Hiphop Arrangement Tutorial

Discussion in 'Education' started by javiivaj, Jan 5, 2023.

  1. javiivaj

    javiivaj Member

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    Is there any good tutorial / course about Hiphop structure arrangement?

    I mean something like 3, 4, 5...kinds of structure to help those who make loops but not structured beats because they don't rap and don't know how to finish beats.
    Something easy, I'm not talking about something extremely complex.

    Examples of MIDIs of boom bap projects or similar.

    If you want, drop in the comments the best tutorials and courses from everywhere.

    Cheers
     
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  3. CARTOON

    CARTOON Newbie

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  4. javiivaj

    javiivaj Member

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  5. freefeet12

    freefeet12 Rock Star

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    So you want to do what you "feel" but want someone to tell you what the "most used structures in boom bap" are at the same time. You don't see a conflict in that? :dunno:

    Also, regarding "structure" it mostly doesn't matter what instruments you use, if at all.

    Anyways, perhaps a more creative approach then:

    Maybe try to find some vocal stems at https://songstems.net/genre/hip-hop or https://multitrackmaster.com/category/genre/rap-hip-hop/, there are other sites, listen to the original and base yours off of it. The vocals will help give you "structure". You can then delete the vocal and there, you have have your skeleton.

    Alternatively you can rip your own multitracks/stems with the various programs available.

    Good Luck.
     
    Last edited: Jan 12, 2023
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  6. javiivaj

    javiivaj Member

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    I don't see a conflict in that because I think that copying a structure isn't "copy" like could be putting a horn sound with delay exactly in the same place as Pete rock, putting the same bass sound notes as Madlib or the same drums as Dilla. If not, we all should make music with 2 stones. We copy the computer we use to make music, or the Zoom Sampletrak, SP1200 or plugins we all use to make music.

    I have been a lot of years making loops and I'd like to learn the arrangement so I could enjoy it. I always enjoy making loops and I have watched a lot of tutorials or courses. I have not switched on the TV since 2007; always music, so I think I have to change something. I make a lot of different genres and I feel I'm doing something wrong. That's why I'm trying to understand the boom bap arrangement, trying to focus in one genre I like. I don't understand why people attack to someone that ask something in a forum. If I think I need help because I have been a lot of years without going out of the loop, what is the problem? I suppose there is people that make good courses about song arrangement but I can't find them. Could be that no one knows how to order and structure a course of arrangement and teach it.

    I know that listening and trying to replicate could be the best way to learn, but I won't post in a forum waiting for an answer like "listen to others and good luck".

    I felt that in structure matter what instruments you us. In a lot of genres certain instruments sound in certain moments of the song and not in others. And same happens with chords. That's why I said instruments in relation with the structure. In classic house music we use a lot strings and high sounds to make tension in some parts of the songs and then disappear.

    Thank you very much for the links, that answer is something that helps. I always use vox samples but don't know where to place them in the arrangement. So those links would help me.
     
  7. Valnar

    Valnar Rock Star

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    You have to think of how the music was made. MPC has Sequences you can use as building blocks for your song.
    4 bars intro, 16 bars verse, 8 bars hook etc.
    those are normal, and also the more free form madvillainy type that one has less rules.

    Actually this is the easiest form I have come across yet lol, it's so simple and intuitve, and thats why I fell in love with hip hop and beatmaking with only a year or two delay.
     
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  8. runa_forceful

    runa_forceful Member

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    This is what i learned last week

     
  9. madbuzzin

    madbuzzin Platinum Record

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    the best hiphop for me is just a beat thats 8 or 16 bars that repeats for the song.....
     
