There are way too many copy cat beat makers out there today, but if you want to make your own beat stand out you have to be original and kill the boredom. The imagination and inspiration just isn’t there in the same way it used to be. One reason is that beat makers don’t make better beats is because they’re only concentrating on the drums.
The rhythm section of a band consists of bass guitar, drums and maybe a synthesizer, plus whatever other percussion pieces are available (shakers, tambourines, etc.). In rap and hip hop beat making, the bass and percussion are almost completely ignored these days. If you remember back to the very early days of hip hop you’ll see that there was a lot of live instruments being used – meaning either there was a whole band that MCs rapped over, or sampled records of bands. Early hip hop was funky and soulful for this exact reason. It was an extension of funk, soul, disco, and african styles of music. You must remember to make this funkyness a priority when you make your own beats.
The bass is the instrument that “lays down the groove”, if you know what I mean. Never underestimate its power when you make your own beat. The bass follows the chord changes and melody of the song while accentuating that the rhythm the drums are playing. The cold hard fact: most people making beats don’t focus enough on the bass. Unless they are a producer and musician themselves, the bass gets little respect. If you pay attention to how the beats and the bass played off of one another in older soul and funk music you’ll understand why it’s so important and how it can help you in your own beat making.
