Man Machine Music
Sep 1, 2001 12:00 PM, By Dave Hill Jr.
Whether you're using an 808, 909, 007, or 401K, programming a drum machine can be as intimidating, challenging, and gratifying as playing an acoustic drum kit.
Since the advent of sample-based drum machines featuring step programming and rhythmic quantization, sequenced groove making has become simultaneously more powerful and more complex. With the recent introduction of PC-based, rhythm sound-manipulating plug-in modules such as Steinberg's LM4 and Native Instruments' Battery, you may have to jump back before you hurt yourself.
In fact, jump back to the rear of the stage for a moment and try to look at things through the drummer's eyes. In doing so, you will see how, with a little drum wisdom and imagination, composers can tame their beastly sequencers and create professional-sounding precision drum tracks à la Photek's mad drum 'n' bass or Jay Z's smooth slow jams.
Through years of practice, drummers develop nuances within their playing. Good drummers add their own flavors to a groove to give it a personalized vibe. For example, funk granddaddies like John “Jabo” Starks and Clyde Stubblefield (two of the many drummers who helped create James Brown's incredible grooves) sound completely different from each other, even when playing the same rhythm at the same time. Other drumming legends, like David Garibaldi (Tower of Power) and Zigaboo Modeliste (the Meters), approach the instrument from vastly differing perspectives, yet they embody the same nasty funk moods. Programmers looking to cop these booty-shaking grooves or to spice up electronic dance rhythms should listen carefully to how drummers use the subtleties of dynamics, tone, and rhythmic placement. When these elements are combined tastefully, they result in that elusive yet essential musical quality: feel.
CAN YOU FEEL IT?
Drummers are sonic colorists as much as they are time anchors, and the difference in sound between a drum machine and a live drummer can be either huge or nonexistent. Whereas many early drum machines were incapable of deeper detail, today many sample-based drum boxes are capable of fooling the most discerning ears. By using small recordings (samples) of individual drums and cymbals, many drum machines can perfectly replicate even the slightest nuances of a real drummer's feel.
| Basic groove: | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | E | + | A | 2 | E | + | A | 3 | E | + | A | 4 | E | + | A |
| H | H | H | h | H | h | H | h | ||||||||
| S | S | ||||||||||||||
| K | K | ||||||||||||||
| Add two kicks and one snare for a little spice: | |||||||||||||||
| 1 | E | + | A | 2 | E | + | A | 3 | E | + | A | 4 | E | + | A |
| H | H | H | h | H | h | H | h | ||||||||
| S | s | S | |||||||||||||
| K | K | K | k | ||||||||||||
| Try moving just one kick drum (the kick on the A of 2 to 3) and omitting just one snare on the E of 3. Listen to the change: | |||||||||||||||
| 1 | E | + | A | 2 | E | + | A | 3 | E | + | A | 4 | E | + | A |
| H | H | H | h | H | h | H | h | ||||||||
| S | S | ||||||||||||||
| K | K | K | k | ||||||||||||
| Now, notice how the entire feeling changes when you move just one snare drum. Move the snare on 4 to the + of 4 and note the change in the hi-hat accent. A real drummer, especially a raw hip-hop player like Keith Le Blanc (Grandmaster Flash, Melle Mel) or ?uestlove (the Roots), would instinctively accent with the snare on the + of 4: | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | E | + | A | 2 | E | + | A | 3 | E | + | A | 4 | E | + | A |
| H | H | H | h | H | h | h | H | ||||||||
| S | s | S | |||||||||||||
| K | K | K | k | ||||||||||||
| If the pattern sounds too busy, try omitting the hi-hats on the + of the beats: | |||||||||||||||
| 1 | E | + | A | 2 | E | + | A | 3 | E | + | A | 4 | E | + | A |
| H | H | H | H | ||||||||||||
| S | s | S | |||||||||||||
| K | K | K | k | ||||||||||||
In terms of feel, a drummer's hi-hat and cymbal work represents the lion's share of his or her sound. Certain feels or inflections, such as Bernard Purdie's funk shuffles with Steely Dan or Mitch Mitchell's loose rock beats with Jimi Hendrix, have become trademark sounds. Nearly all drummers instinctively incorporate a variety of sonic options in terms of dynamics and rhythmic placement.
I have done sessions in which the kicks and snares were played by a machine, yet the producer wanted me to play cymbals and hi-hats over the top to make the rhythm feel good and sound less rigid. Stan Lynch (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers) has been known to show up to a session with his snare, hi-hat, and Linn drum machine (for that signature four-on-the-floor kick drum sound) under his arm — a surprising combination, yet no one can argue the beauty and depth of Lynch's rock 'n' roll feel.
Of course, you may not always want a drum machine to sound like a real drummer (or vice versa). But, for a moment, pretend you are trying to simulate a live drummer's feel.
