Recording - July 2010 - 34

Think of “loops” and the concept of repeating the same thing over and over comes to mind... which is why some music creators stay away from using them. I feel that very authentic-sounding drum parts can be created using drum loop libraries, once you learn some arranging techniques. In most cases they sound better than MIDI-programmed drums to me, second only to having a real drummer play the part. Our premise While there are other ways of using loops, for the purpose of this article I’ll focus on the arranging of loops from within software made specifically for dealing with loops—ACID, SONAR, GarageBand, etc.. And while there are multi-track loop products available that have all the drums split out by individual instrument, for the purpose of this article I’ll focus on the majority of drum loop libraries that are stereo recordings.

Have your software loop the verse section of your reference track, check out loops from different products, and zero in on a library that represents the best feel and drum sounds for your song. Once you pick the library, start listening closely to the individual drum loops while you keep the verse reference track looping; identify loops that might work. This is why it is important to have a relevant guitar or keyboard reference track, it really helps you weed out inappropriate loops. Note that although you are repeating the verse, you may hear loops that will work for other sections of the song or even be usable as fills. Load in any loop that you might find a use for, and note down where in the song structure you think you might use it. The goal is to get variety and musicality happening; that is the key to an authentic-sounding drum track. Verses typically require a solid groove, whereas choruses usually open up a bit—the kick might get busier, the hihat might switch from quarter notes to eight notes or eighth notes to 16th notes. Many times it works well to switch from a loop that uses a hi-hat for the verse to one that uses a ride cymbal for the chorus. For the bridge the drums often break down and become more sparse.

Getting started I almost always start by recording some sort of reference track into the software. I determine the tempo I want to start working at and have the software provide a click track. I’ll then record in a scratch guitar or keyboard part that outlines the form and feel of the song I’ve written. This reference track can sometimes be just an a cappella vocal if I’m working with a singer. The next step is to audition drum loops. Of course you’ll need to own at least one library created to suit the style you are composing in. You may think that drum loops are all Rap, Hip Hop and R&B, but loops can be found in just about any style imaginable—as of this writing the latest song I used loops on was a Jazz Bossa Nova! Drum loop libraries are relatively inexpensive and available from many companies. The more products you collect in 2 the genres you work in, the more options you have. They all have a different sound, noticeably so—as

Loop playback of the other sections of your song and keep auditioning and loading in possible loops. When you’re done you’ll probably have 12–15 different loop choices available. Start arranging At this point I like to put all the possible loops in place, without worrying about fills. So if I have four loops marked as verse candidates, I put all four in a verse section and mute three of them. I loop playback of the verse and alternate listening between all four until I find the one I want to use. Many times it is not just one, but a combination of two or more. For example, the first two bars of “Loop One” plus the last two bars of “Loop Four”. Or maybe “Loop Two” for four bars followed by “Loop Three” for four bars... whatever makes the most sense musically and sounds like something a real drummer would play. I continue in the same manner until the basic grooves are in place for each section. Customize Every good drum part needs fills, of course, and you can further add to a realistic-sounding drum track by editing your part to catch specific hits that are occurring in the song. There is a good chance your library came with loops designed to be used as fills. Usually these are referenced in the file name. In this case pick your fills the same way as you did your main grooves. Loop playback of the spot and audition the available fills. Grab a

you audition them, pick loops from one and only one library for a project. The idea is to create an authentic-sounding part, so you definitely don’t want to grab one loop and paste it across the entire 3:30 form of your tune. You need to think in terms of sections, and what the drums typically do in a song like yours for each section. Let’s use an example of Intro, Verse 1, Chorus 1, Verse 2, Chorus 2, Bridge, and Choruses out.
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RECORDING JULY 2010

Recording - July 2010

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