PLEASE HELP ME--- ?? ABOUT KICKS, SNARES, N HATS

Sorry if this sounds stupid but I am trying to learn the common way of programming drums (FOR HIP HOP). If you understand where Im coming from, what I want to do is - learn the most commonly used method(s) and then start to think outside the box. Its kind of stupid to completely think outside the box, without knowing what others do.

I've been listening very closely to kicks, snares, and hats for a month or so now, but it is often very hard to pick up the technique when you are clueless on how it works. OK, SORRY, MY QUESTION HERE IS: Are kicks commonly played at 2 different pitches? And if so, is it usually a 2nd, 3rd, or 5th apart? Or is it usually just a different volume that makes it sound different?....Snares are easier to pick apart when your listening closely cause theyre louder but often even the snares fool me. When I try to pick apart the snares, first I think Im hearing the note change at a certain point but then I can hear it stay the same if I try to imagine it that way...same thing with the hats. If anyone can relate to where Im coming from, please help me out with some useful information

THANK YOU for your helpfulness and consideration, PEACE

Your thinking to much.

You listen to kicks and snares for only a month and you come here and ask silly question? Go back and listen for year. Two years! Then come back and ask for ancient MPC secret.








Ok, ok. Try doubling up a kick sound with another (different) kick sound on some hits but not others. Or change the volume on some but not others.

alot of it is volume.

with the snares and hihats i think you are experiencing reverb.

Are kicks pitched higher/lower usually? and if so what is it a minor 2nd up, or a major 5th? ...thats what I want to know ....like for example if u pitch a kick at D Major is it correct to pitch the variable kick at E , F, F Major, G, G Major, A, OR A Major......THAT IS WHAT IM ASKING>>> OR DOES IT EVEN MATTER?!?!?

I noticed that if a kick is for example at D Major , the snare sounds right at A Major ...now if anyone can help me about the proper way to pitch a variable kick...then let me know, thanks

id doesnt matter. whatever sounds best. if you're tuning drums alot of it depends on what the other sounds are doing.

really this kind of analysis is not nearly as useful as just jumping in and trying to make beats.

wells its not like i havent made beats before...u can check out my 3 most recent beats at www.soundclick.com/imfamous
ive been making beats for about 5 months now.

any useful info on how to make my drums bang better would be much appreciated ...thankyou

any useful info on how to make my drums bang better would be much appreciated ...thankyou

maybe use another kick drum and play the same pattern ( doubled ), and use another kick to accent the first kicks. Also, put some swing into your beats, don't make them sound so boxed in. Another suggestion is to remake other artist songs ( jay-z, llcoolj, fat joe, david banner, etc. ), and you will learn all you need to know, from how beats are made to production. Every book I have ever read about mixing, mastering, production, piano technique has always suggested to spend time learn songs from the radio and learn how they did this and that.

peace.

hola hht,

in uk garage i've heard producers pitch shift snare and hh sounds. Sounds good. While I don't think pitch shifting kick sounds is a standard hip hop procedure you know, I mean, nothin' exciting gets made without breaking a rule or two. Go to it. Post some tracks!

ps. just so you can polish up the lingo: there isn't anything major or minor about a single note. So instead of saying Amajor you can just say A. Hope this helps!

assfat

Yea I pitch drum hits all the time... Sometimes a kick is too muddy or too low for a certain beat... So to increase the snappiness of it I'll tune it up just a teensy bit... maybe like 6 - 10...

And Hi Hats are cool to tune up cause you might have a really fat hi-hat sound that sounds kinda dark but you need it for a party track or something... Pitch it up like 6 or so and it sounds brighter and better matches the beat...

eq and filtering for drums and then just about every other sound unless it soudns right, right away but thats rare.

hhtmpc wrote:Are kicks pitched higher/lower usually? and if so what is it a minor 2nd up, or a major 5th? ...thats what I want to know ....like for example if u pitch a kick at D Major is it correct to pitch the variable kick at E , F, F Major, G, G Major, A, OR A Major......THAT IS WHAT IM ASKING>>> OR DOES IT EVEN MATTER?!?!?

dude my answer is: who gives a ****! just do what sounds good....i dont think any producer is exactly worried about some exact tuning of a drum....just what sounds good. half of most samples are pitched up or down, and arent in tuning anyways. As far as drums go, you want grit, more than tuning. Sample your kicks of VINYL and dont worry about it....drum techniques you should worry about are like dude said, layering, eq, and mixing (compression too).

Also secrets like sampling to tape, or running through a tube amp. Or just sample good ones off breaks!