When I finish the beat I do what I can with mixing in the mp, experimenting with more extreme panning on the beats that call for it. I'm not sure if I can do sweeps inside the MPC neither. I only use timing on the snare to get it in place as a grid to do the rest of the drums... Metronome is always choked out by the drums.
I will check out the pattern book but I think I want to understand some theory behind the actual patterns. Not learn "boom bap boomboom boom bap" but learn about why boom and why bap :lol: :lol: :lol:
I read some stuff on weak and strong beats. That fueled some new stuff for me so I'm wanting some more like that.
Thanks.


EDIT:
Start from the beginning: https://drumhelper.com/blog/basic-drum-beats/ learn to play the basic beats first and learn to read drum notation. This works for finger drumming as well as step sequences.
Last edited by CharlesRandolph on Fri Jan 22, 2021 3:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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By NearTao Fri Jan 22, 2021 2:56 pm
Scrawny wrote:I read some stuff on weak and strong beats. That fueled some new stuff for me so I'm wanting some more like that.
Thanks.


Still not exactly sure what you're looking for... but maybe something more like the history and use of drums in music?
Drum Sounds and Their Meanings
By Scrawny Fri Jan 22, 2021 4:09 pm
NearTao wrote:
Scrawny wrote:I read some stuff on weak and strong beats. That fueled some new stuff for me so I'm wanting some more like that.
Thanks.


Still not exactly sure what you're looking for... but maybe something more like the history and use of drums in music?
Drum Sounds and Their Meanings


For example, how do I learn where to put crashes and open hats? Apart from hearing how they've been used in other songs.
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By NearTao Fri Jan 22, 2021 5:22 pm
Scrawny wrote:For example, how do I learn where to put crashes and open hats? Apart from hearing how they've been used in other songs.


This response is in no way trying to be difficult... but you're kind of at an awkward philosophical crossroads with that question and statement, and nobody is going to be able to tell you what to do.

For genres of music... you put drums in different positions because those are the 'rules'. In general you can learn the 'rules' by listening to genres of music, checking out beat patterns as posted above, etc...

New genres and styles of music, different cultures, perception of what is and is not an up beat or down beat... it can all become very personal, and what is pushing the boundary for one person is completely obvious for somebody else. Why is boots n' cats so effective... why not just have n' n' cats boots? What happens when you take a pattern and swap snares, claps, and kicks, or change the time signatures for all of those parts...

There's literally a limitless amount of things you *could* do... and this is where you just need to experiment and try things and push yourself. Or if you're looking to fit within a specific genre do some research with streams, pattern books, whatever... but it's totally worth taking the time to break it down and think "why did this person put it together this way?"
By Scrawny Fri Jan 22, 2021 7:10 pm
NearTao wrote:
Scrawny wrote:For example, how do I learn where to put crashes and open hats? Apart from hearing how they've been used in other songs.


This response is in no way trying to be difficult... but you're kind of at an awkward philosophical crossroads with that question and statement, and nobody is going to be able to tell you what to do.

For genres of music... you put drums in different positions because those are the 'rules'. In general you can learn the 'rules' by listening to genres of music, checking out beat patterns as posted above, etc...

New genres and styles of music, different cultures, perception of what is and is not an up beat or down beat... it can all become very personal, and what is pushing the boundary for one person is completely obvious for somebody else. Why is boots n' cats so effective... why not just have n' n' cats boots? What happens when you take a pattern and swap snares, claps, and kicks, or change the time signatures for all of those parts...

There's literally a limitless amount of things you *could* do... and this is where you just need to experiment and try things and push yourself. Or if you're looking to fit within a specific genre do some research with streams, pattern books, whatever... but it's totally worth taking the time to break it down and think "why did this person put it together this way?"


Yeah I think you're right. I'm not sure what sort of answer I was looking for to be honest. Just feeling like my drum patterns are sounding very similar and I'm not sure what to do about it right now. What is a stream by the way? Thanks :worthy:
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By NearTao Fri Jan 22, 2021 7:12 pm
stream... meant like... go listen to a music streaming service like Spotify or Apple Music... or whatever the cool kids listen to these days. Could do a record, tape, radio, or whatever floats your boat though :)

If you focus on the outcome you want, I think we can get you a better answer :D
By Scrawny Fri Jan 22, 2021 7:25 pm
NearTao wrote:stream... meant like... go listen to a music streaming service like Spotify or Apple Music... or whatever the cool kids listen to these days. Could do a record, tape, radio, or whatever floats your boat though :)

If you focus on the outcome you want, I think we can get you a better answer :D


Oh :lol: steaming yeah I don't know what I was thinking of. Thanks. :nod:
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By Lampdog Sat Jan 23, 2021 1:44 am
Diff drums make me think of diff patterns to use and flex on. Don't use the same sounding drums all the time. Try drum samples you don't normally try and I bet you come up with other patterns you didn't think of before. Even within the "rules" of 1 genre there are a million and 500 intricacies of patterning.

No one can tell you how to feel except you.
By 6/8 Stanley Sat Jan 23, 2021 4:37 am
Putting a tune on the sound system and playing along with it on MPC, bongos or some other percussion instrument has helped me a lot. I like to play guitar an hour or two every night. For the last month or two I've been playing percussion along with Massu, Sina Makosa, Master Blaster etc. for a half hour before I pick up the guitar. It just feels good.

While doing that you learn a lot from great drummers. The way they change up the beat without losing it is amazing. First noticed that at a Burning Spear concert. About half way through a song Winston Rodney stepped over to a conga drum and did something freaky that woke up that beat.