J Dilla's Drumming (what makes it unique?)

hey i got a question.
i've been following Jay Dee's music since it hit the mainstream and i'm a big fan of his. although i don't have enough of his "underground" earlier work, i was wondering could someone please explain to me what makes his drums or drumming so dynamic?!!! i mean people from kanye, to ?love, and pharrell have praised his blessed ability. but it's still a mystery to me. (i'm like that with Dr.Dre!!!) is it the sound of his drums or the way he plays it? like i said before, i got a little of his works but could someone please explain & give me a reference so i can understand him better. thanks.

p.s.
i recently got Donuts & the Shining. Donuts was a little too out there for me & the Shining i really enjoyed. i also have the Fantastic Vol.2 and stuff from De La Soul, ATCQ, the Pharcyde, Common, D'Angelo, etc.

i think Jay Dee sampled live drums alot. You can see the drum booth in the studio video on youtube. he obviously knew how to get that juicy sound through quality preamps and his 3000. also, you can here alot compression and filtering on the drums on 'The Shining'.

plus, he was a natural. i dont think he used quantize often...

Shaman.. The keyword is dynamics! Alot of his drums are from drum loops/breaks..True old school. He is also a very good chopper!!!! Plus the eqing is excellent! Alot of practice and know what you want out of the sound. Just make sure you edit/cut your samples how you want them, and good sequencing. I have heard horrible drum sounds come correct just on the sequncing be right

"It's the on-beat, off-beat!"
I would also say dynamics.

the shaman wrote:hey i got a question......
i was wondering could someone please explain to me what makes his drums or drumming so dynamic?!!! i mean people from kanye, to ?love, and pharrell have praised his blessed ability. but it's still a mystery to me.

he could actually play the drums .. sampled himself playing a lot ..
experimentation with his instruments. . a true love and passion for music


it will always be a mystery to you

One of the reasons why Jay Dee is so reveared is because of his amazing drum programming. He was the first producer to use 'swing' almost as an effect within his music. Drums were a lot more 'straight' before Jay Dee. But he would move around the kicks, snares and hats in the same track without it sounding 'messy'.

I've spoken to a few Detroit cats who said that sometimes he would create sequences 128 bars long! He would then play some of his drum parts, especially snares live, no quantisation. You can hear a few 'rouge' snares on the SV 'Fantastic' vols 1 & 2 albums.

Layering a clap with a rim shot and moving them slightly apart was also a Jay Dee trademark that we've all used since.

Pure genius.

the 128 bar seq idea is a good one - esp for those of us who convert our seqs down to 1 seq before tracking (2500 and 1000). you could program as normal until this step and then rerecord all your snares....
hnmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Antonym wrote:the 128 bar seq idea is a good one - esp for those of us who convert our seqs down to 1 seq before tracking (2500 and 1000). you could program as normal until this step and then rerecord all your snares....
hnmmmmmmmmmmmmm

said this aeons ago. nym you really must pay attention in class......

its the only way

Shift timing is real important part of his programing. Live playing and sample chopping . Try leaving tails on your samples of hihat hits or ghost hits on one of your kiks. Try fooling around with real hi hats record them live this helps with getting that on , off swing record more than 8 bars and alternate them. Hits must be layerd and with 2 or 3 versions of the same hits layerd in different amounts of velocity . Never use Full Level on your kiks this gives a better feeling of being played by a person. Chop other things for percussion than drums . Get a Korg Es-1 and fool around with the swing on it ....one of his seceret weapons in his set up.. RIP J Dilla May you live on through all of us.

dilla was said to have been messing with the korg esx a lil bit during time in hospital as he obviously aint gonna have the big ass 3K on his bed.

however i hear he only used it for a couple of odd joints off donuts, read in one interview that he said he neva reads the manuals when learning equipment except for the esx as shit seemed to complicated.

So don't read the manual and you'll be as good as dilla




don't rule out natural talent

let me just clarify i was giving some background info on the usage of the esx im not suggesting that u should stop reading manuals, do whateva works for u.

you wont be as good as dilla till you die from lupis

there's always gotta be "ONE" in a discussion!!!!