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  10. eXACT_Beats_

    eXACT_Beats_ Rock Star

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    This is solid advice. I don't even quite understand what you mean by "structuring." Do you mean instrument placement and timing? Either way, the vocal track is a good idea, even you're going to making instrumentals, having vocals to work around, and fit instrument lines/melodies/stabs/etc. ensure a good foundation as it will keep you from making anything too busy... though you can always add more after removing the vocal track to fill it out.
    There's also a giant multi-pack of famous rap a capellas that's been floating around the interwebs for years, some of them are true, b-side a capellas and some have had the vocals lifted from the tracks (with varying degrees of success.) It's been recompiled numerous times and has artists like Raekwon, Big Daddy Kane, Gang Starr Tribe Called Quest, Biggie, and numerous other artists that span a twenty-five year stretch. It's around somewhere, and it'd allow you to avoid any of the ridiculous a capella packs on the sister site that are made by plastic, Mickey-Mouse-made, sample pack companies.
     
  11. Soul1975

    Soul1975 Platinum Record

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    This bullshit is NOT Hip Hop.
     
  12. Rockseller

    Rockseller Platinum Record

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    verses. then the track ends. hooks are gay. trap is dead.
     
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  13. madbuzzin

    madbuzzin Platinum Record

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    .....that was an example of the beat not changing at all... THIS is hiphop
     
  14. Soul1975

    Soul1975 Platinum Record

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    indeed.
     
  15. freefeet12

    freefeet12 Rock Star

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    I'm not even sure what you mean by 'structure' anymore. I assumed you meant Intro - Verse - Chorus - Verse - Chorus - Outro or some variation of that, hence my prior advice about copying that sort of thing, but you seem to be on about something far beyond that. Like actual compositional, sound, and or effects choices. There is no standard way of using these in Hip Hop as far as I'm aware. That would be boring.

    My advice is geared toward leaning how to actually write a song and the fastest way to do that is to copy one. It's what I did several hundred times when I started out. It plain works. I don't even know how to get stuck in a loop. All I hear is the song.

    If I wanted to write my own track for a song as a beginner today I personally would choose a song from one of those sites, listen to it several times, take notes, set my tempo the same as the song, take the vocal stem/s/track/s in it's/their entirety, import it/them and start writing around it/them until it's done. So the "structure" would remain the same, with all my own choices in regards to instrumentation, sounds, effects, dynamic ect. Then I would compare. learn from, maybe make other choices, ect.

    or you know, you can read and read, and read some more, maybe watch another few videos, and make loops forever.
     
  16. Rain Drum

    Rain Drum Noisemaker

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    As others have pointed out, there are a few ways you could tackle a boom bap or hip hop arrangement. If you want to send your beats to rappers sometimes it's good to just have a 4-bar or 8-bar loop as it makes it easier for them to write a text.

    If you want to avoid repetivness or escape the "4 bar loop hell", there are a few ways to achieve this. Navie D, who in my opinion has quite a few useful tutorials for beatmakers, covered this topic an a few videos. I'll post them below and I hope they will be helpful for you :wink:





     
  17. javiivaj

    javiivaj Member

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    Thank you Valnar! Good idea to think in MPC sequences blocks.. I usually think in blocks because I use Ableton, but could be nice to have MPC reference.
    How many bars were in one MPC sequence?
     
  18. BlackHaze1986

    BlackHaze1986 Rock Star

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    Vst Instrument Based Tutorial


    Sample Based Tutorial
     
  19. javiivaj

    javiivaj Member

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    Thank you! Nice tips. He says, like Valnar said, to use the 4 Intro, 16 Verse and 8 Chorus.

    In the beginning of the video he talks about the GC Beats video and there GC said another good tip: make first the hook and from it build the verse (and the intro).
    That's the key in my opinion... Knowing how to get the best relationship between hook and verse..in terms of harmony and instruments..
     
  20. javiivaj

    javiivaj Member

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    Some rappers told me they wanted extremely simple beats like you say. Could work for some things, but I'm trying to learn the arrangement with some changes. But thanks!
     
  21. javiivaj

    javiivaj Member

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    Thank you! I suppose you're talking about the FULL Acapellas folder..right?
     
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