Today, we'll discuss the lead and it's important role in a beat. As the name of the role suggests, the lead is the part of the beat that sticks out and is the part that gets stuck in the minds of the listener.
Hip-hop has traditionally been a sample-based art form, and as a result, many classic records did not incorporate a lead a a role within the song. However, synthesis in hip-hop goes as far back as Afrika Bambaata and as hip-hop evolved into West Coast and Southern Styles, lead sound became more promiment Also, today, as dance music has influenced hip-hop (as well as hip-hop influencing dance music), lead sounds have become a staple of hip-hop. For examples of the lead sound occurring in hip-hop, listen to "Gin and Juice" by Dr. Dre and Snoop as well as "Yeah" by Usher
The lead is a part of a song's harmonic structure, but the other roles that are part of the song's harmonic structure such as the pads and the groove, exist to support the lead. Within lead sounds, there is a also a part called the counter lead.
A counter lead has similar characteristics to a lead sound, but it helps to make the lead part more interesting and to support it as well. Some examples include a "call and response" interaction between the lead and counter lead where the lead plays the beginning portion of a musical phrase and the counter lead finishes the phrase. Another possibility would be to have the counter lead accenting the most important notes/beats of a musical phrase played by the lead sound. Finally, one other example is to have the lead play a whole music part and to have the counter lead playing drone sounds underneath it to support it. The possibilities are really endless with the interaction between the leads and counter leads and you should experiment with incorporating both of these elements into your music. Listen to existing songs for good example of the interaction between the two parts.
Also, as a final point, experiment with having the lead and counter leads play only during certain sections of the song. For example, have the counter leads come in at the verse and then the lead sound come in only during the chorus. Dropping parts in and out of certain sections of a song is a great way to make your musical arrangements more interesting and to keep your listeners interested in the beat. In our next section, we'll discuss the bass.
Hip-hop has traditionally been a sample-based art form, and as a result, many classic records did not incorporate a lead a a role within the song. However, synthesis in hip-hop goes as far back as Afrika Bambaata and as hip-hop evolved into West Coast and Southern Styles, lead sound became more promiment Also, today, as dance music has influenced hip-hop (as well as hip-hop influencing dance music), lead sounds have become a staple of hip-hop. For examples of the lead sound occurring in hip-hop, listen to "Gin and Juice" by Dr. Dre and Snoop as well as "Yeah" by Usher
The lead is a part of a song's harmonic structure, but the other roles that are part of the song's harmonic structure such as the pads and the groove, exist to support the lead. Within lead sounds, there is a also a part called the counter lead.
A counter lead has similar characteristics to a lead sound, but it helps to make the lead part more interesting and to support it as well. Some examples include a "call and response" interaction between the lead and counter lead where the lead plays the beginning portion of a musical phrase and the counter lead finishes the phrase. Another possibility would be to have the counter lead accenting the most important notes/beats of a musical phrase played by the lead sound. Finally, one other example is to have the lead play a whole music part and to have the counter lead playing drone sounds underneath it to support it. The possibilities are really endless with the interaction between the leads and counter leads and you should experiment with incorporating both of these elements into your music. Listen to existing songs for good example of the interaction between the two parts.
Also, as a final point, experiment with having the lead and counter leads play only during certain sections of the song. For example, have the counter leads come in at the verse and then the lead sound come in only during the chorus. Dropping parts in and out of certain sections of a song is a great way to make your musical arrangements more interesting and to keep your listeners interested in the beat. In our next section, we'll discuss the bass.
About the Author:
Frank Lubsey is a member of the Jam Sonic music production team. With over ten years of composing experience, Frank and the Jam Sonic team produce beats for hip-hop artists, jingles for small companies, and music for tv and film. Be sure to check out his website for hip-hop beats for sale and beatmaking articles and videos.
No comments:
Post a Comment