In this article, we will take a look at one of the most subtle but nonetheless important roles in a beat, and that's the pads. Pads have never been the focal point of hip-hop and have instead had a more prominent role in more chord and melody-centric music such as techno and r&b. Nevertheless, pads can play an important role in a beat and can be used in a variety of ways in your beat to spice them up.
Whereas the drums lay the rhythmic foundation of a song, the pads lay the harmonic foundation of a song. With this role of building a song's harmonic structure, the pads have a unique ability to add emotion to a track that the drums cannot match. No matter what vibe the song is, pads can help instantly bring that to a track. For good examples of this, listen to "One Mic" by Nas and notice how the pads in the intro instantly give the track a reflective vibe. Also, listen to "I'm Not Afraid" by Eminem and hear how the pads in the intro immediately give the song a feeling of triumph. You can use pads to have the same effect on your songs.
Pads are also great at filling in dead space within a track. Because they are a subtle and undynamic sound, they can sit with other parts such as the groove and the lead without distracting the listener. If you tried to fill in empty spaces with other parts such as the groove or the lead, it could potentially distract the user if there is too much going on. Because of this ability, pads are an excellent sound for layering (a topic that we'll discuss later). The critical thing to understand about incorporating pads into your track is to mix them in a lower volumes. Pads should have a subtle effect on a track and should not be the star. In many cases, a listener should even notice that the pads are there until they are removed from a track and the listener detects that something is missing.
With their space filling ability, pads are good way to provide a point of difference between verse and chorus. Leave out the pads in the verse and bring them in during the chorus to give a more robust sound to the chorus. This will give the song a more dynamic impact when the chorus hits. Also try it in reverse and see how it sounds.
Next time you are listening to beat, pay extra attention to any pad parts you hear. Start incorporating the pads into your beats to give them a more full sound. Next article, we'll cover the next role...the groove.
Whereas the drums lay the rhythmic foundation of a song, the pads lay the harmonic foundation of a song. With this role of building a song's harmonic structure, the pads have a unique ability to add emotion to a track that the drums cannot match. No matter what vibe the song is, pads can help instantly bring that to a track. For good examples of this, listen to "One Mic" by Nas and notice how the pads in the intro instantly give the track a reflective vibe. Also, listen to "I'm Not Afraid" by Eminem and hear how the pads in the intro immediately give the song a feeling of triumph. You can use pads to have the same effect on your songs.
Pads are also great at filling in dead space within a track. Because they are a subtle and undynamic sound, they can sit with other parts such as the groove and the lead without distracting the listener. If you tried to fill in empty spaces with other parts such as the groove or the lead, it could potentially distract the user if there is too much going on. Because of this ability, pads are an excellent sound for layering (a topic that we'll discuss later). The critical thing to understand about incorporating pads into your track is to mix them in a lower volumes. Pads should have a subtle effect on a track and should not be the star. In many cases, a listener should even notice that the pads are there until they are removed from a track and the listener detects that something is missing.
With their space filling ability, pads are good way to provide a point of difference between verse and chorus. Leave out the pads in the verse and bring them in during the chorus to give a more robust sound to the chorus. This will give the song a more dynamic impact when the chorus hits. Also try it in reverse and see how it sounds.
Next time you are listening to beat, pay extra attention to any pad parts you hear. Start incorporating the pads into your beats to give them a more full sound. Next article, we'll cover the next role...the groove.
About the Author:
Frank Lubsey is one part of the Jam Sonic music production team and currently makes beats for hip-hop artists, jingles for small businesses, and music for tv and film. Please be sure to visit his website for beatmaking articles and videos and hip-hop beats for sale.
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