Tips on making r&b bangers

what up my mpc family. I have trouble putting together r&b tracks. Any tips would be reatly appreciated

Well.... what cha wanna know? like specifically?

Man mike I just dont even know where to start. Maybe I just need to practice playing melodies on the keyboard. Every time I try to sample something it ends up being gangsta yo no matter if its a soft type sample. Sorry if this is a stupid thread.

what i am saying isn't law, but start off by trying 96-102 bpm for you r&b club banger. also try to play keys cause samples will limit u. get the drums knockin and then go from there with a great melody and the rest should be easy.

Do u find it easier doing the melody first or the drums? I know when I do hip hop I do the drums first

" Every time I try to sample something it ends up being gangsta "

You just got to be you. If you naturally make gangsta, than that;s what your going to do. I'm a hip-hop dude, so when I bang drums, that's what comes out. I can make Neo-soul, but that's because it's basically hip-hop type beats with singing. If I tried to make a straight-up R&B joint, I'd be lost. Sure I can make the drums, but by nature, I like my snares to smack.. I like my hi-hats to vary, I like my bass to be dirty and somewhat lazy. See what I'm saying? So a Roxstar R&B joint will definatly have my flava added to it, and if I was to make a R&B joint with a soft touch of a rim, and a kick drum that you couldn't feel, it wouldn't be right to me.
To adapt takes time. Personally, I'd love to make electronic music. The complexities of the programming, and their use of effects outdo anything that hip-hop has began to see. But my point is that you won't get that magical ingredient on how to make R&B from someone telling you. You have to BE R&B.. act it, live it, eat it, and then it will come out in you. I think my personallity shows in my music, and that's because my music is who I am. I'll take a wild guess and say your probably like 20ish.. it shows in your music. I don't know too many hip-hop heads in their 30's that make gangsta.. we didn't grow up listening to this. We had The Trecherous 3, funky four, spoonie g.. most of you inyour teens or early twenties had biggie and pac, so your flava is different. Not saying that someone in their 30's can't make gangsta... I'm sure there are many that live that life, or around it will create that kind of music. The same goes for R&B.. anyone in their teens or early 20's that makes R&B probably lives a decent life.. doesn't gang-bang, and rep the crips and bloods. If you live in the hood and make R&B, you probably don't let that kind of life effect you.
Just be you.

roxstar wrote:" Every time I try to sample something it ends up being gangsta "

You just got to be you. If you naturally make gangsta, than that;s what your going to do. I'm a hip-hop dude, so when I bang drums, that's what comes out. I can make Neo-soul, but that's because it's basically hip-hop type beats with singing. If I tried to make a straight-up R&B joint, I'd be lost. Sure I can make the drums, but by nature, I like my snares to smack.. I like my hi-hats to vary, I like my bass to be dirty and somewhat lazy. See what I'm saying? So a Roxstar R&B joint will definatly have my flava added to it, and if I was to make a R&B joint with a soft touch of a rim, and a kick drum that you couldn't feel, it wouldn't be right to me.
To adapt takes time. Personally, I'd love to make electronic music. The complexities of the programming, and their use of effects outdo anything that hip-hop has began to see. But my point is that you won't get that magical ingredient on how to make R&B from someone telling you. You have to BE R&B.. act it, live it, eat it, and then it will come out in you. I think my personallity shows in my music, and that's because my music is who I am. I'll take a wild guess and say your probably like 20ish.. it shows in your music. I don't know too many hip-hop heads in their 30's that make gangsta.. we didn't grow up listening to this. We had The Trecherous 3, funky four, spoonie g.. most of you inyour teens or early twenties had biggie and pac, so your flava is different. Not saying that someone in their 30's can't make gangsta... I'm sure there are many that live that life, or around it will create that kind of music. The same goes for R&B.. anyone in their teens or early 20's that makes R&B probably lives a decent life.. doesn't gang-bang, and rep the crips and bloods. If you live in the hood and make R&B, you probably don't let that kind of life effect you.
Just be you.

Thats some real talk man thanks for that

Listen to a few tracks by Jodeci, R. Kelly, Boyz II Men, Usher and listen for the different instruments being used. Then again, it all depends on what type of R & B track youre thinking about making. Something you can dance to? Or something that you make babies to? LOL For real tho, I would listen to a few tracks to get an idea of instrument and drumming arrangment, ya dig?

Me I usally start with the drums and I let those lead me to where the song is going to be about. I like my kicks to thump and my drums to smack like hell R&B is not hard to make if you have emotions you can make R&B and a few simple chords also help. Listen to a lot of R&B for reference listen to BABYFACE the man is the KING of sweet R&B. And when you make your track let a female listen if she's feeling it then your on to something. Just keep doing it and working at it jacpot you'll get it.

Here are some ideas of what i do, so you have somewhere to start. Im no expert, but these are somethings ive noticed and tried to apply to my tracks:

simple chord progressions, nothin special

seventh chords to add character to those simple progressions

piano, organ, clav, EPs,

background strings/pads to sfill in (not always neccesary)

use the root notes of chords for the bass-layered with chord progression

SnapClaps

shakers

spicey percussion


Start with drums. The drums give you the groove. just like hiphop the drums gotta knock. THe chord progression gives a backdrop for the singer to create thier melody. start with simple chord progressions like I IV V progression........if your drums are groovin and knocking, the progression wont sound so simple. Start to mess with diferant versions of the chords, like sevents, inversions, etc. snapclaps, shakers, seventh chords give it texture and character. Add spicey percussion to give more entertainment to the simple boom bap drums. Usualy im going about 84 bpm or below, but thats not always the case. R&B is definately all about groove and feeling, feel the groove, feel the bass, feel the knock. The vocalist should take care of the melodies they just need a groovey backdrop.

cyrus wrote:Here are some ideas of what i do, so you have somewhere to start. Im no expert, but these are somethings ive noticed and tried to apply to my tracks:

simple chord progressions, nothin special

seventh chords to add character to those simple progressions

piano, organ, clav, EPs,

background strings/pads to sfill in (not always neccesary)

use the root notes of chords for the bass-layered with chord progression

SnapClaps

shakers

spicey percussion


Start with drums. The drums give you the groove. just like hiphop the drums gotta knock. THe chord progression gives a backdrop for the singer to create thier melody. start with simple chord progressions like I IV V progression........if your drums are groovin and knocking, the progression wont sound so simple. Start to mess with diferant versions of the chords, like sevents, inversions, etc. snapclaps, shakers, seventh chords give it texture and character. Add spicey percussion to give more entertainment to the simple boom bap drums. Usualy im going about 84 bpm or below, but thats not always the case. R&B is definately all about groove and feeling, feel the groove, feel the bass, feel the knock. The vocalist should take care of the melodies they just need a groovey backdrop.

Thanks for that. Very informative

Listen to some quality R&B or Neo Soul and mediate on the good beats you hear. After that make up your own beats and you can use samples but be creative. Remember the mp is drum machine and a SAMPLER use it to it's best ablities.

certain notes spark certain feelings

It also depends on what kind of r n b you want to make.


Upbeat.........


OR

Slow Laid Back R & B.

^^good point grimay.

try to tap into your own feelings. Test it out. Maybe every time youve tried an R&B track, it didnt work out because you werent in the right mood. Try makin one on a rainy day.