In our discussion for today, we're going to focus on the sound of Dr. Dre and what every hip-hop producer can learn by studying Dr. Dre's music. The greatest asset that any producer has is his ear, and it is impossible to ever be great without studying greatness. Thus, plug in your headphones, break out a few tracks produced by Dr. Dre and start studying.
Although the greatness of Dr. Dre is pretty well known, few people know what it is that makes Dr. Dre great. While the list below is by no means comprehensive, it does provide 3 critical things that Dr. Dre is known for. By learning these 3 things, you can elevate the quality of your own beats.
Drum Sounds: Without question, one of Dr. Dre's greatest gifts is his ability to blend and mix drum sounds. Every sound that he chooses from the snare drum to his choice of shaker works together. Every sound in a Dr. Dre beat gels perfectly. This is achieved by Dre putting in the time necessary to choose the best drum sound. Where other producers churn out multiple beats in a day, Dre is known for spending an entire day perfecting one beat.
Groove: Another aspect about a Dr. Dre beat is that rhythmically, a Dr. Dre beat is typically not very complex when compared to a Timbaland beat. However, Dr. Dre is a master of subtlety and groove and what you'll find in a Dre beat is that his grooves are never overly quantized. Snares will hit late or hi-hat parts may lag behind. Dr. Dre achieves this by nudging notes by as little as a few milliseconds. The end result is that his patterns have a groove that simply could not be achieved by quantization.
Sample Interpolation: One final technique that Dr. Dre has pioneered is the use of live musicians to interpret samples. Dre has a team of musicians that he collaborates with in order to make beats. This gives Dr. Dre more control over the final sound of a beat and prevents the end product from sounding just like another sampled beat.
Dr. Dre has been credited as one of hip-hop's greatest producers and rightfully so. Study a few of his classic albums and techniques and incorporate them into your sound.
Although the greatness of Dr. Dre is pretty well known, few people know what it is that makes Dr. Dre great. While the list below is by no means comprehensive, it does provide 3 critical things that Dr. Dre is known for. By learning these 3 things, you can elevate the quality of your own beats.
Drum Sounds: Without question, one of Dr. Dre's greatest gifts is his ability to blend and mix drum sounds. Every sound that he chooses from the snare drum to his choice of shaker works together. Every sound in a Dr. Dre beat gels perfectly. This is achieved by Dre putting in the time necessary to choose the best drum sound. Where other producers churn out multiple beats in a day, Dre is known for spending an entire day perfecting one beat.
Groove: Another aspect about a Dr. Dre beat is that rhythmically, a Dr. Dre beat is typically not very complex when compared to a Timbaland beat. However, Dr. Dre is a master of subtlety and groove and what you'll find in a Dre beat is that his grooves are never overly quantized. Snares will hit late or hi-hat parts may lag behind. Dr. Dre achieves this by nudging notes by as little as a few milliseconds. The end result is that his patterns have a groove that simply could not be achieved by quantization.
Sample Interpolation: One final technique that Dr. Dre has pioneered is the use of live musicians to interpret samples. Dre has a team of musicians that he collaborates with in order to make beats. This gives Dr. Dre more control over the final sound of a beat and prevents the end product from sounding just like another sampled beat.
Dr. Dre has been credited as one of hip-hop's greatest producers and rightfully so. Study a few of his classic albums and techniques and incorporate them into your sound.
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