writing in drum parts

[david.barker]

Hello
As a hobbyist
I have been struggling to write in realistic drum parts,into the midi note editor for sometime now.
Its a basic thing I would like to learn and get right

My issues is with the grid itself and where to place drum notes,what grid size to use.My timing is out too, lol.

I like to write ambient styles using (as mentioned in my other post) electronic and acoustic type drums as a kind of hybrid mix.
But up to now I have avoided drum parts
I have EZ drummer 3 could use that,but would like to learn how to ,first.

Appreciate the help and advice,thank you

[cids]

One advise can be is to take a drumloop (audio) you like and Convert the drums to new Midi track - you can then analyse and see what you like!

[Greenapples2019]

Hi David, I'm a drummer and drum tutor, and when I collaborate/record will often program the drums using MIDI in Ableton. If it would help I'm happy to send you one of my drum midi tracks for you to see where kicks, snares, hi-hats etc are on the grid, and how to use velocity/groove to create more acoustic/human sounding patterns.

Cheers

D

[chris harbin]

Or you could just do what all rappers do. Make exactly the same "beat" over and over and over and make mad coin!

Cynical? Yep.

[brianwdowling]

There are also some VST drum machines such as AudioModern's Playbeat, where you can drag the midi from a preset into a drum rack and then modify. I sometimes find this can be a useful start for ideas. I'm not so skilled at programming drum beats so the VSTs can help.

[david.barker]

Or you could just do what all rappers do. Make exactly the same "beat" over and over and over and make mad coin!

Cynical? Yep.

ha,ha your right but I'm not like that

[david.barker]

There are also some VST drum machines such as AudioModern's Playbeat, where you can drag the midi from a preset into a drum rack and then modify. I sometimes find this can be a useful start for ideas. I'm not so skilled at programming drum beats so the VSTs can help.

I have EZ drummer 3 so probably explore some ideas,see how stuff fits together. For a while

[david.barker]

Hi David, I'm a drummer and drum tutor, and when I collaborate/record will often program the drums using MIDI in Ableton. If it would help I'm happy to send you one of my drum midi tracks for you to see where kicks, snares, hi-hats etc are on the grid, and how to use velocity/groove to create more acoustic/human sounding patterns.

Cheers

D

Thank you for that suggestion.I have EZ drummer 3,and will look into that for inspriation,t hanks anyway

[fishmonkey]

you need to think like a drummer and about how a creature with 4 limbs interacts with a drum kit if you want to program stuff that sounds something like a person playing a kit (if that's what you mean by "realistic").

here are couple of decent vids:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23qiThX93bE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPs2AhgfLhA

[david.barker]

you need to think like a drummer and about how a creature with 4 limbs interacts with a drum kit if you want to program stuff that sounds something like a person playing a kit (if that's what you mean by "realistic").

here are couple of decent vids:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23qiThX93bE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPs2AhgfLhA

Thank for the links,yes I do think how a drummer would play, thats my aim to inject interest into my ambient styles.Where the drum parts lands, thats another story

[yur2die4]

The way I approach it is. I like to have an idea of the general concept of what is expected in standard drum beats. Then I like to learn a few unique sounding rhythms and compare those to the basic model. Last, I think it’s nice to hear a steady beat or even non-beat music and then make up rhythms with various instruments while it is playing, recording the midi or audio.

For me, the basic standard model is to set a pace primarily with hats. Can be 1/8 note repetition or 1/4 note. Etc. I can omit them or move them around a little. I can change velocity. But as a reference, it is nice to understand that feel.

Snare or clap or whatever on the backbeat (2 and 4) with possible ghost or light hits between. Alternatively, I can go halftime with it only on the 2.

Kick or bass drum I like on the 1 in most cases. And then the classic sound is to have it on 1 and 3. If not 3, maybe move it forward or backward. Add another. Keep in mind that you want to determine a quantization for the kick depending on the mood. If it’s an 8th note mood, you might want to be thoughtful about moving it a 16th.

I like learning this template, and then deciding if it is good enough for today’s song, or if I want to deviate it to some degree. The sky is the limit. And there is nothing wrong with toning it down and removing an element altogether. Or going crazy. If you want something more structured you can have drum element and pattern changes to suite transitions etc.

There’s more. And, I’m not really a pro. But this works quite well for me.

[Greenapples2019]

I use separate tracks for kick, snare, hats, toms, crashes, ride. This makes it easy to select different instruments and then eq, pan, compress, reverb etc. I also use grooves for the hats and “add some random” velocity (say 94 to 100) to them. Then group everything into a buss and tweak the overall sound. Took a few mins to set up but now it’s saved it’s really quick to get 90% of the way there each time.

[david.barker]

I use separate tracks for kick, snare, hats, toms, crashes, ride. This makes it easy to select different instruments and then eq, pan, compress, reverb etc. I also use grooves for the hats and “add some random” velocity (say 94 to 100) to them. Then group everything into a buss and tweak the overall sound. Took a few mins to set up but now it’s saved it’s really quick to get 90% of the way there each time.

Thank you, great tips there
yeah my issue is also the basics how to write in notes where,what grid to use etc,etc .Where to place kicks,etc.My genera of music I make is ambient in style, as a hobby, so not always have complex lengthy drum parts
I will investigate and experiment though

[Greenapples2019]

Forgive me if this is too simplistic but as a starting point you could set up a simple 4 bar 4/4 clip, set the grid to 1/8, add snare to 1.2, 1.4, 2.2 etc, put hi hats on every beat, add kick to 1.1, 2.1 etc. Then experiment putting extra kick beats in and varying the velocity of the hats until you get a sound you like. Drop/add some snare hits, crashes, toms and just play around until you get a good feel for how what you program in relates to what you’re hearing.

When you’re ready, switch the grid to 1/16 and repeat, it’ll all get much funkier, going from “1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and” to “1 e and a 2 e and a 3 e and a 4 e and a”

[david.barker]

Forgive me if this is too simplistic but as a starting point you could set up a simple 4 bar 4/4 clip, set the grid to 1/8, add snare to 1.2, 1.4, 2.2 etc, put hi hats on every beat, add kick to 1.1, 2.1 etc. Then experiment putting extra kick beats in and varying the velocity of the hats until you get a sound you like. Drop/add some snare hits, crashes, toms and just play around until you get a good feel for how what you program in relates to what you’re hearing.

When you’re ready, switch the grid to 1/16 and repeat, it’ll all get much funkier, going from “1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and” to “1 e and a 2 e and a 3 e and a 4 e and a”

Thank you for this
,with my ambient styles they tend to be more percussion type hits rather than actualy drum parts in full,(think that makes sense)
Its the grid itself and where to place notes I need to work on too