In our discussion for today, we're going to focus on the sound of Dr. Dre and what every hip-hop producer can learn by studying Dr. Dre's music. The greatest asset that any producer has is his ear, and it is impossible to ever be great without studying greatness. Thus, plug in your headphones, break out a few tracks produced by Dr. Dre and start studying.
Although the greatness of Dr. Dre is pretty well known, few people know what it is that makes Dr. Dre great. While the list below is by no means comprehensive, it does provide 3 critical things that Dr. Dre is known for. By learning these 3 things, you can elevate the quality of your own beats.
Drum Sounds: The choice of drum sounds is one of the hallmarks of a Dr. Dre beat. Every sound that he chooses from a snare drum sound to a tambourine sound, blends together perfectly. Every drum sound element is tight and crisp. Dr. Dre is known for being a perfectionist and is well known for spending an entire day to perfect a beat while other producers may crank out a few beats in a day. It is this level of perfection and attention to detail that makes a Dr. Dre beat stand out. Pay careful attention to the sounds that you are selecting for your drums.
Groove: Compared to many southern artists, a Dr. Dre beat is usually rather simple. There are usually no stuttering hi-hats or fast-hitting kick drum sounds. Instead, there is just a steady beat that grooves. However, if you listen closely enough, you'll hear that Dr. Dre's drum parts usually don't hit on the beat. Dr. Dre avoids the excessive use of quantization and will nudge beats by just a few milliseconds in order to achieve the perfect sound that he wants. It is this attention to detail that makes Dr. Dre such a stand out producer.
Sample Interpolation: Another technique that Dr. Dre helped to pioneer is using live musicians to recreate samples. This allows Dr. Dre more creativity when producing music as he often times switches the instruments used in a sample to give it a completely different sound. For a good example of this, listen to the song "Explosive" by Dr. Dre from his Chronic 2001 album and then listen "Bumpy's Lament" by Isaac Hayes. Does it sound familiar? However, if Dr. Dre just sampled the song as is, it would not have come out the same.
Being one of hip-hop's greatest producers, every aspiring hip-hop producer should study the works of Dr. Dre and incorporate his techniques into their music.
Although the greatness of Dr. Dre is pretty well known, few people know what it is that makes Dr. Dre great. While the list below is by no means comprehensive, it does provide 3 critical things that Dr. Dre is known for. By learning these 3 things, you can elevate the quality of your own beats.
Drum Sounds: The choice of drum sounds is one of the hallmarks of a Dr. Dre beat. Every sound that he chooses from a snare drum sound to a tambourine sound, blends together perfectly. Every drum sound element is tight and crisp. Dr. Dre is known for being a perfectionist and is well known for spending an entire day to perfect a beat while other producers may crank out a few beats in a day. It is this level of perfection and attention to detail that makes a Dr. Dre beat stand out. Pay careful attention to the sounds that you are selecting for your drums.
Groove: Compared to many southern artists, a Dr. Dre beat is usually rather simple. There are usually no stuttering hi-hats or fast-hitting kick drum sounds. Instead, there is just a steady beat that grooves. However, if you listen closely enough, you'll hear that Dr. Dre's drum parts usually don't hit on the beat. Dr. Dre avoids the excessive use of quantization and will nudge beats by just a few milliseconds in order to achieve the perfect sound that he wants. It is this attention to detail that makes Dr. Dre such a stand out producer.
Sample Interpolation: Another technique that Dr. Dre helped to pioneer is using live musicians to recreate samples. This allows Dr. Dre more creativity when producing music as he often times switches the instruments used in a sample to give it a completely different sound. For a good example of this, listen to the song "Explosive" by Dr. Dre from his Chronic 2001 album and then listen "Bumpy's Lament" by Isaac Hayes. Does it sound familiar? However, if Dr. Dre just sampled the song as is, it would not have come out the same.
Being one of hip-hop's greatest producers, every aspiring hip-hop producer should study the works of Dr. Dre and incorporate his techniques into their music.
About the Author:
Want to find out more about hip-hop beats for sale, then visit Frank Lubsey's site on how to purchase beats for your needs.
No comments:
Post a Comment