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.
The lead was not as prominent in hip-hop's early years as it is today. That is because hip-hop mainly relied on samples for it's sounds instead of synths. However, even in hip-hop's early years there were artists that used synths such as Afrika Bambaata. However, as hip-hop evolved and the West Coast and the Dirty South made it's contributions, the lead sound has become more prominent. Furthermore, dance music and hip-hop have borrowed from each other, and as a result, lead sounds are more prominent than ever. To hear good examples of lead sounds occurring in hip-hop, check out "Big Poppa" by Notorious B.I.G or "Yeah" by Usher.
Like the pads that we discussed earlier, the lead is a part of the song's harmonic structure but whereas the pads are sustained and play a support role, the lead is the star of the beat. In addition to the main lead sound, there are also counter leads that I include as a sub-role part in the role of the lead itself.
The counter lead has essentially the same characteristics as the lead, but it's sole purpose is to support the lead and to make the lead part more interesting. This can be done in a number of ways. One way is to have the lead part play a starting phrase and to have the counter lead play the ending part of a phrase in a "call and response" fashion. Another example is to have the lead part play a whole musical phrase and then have the counter lead only accent the most important notes in the phrase. One final example may be to have the lead playing a whole musical phrase and then having the counter lead playing long and sustained drone sounds to support it. The possibilities are endless between the lead and counter lead and you should experiment with it in your music.
Finally, be sure to drop in and drop out the lead and counter leads during certain sections of the song such as the verse and chorus to make the arrangement more interesting. Alternating which parts play in certain parts of the song makes the overall arrangement of the beat more interesting. Furthermore, it also helps to distinguish one part of a song from another (such as a verse and chorus). This is important because if you plan to sell your beat, the rapper needs to be able to distinguish the verses from the chorus. In our next section, we'll discuss the bass.
The lead was not as prominent in hip-hop's early years as it is today. That is because hip-hop mainly relied on samples for it's sounds instead of synths. However, even in hip-hop's early years there were artists that used synths such as Afrika Bambaata. However, as hip-hop evolved and the West Coast and the Dirty South made it's contributions, the lead sound has become more prominent. Furthermore, dance music and hip-hop have borrowed from each other, and as a result, lead sounds are more prominent than ever. To hear good examples of lead sounds occurring in hip-hop, check out "Big Poppa" by Notorious B.I.G or "Yeah" by Usher.
Like the pads that we discussed earlier, the lead is a part of the song's harmonic structure but whereas the pads are sustained and play a support role, the lead is the star of the beat. In addition to the main lead sound, there are also counter leads that I include as a sub-role part in the role of the lead itself.
The counter lead has essentially the same characteristics as the lead, but it's sole purpose is to support the lead and to make the lead part more interesting. This can be done in a number of ways. One way is to have the lead part play a starting phrase and to have the counter lead play the ending part of a phrase in a "call and response" fashion. Another example is to have the lead part play a whole musical phrase and then have the counter lead only accent the most important notes in the phrase. One final example may be to have the lead playing a whole musical phrase and then having the counter lead playing long and sustained drone sounds to support it. The possibilities are endless between the lead and counter lead and you should experiment with it in your music.
Finally, be sure to drop in and drop out the lead and counter leads during certain sections of the song such as the verse and chorus to make the arrangement more interesting. Alternating which parts play in certain parts of the song makes the overall arrangement of the beat more interesting. Furthermore, it also helps to distinguish one part of a song from another (such as a verse and chorus). This is important because if you plan to sell your beat, the rapper needs to be able to distinguish the verses from the chorus. In our next section, we'll discuss the bass.
About the Author:
Frank Lubsey is a part of the Jam Sonic music production team. With over decade of composing experience, Frank and the Jam Sonic team produce beats for hip-hop artists, jingles for small businesses, and music for tv and film. Be sure to check out his website for hip-hop beats for sale and beatmaking articles and videos.
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