Today, we'll discuss the groove and its role in music. What makes the groove special in music is that it has the job of helping to establish both the rhythmic foundation and harmonic foundation of a song whereas other roles in music do one or the other.
The groove appears in all genres of music but the instruments used to fill the role differ depending on the genre. In rock music, the rhythm guitar plays this role while in funk music, the guitar also plays it but the wah effect is applied to give it that distinctive funk feel. In techno, the groove role is usually filled by plucks or stabs while in hip-hop, marcato strings or the piano (a al Dr. Dre), are typically used for it. Some good examples of the groove appearing in hip-hop include "No Hands" with Wakka Flocka, Wale, and Roscoe Dash or "Still D.R.E" with Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg. In "No Hands", you hear the low and dark marcato strings outlining the chords and the pulse of the song while in "Strill D.R.E", you hear the piano providing the chords and a constant rhythm.
Because of it's dual-nature of rhythm and harmony, the groove typically serves as a linking agent between the drums (rhythm) and the lead and pad parts of a song (the melody). The groove serves has the glue that can gel them together. Sometimes, without the groove, the melody parts may sound good apart but don't seem to work when together. The groove is often times that missing link.
The groove has one other important role in a track, and that is to provide motion to a song. Because of it's rhythmic characteristics, the groove has a sense of motion that other parts such as the pads don't have. If a track is full of sounds but still seems motionless or lifeless, it's because it is missing the groove to bring it all together. Don't be afraid to have parts such as the verse with no motion and parts such as the chorus with motion. Simply drop out the groove on the verse and bring it back in during the chorus. Alternating between stillness and motion keeps a track interesting and keeps the listener's attention. Also, to complement this, try changing up the hi-hat subdivisions as the track moves from still to motion. Start out a track with 8th notes and then move to 16th notes during the chorus. Or, start the track out with 16th notes and then move to 32nd notes during the chorus.
The groove is a powerful role and is essential to providing movement to your tracks. Experiment with incorporating it into your beats. In the next segment, we will talk about the leads.
The groove appears in all genres of music but the instruments used to fill the role differ depending on the genre. In rock music, the rhythm guitar plays this role while in funk music, the guitar also plays it but the wah effect is applied to give it that distinctive funk feel. In techno, the groove role is usually filled by plucks or stabs while in hip-hop, marcato strings or the piano (a al Dr. Dre), are typically used for it. Some good examples of the groove appearing in hip-hop include "No Hands" with Wakka Flocka, Wale, and Roscoe Dash or "Still D.R.E" with Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg. In "No Hands", you hear the low and dark marcato strings outlining the chords and the pulse of the song while in "Strill D.R.E", you hear the piano providing the chords and a constant rhythm.
Because of it's dual-nature of rhythm and harmony, the groove typically serves as a linking agent between the drums (rhythm) and the lead and pad parts of a song (the melody). The groove serves has the glue that can gel them together. Sometimes, without the groove, the melody parts may sound good apart but don't seem to work when together. The groove is often times that missing link.
The groove has one other important role in a track, and that is to provide motion to a song. Because of it's rhythmic characteristics, the groove has a sense of motion that other parts such as the pads don't have. If a track is full of sounds but still seems motionless or lifeless, it's because it is missing the groove to bring it all together. Don't be afraid to have parts such as the verse with no motion and parts such as the chorus with motion. Simply drop out the groove on the verse and bring it back in during the chorus. Alternating between stillness and motion keeps a track interesting and keeps the listener's attention. Also, to complement this, try changing up the hi-hat subdivisions as the track moves from still to motion. Start out a track with 8th notes and then move to 16th notes during the chorus. Or, start the track out with 16th notes and then move to 32nd notes during the chorus.
The groove is a powerful role and is essential to providing movement to your tracks. Experiment with incorporating it into your beats. In the next segment, we will talk about the leads.
About the Author:
A founding member of the Jam Sonic production squad, Frank Lubsey composes beats for hip-hop artists, jingles for small companies, and instrumental music for film and tv. His love of music began at a young age and never went away. Be sure to visit his website for beatmaking articles and videos and hip-hop beats for sale.
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