TAMING THE DIGITAL BEATS — BEAT TABLATURE
To best communicate musical placement in this article, I will use the common 16th-note labeling of 1 E + A 2 E + A 3 E + A 4 E + A — a total of 16 beats per measure corresponding to the 1-16 beat designation on a drum machine's step-time sequencer. For simplicity, the patterns are limited to one measure. H means hi-hat, S means snare, and K means kick drum. A capital letter refers to an accented (louder) stroke, and a lowercase letter represents an unaccented (quieter) stroke. When programming, I prefer to begin with the kick and snare, although there are always exceptions. I try to take a simple approach at first to make it easy to play the drum machine's buttons. You can always subtract sounds later to create space and rests, which can really open up a groove.
When programming hi-hat parts, try to think about what a drummer would do. In breakbeat and house music, the hi-hat plays a more decorative role. While the snare anchors 2 and 4, the kick drum plays a part complementary to the bass keyboard or guitar. After all, hi-hats are an interpretation of a shaker or tambourine, exemplified by Latin, soul, and funk music. Sometimes the best hi-hat placement is a tacit (none at all). There is a tradition among some drummers, such as Charlie Watts, to leave out the hi-hat when playing the snare; the vacancy creates a more linear, spacious feel.
COMING UP FOR THE DOWNSTROKE
Most drummers play the downbeat heavier than the upbeat, a technique that subtly propels the music forward and inspires some good old-fashioned head nodding. (To clarify, an upbeat occurs on the and of the beats, represented in the beat diagrams by the + symbol.) Check out some old James Brown records, or even some '70s funk grooves, and note the generally lighter upbeat and a fairly heavy downstroke on the hi-hat. That habit is due in part to a common coordination problem and has subsequently become a part of the music. Novice drummers often find it difficult to simultaneously execute multiple dynamic levels among snare, hi-hat, and kick drum. If the kick and snare are hitting on the downbeats, the tendency is to lay into those notes on the hi-hat as well. The glaring exception to this is the offbeat hi-hat accent prevalent in disco or in music by funk groups like Sly and the Family Stone, the Average White Band, and even Wild Cherry. One possibility is to leave out the downbeat hi-hat altogether.
| Straight disco: | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | E | + | A | 2 | E | + | A | 3 | E | + | A | 4 | E | + | A |
| H | H | H | H | ||||||||||||
| S | S | ||||||||||||||
| K | K | ||||||||||||||
| Or, you may simulate the same feel with quiet strokes on the downbeats, and the accents on the upbeats. This is less natural for a drummer to play: | |||||||||||||||
| 1 | E | + | A | 2 | E | + | A | 3 | E | + | A | 4 | E | + | A |
| h | H | h | H | h | H | h | H | ||||||||
| S | S | ||||||||||||||
| K | K | ||||||||||||||
| For that swanky disco feel, try opening up the hat (open hi-hat sound) on the + of each beat, just the + of 3, or just the + of 1. | |||||||||||||||
TECHNO A-GO-GO
In dance music and hip-hop, hi-hat and cymbal decorations can make or break a track. Basic techno, house, and trance grooves often contain a four-on-the-floor pulsing kick drum and a snare hit on 2 and 4, but subtle variations in the hi-hats or cymbals can make a groove sound animated and lively. Because the groove's momentum is carried by the kick drum, the track's hi-hat, cymbal, and percussion work are frequently more syncopated.
| Here is a basic techno groove: | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | E | + | A | 2 | E | + | A | 3 | E | + | A | 4 | E | + | A |
| H | H | H | H | h | |||||||||||
| S | S | ||||||||||||||
| K | K | K | K | ||||||||||||
| Hi-hat variations: | |||||||||||||||
| 1 | E | + | A | 2 | E | + | A | 3 | E | + | A | 4 | E | + | A |
| H | h | H | h | H | h | H | h | ||||||||
| 1 | E | + | A | 2 | E | + | A | 3 | E | + | A | 4 | E | + | A |
| H | H | h | h | h | H | H | h | ||||||||
| Open the hi-hat on the + beats: | |||||||||||||||
| 1 | E | + | A | 2 | E | + | A | 3 | E | + | A | 4 | E | + | A |
| H | H | H | H | h | |||||||||||
STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION
Step programming a drum machine is the best option for fine-tuning dynamics, fixing difficult timing issues, or finding a stray note to delete. Step-time programming means going through each eighth, 16th, or 32nd note one step at a time. On most drum machines, you can select the sound, adjust the volume, and ensure correct placement of each drum or cymbal in step time. Also, by programming the whole groove in step time you can achieve performances that are impossible in real time. When I program in step time, I am usually tweaking something I have already done, but occasionally I want to program a groove I find in an old drum book (see the sidebar “Beat Resources”).
Another great technique for humanizing machine-made grooves is to slightly alter repetitive hits to simulate what real drummers unavoidably do. For instance, make several different samples of the same snare or hi-hat sound. Then, by using pitch-shifting or an EQ, alter the color of each sound ever so slightly. A good rule of thumb is to make the louder sample a bit brighter (boost high EQ) and softer hits a touch darker (decrease high EQ and boost low mids), and lower the pitch. Next, try replacing stagnant instruments with some of these new colors by alternating every fourth snare hit with a brighter snare, or substitute a darker hat during the quiet verses. If you are using a drum machine that doesn't provide sample-editing features, try lowering the pitch and altering the dynamic range (volume).
