Anyone have any tips on hip hop melodies.

Aren't we musicians? Taking theory classes will make you a better musician no matter what anyone says. I agree that you have to have an ear for it, but knowing the rules or guidelines of how music works is the best thing that you can learn. It helps you to understand what will sound good before it leaves your brain. I taught myself all the theroy that I know and it has helped me tenfold. Definatly a good thing.

PaulDerr wrote:Why does Hip hop have to be reliant on sampling old tunes? i do agree that getting a nice snare or kick from an old record is a good thing, but to steal a whole melody does not make you a super producer. Oh excuse me I'm sorry I guess I am forgeting about PDitty and Kanye West. Yes they Have made it. So I am not hating on them for that, because it is obvious that they are doing something right. And PDitty is one hell of a bussiness man. But look at their music. Although very well put together. There is nothing original about it. The melody is almost always there for them. They do nothing more than any kid with Sonic Foundry Acid could do. We sould call them great remixers I guess. I do not dispute that alot of great songs have been made from sampling, but I have only sampled from one song. It sounds great. Everyone likes it, but I felt like I was robbing a bank. Like It was really not my song. I guess it is all a matter of if you really think you have accomplished something great by stealing, or would you feel better if you made something that others wanted to steal from you. How many of you would love to sample something from DRE or Timbaland? If you said yes you get my point. In ten years i bet recylcing a Kanye song will not be one of your first thoughts. it would be more like Kanye Who?

First of all, I don't think it takes too much creativity to hook up a drum break with a loop, but what you said is straight stupid. You're honestly willing to say there's "nothing original" about 90% of the beats made in hip hop, PERIOD-- and still have the nerve to make hip hop? Obviously, you don't know much about the music to start with so I'll only scratch the surface here...

You seriously think Dr. Dre doesn't sample? Uhh-- from "Nuthin But A G Thing," to "The Next Episode" and "What's The Difference"-- straight LOOPS. Sure, he'll get someone to get down on the keyboards and bass every now and then, but that doesn't make him any better than a Large Professor or Pete Rock (all of whom I greatly admire). Timbaland may not have too many straight loops, but he too is known to interpolate stuff and sample drum breaks. You have to realize that some of these big guys don't sample that much because sample clearance and publishing issues, not because they condemn it like yourself.

And Kanye? A simple glance at his album's liner-notes will reveal that he's doing exactly what your idols are doing nowadays; he's getting STUDIO MUSICIANS to play stuff for him. What's more creative-- hearing a piece of music you like and looping it in your sampler or playing it to some pro musician and having him play it down the exact same way? Or better yet, chopping that sample into bits and rearranging it your way?

It's a cliche, but loops, chopping, "composing"-- whatever sounds good IS good.

Learn all you can but still at the same time follow your heart.......you gotta have love for what you do........humming is my shot.......I might vibe off some natural nature elements........there is a lot of things going on in this world of ours........sometimes listen past the talking, cars, planes and trains................this was one of my lessons in my earlier days in music class..........when you hear it you will have no problem creating



My teacher was right......I hear it and have no problems now.........sometimes you have to tune out in order to tune in


Much Love And Respect

Dats real Phatz!

Get the right teacher, he might just drop a gem on you that changes you as person and producer for life.

The only way you get that is by being willing to learn and not being closed minded to formal training / education.

In order to be a good leader you must be a good follower first.

You might hate Puff but he a good example of what I am talking about.
He didn't know hardly jack about music (except the fact he loved it) when he started at Uptown.

He dosen't program are play instruments but the cat understands music theory and he knows how to arrange a compositon into a platinum plaque.

Can you believe dat shitz. He know / understand music better den the **** playing the instrument damn near.

The same go for vocals. He would tell Mary J. Blige "hit the note like this" but can't sing shit!

Me, I wantz to be the H.N.I.C. i gotz to get my education on.

First of all, I don't think it takes too much creativity to hook up a drum break with a loop, but what you said is straight stupid. You're honestly willing to say there's "nothing original" about 90% of the beats made in hip hop, PERIOD-- and still have the nerve to make hip hop? Obviously, you don't know much about the music to start with so I'll only scratch the surface here...