DON'T STOP
“Don't play double stops!” I can still hear my old drum teacher yelling from across the room. Programmers too should be conscious of when to employ double stops, and not use them merely as their default programming tactic. A double stop occurs when a snare and kick are played at the same time. The frequency overload created by combining the kick's lows and the snare drum's wide frequency range can sonically overwhelm a track. However, double stops are commonplace in house and techno music, so programmers should pay extra attention to the EQ of the kick and snare to create a nice pairing. From a live drummer's perspective, the omission of the kick drum on 2 and 4 (which leaves the snare drum by itself) provides a groove's natural tension and release.
SUBTLE PROGRAMMING TIPS
Double take. When setting up a double stroke (for example, two consecutive 16th-note kick drums), acoustic drummers usually play one stroke louder than the other, as it is almost physically impossible to play the two notes exactly the same. For instance, if you are leading into 1 and striking a kick at the end of the previous measure like the A (of 4), the 1 should be louder than the A. The desired sound is a ba-boom (soft-loud) rather than a boom-boom or a boom-ba. Programming the kicks at the same volume results in a more machinelike feel.
Fill in the blanks. Programming cool drum fills can involve massive amounts of trial and error. It's important to be conscious of the sounds used within a drum fill. Try using only the sounds you have played up to that particular point. New sounds draw attention and can distract the listener. For example, if a conga sound or tom hasn't been hit until that point, don't suddenly introduce them at the three-minute mark — unless you're looking for a very unnatural sound.
A mature drum-set player would play the slightest variation of the groove, adding only a crash cymbal or low tom. Try just adding a snare hit or two while omitting the kick for half a bar. I will often subtract a few notes from the current groove, giving it a sparser breakbeat feel, and then add just one or two hits on either a snare or tom. After listening to the results, you may feel the fill needs a little more meat. Try an open hi-hat on the and of 4 or A of 4. Add a kick with the open hi-hat or with a snare. If that isn't enough, try pitching up the snare one or two half steps during the fill, which can add excitement and energy.
By the way, breakbeats are essentially drum grooves that have been cut up and reassembled to make a funkier and usually more original beat. Chopping up a groove is an excellent way to make fills, and the approach fits right in with the principle of not introducing new sounds in fills.
IN THE END
As you tweak the beats in your machine, you will inevitably face choices as to time signature, pattern length, shuffle amount, dynamic level, number of beats, and sound selection. As with any musical endeavor, your ears should always be the deciding factor. Learn to critically assess each element of the groove as you listen to the track. Should the beat feel rigid or should it swing? Does the percussion dominate the sound or should it be in the background? Successful producers constantly ask themselves those questions. Because most of your drum-machine patterns will be looped indefinitely with minimal variation, don't be afraid to spend time getting down with your drum machine, making the grooves perfect. Remember, experimentation is a great teacher, and slight changes can often mean the difference between a good song and a great one.
Drummer and producer Dave Hill Jr. has worked extensively with Santana's Michael Shrieve and is currently composing and playing in New York City.
NOBODY'S PERFEKT
Making drum tracks with a few minor flaws is a frequently overlooked technique in drum-machine programming. Artists like Tricky and DJ Shadow often purposely do not quantize certain elements in their drum tracks in order to create brooding, richly colored, and natural-sounding rhythms. When attempting that, it is important to maintain a musical rather than analytical perspective. For instance, by letting the hi-hats or snare drum float just a bit, you might give a track a more vibrant and lively musical quality. After all, drummers are not machines, and neither are you. By including some imperfections in your rhythm patterns, you may just stumble onto a brilliant new feel or mood.
BEAT RESOURCES
Several drummers have written books full of great drum patterns. These books offer great inspiration if you are feeling dry in the programming department. They are also great resources for learning how to program drumbeats that sound like a real drummer.
FUTURE SOUNDS
By David Garibaldi (Alfred Publishing)
A thick collection of tasty funk drum-set grooves written by the Tower of Power drummer. Before releasing the book, Garibaldi was known to send “Christmas Card Beats,” filled with his recent drum-set musings, to all of his drumming friends.
ADVANCED FUNK STUDIES
By Rick Latham (Rick Latham Publishing)
Latham is one of the world's certified masters of linear drumming, in which, technically, no musical notes occur at the same time. This book contains Latham's rhythmic ideas as well as transcripts of classic grooves by Steve Gadd, Harvey Mason, Peter Erskine, and others.
THE COMMANDMENTS OF R&B DRUMMING
By Zoro the Drummer (Warner Bros.)
One of L.A.'s leading session drummers (Bobby Brown, Lenny Kravitz, Philip Bailey), this groove mutha lays down the rules and explains even more about the intricacies of soul, funk, and hip-hop drumming as well as how to develop your own grooves. For more info, check out www.zorothedrummer.com.
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