You seriously think Dr. Dre doesn't sample? Uhh-- from "Nuthin But A G Thing," to "The Next Episode" and "What's The Difference"-- straight LOOPS. Sure, he'll get someone to get down on the keyboards and bass every now and then, but that doesn't make him any better than a Large Professor or Pete Rock (all of whom I greatly admire). Timbaland may not have too many straight loops, but he too is known to interpolate stuff and sample drum breaks. You have to realize that some of these big guys don't sample that much because sample clearance and publishing issues, not because they condemn it like yourself.

And Kanye? A simple glance at his album's liner-notes will reveal that he's doing exactly what your idols are doing nowadays; he's getting STUDIO MUSICIANS to play stuff for him. What's more creative-- hearing a piece of music you like and looping it in your sampler or playing it to some pro musician and having him play it down the exact same way? Or better yet, chopping that sample into bits and rearranging it your way?

It's a cliche, but loops, chopping, "composing"-- whatever sounds good IS good

not to mention the basis of hip hop was built around SAMPLING jazz and breaks...also to go a bit deeper into it, i for one think its original, when someone like Madlib can flip a slow ball room jazz track into an upbeat hip hop beat by using str8 loops, thats DEFINITELY creative, even if the melody was there for him to use. plus the fact that not only will he speed up some jazz like that, but completely change the dynamic of the instrument, to sound like something else. thats pretty creative in my opinion...but anyway, i agree with what stinktank said, whatever sounds good is good

well the basis of Hip Hop was jazz and breaks, but well before sampling, you had DJs, and you had bands playing original breaks for cats like the cold crush brothers.

"well the basis of Hip Hop was jazz and breaks, but well before sampling, you had DJs, and you had bands playing original breaks for cats like the cold crush brothers. "

Obviously-- but DJs have been looping breaks all throughout hip hop. And you could argue that it took sampling to get hip hop really started.

yo man i see it like this...im a fan of all music that my ears can tune into! I have just made the jump form dj to dj/producer, & im not as near a producer as i am a dj. but yo, ive been spinnin & diggin for bout 8 years now, i know that it is not going to happen overnight. So to all you cats that think your going to be an overnight success, wake up! It takes time to develop what your ears hear and transform that into that raw talent..so keep on doin that do!

hmmm, yeah jazz is big in the whole mix but that goes back to the syncopation of Afro-Peru.

i think that the jamaica sound system DJ/MC influence is what made the 70's breakbeat scene what it was...hip hop from there is whatever the public has made it cause it's really just music.

When I started this thread I had no idea it would turn into Music History 101. I can't handle the tuition. I'm already flat broke from paying my current student loans.

Anyways, thanks for the help! I'll just keep at it!

dude you dont need to pay for msuci theory...i never did...i dont know a lot but what i do has greatly improved my compositions...i taught myself and never paid for any of it.....use the net there are loads of on-line resources that will teach you the basics of chords, scales etc...the rudimentary stuff any musician who calls himself so should know....

if your not willing to learn more about music your not much of a musician imho.....

greg

Sorry Stinktank you think someones opinion is stupid. But I never said that sampling a snare sound or one hit from a record was a bad thing. All I said is when someone steals a whole melody that that does not take talent. It takes SoundForge. and anyone with the time to do it.
And shame on you for thinking I know nothing about music when I could wipe your ass with any of my music. No samples involved....
Sorry man it's a disscussion. A guy asked a question. Are we not supposed to give him advice? Someone has to make new music so people will have something to sample 20 years from now right? Can go on forever using the same old shiiit.

PaulDerr wrote:Sorry Stinktank you think someones opinion is stupid. But I never said that sampling a snare sound or one hit from a record was a bad thing. All I said is when someone steals a whole melody that that does not take talent. It takes SoundForge. and anyone with the time to do it.
And shame on you for thinking I know nothing about music when I could wipe your **** with any of my music. No samples involved....
Sorry man it's a disscussion. A guy asked a question. Are we not supposed to give him advice? Someone has to make new music so people will have something to sample 20 years from now right? Can go on forever using the same old shiiit.

Kudos to you for understanding the gist of my post-- and skillfully reiterating, pretty much word for word, what you said in your first post.

I'm actually contemplating taking keyboard lessons to help with melody. I have to get a keyboard first though! What's something that's not very expensive, good for learning on, and possibly something I could use for production that doesn't sound corny? Is there such a thing? Sorry don't know anything about keyboards!

this http://www.sonicstate.com/synth/korgx5.cfm thing takes abuse and is a solid performer. you can get them used all over the place but look at it hard cause they're usually gigged a lot.

oh : and by used i mean $150 not that older price they've got listed!