Beat Making Tips : Dilla Style
Wassup everybody! So we have made it to the month of February 2016, and the first thing that comes to mind is “DillaMonth”. For those that don’t know, this is the month where the great James Dewitt Yancey aka JDilla was born and passed away at the early age of 32. It may be safe to say that if you are reading this, you at least know or have heard about his genius and extensive body of musical work. I want to kick off a new series of beat making tips inspired by my favorite producers for my fellow beatmakers. I figure why not start with one we all look up to.
The best and easiest way for me to explain the beat making tips that i’ve learned from JDilla can be summed up with 3 words: Sounds, Space, Soul
1. Sounds
If you really want to capitalize off these beat making tips, you must first get your sounds together. Dilla used the craziest sounds whether he sampled or created them. Now how does one get these sounds? It requires listening to various styles of music and serious digging as well as a lot of creativity. Take the time to search for the sounds that will make your head spin when you hear it. You can either find them through vinyl, dope sound libraries, or whatever suits you. You can also create them with software or analog instruments. I prefer creating my own which is why I have sound kits.
2. Space
Another lesson I’ve learned that could be considered a portion of beat making tips from Dilla would be the use of space. My jazz idol, Ahmad Jamal is known for using space in his piano playing which influenced the great jazz trumpeter Miles Davis. I love how Dilla used space in his beats notably on the last record he ever recorded while in the hospital, Donuts. While a beat is playing, he’d just toss in some silence as if the song suddenly cuts off and then comes right back. This creates variation and dynamics to the beat. Another way is to mute elements of your beat every now and then during the song. This could be done by taking the snare out at a certain measure or letting the sample drop in and out. You may want to let the bassline, kick, or hihats stand on their own for a second and then bring everything back. This technique is how space is utilized and I promise it puts your beat on another level.
3. Soul
So let’s imagine that you are getting beat making tips from Dilla himself and he says here’s the most important thing to know. First of all, I’m willing to bet my MPC that your ears would be pointed up and out like a dog listening with major focus (I know i would) LOL! I never knew him personally, but I would imagine that he would say it’s all about soul and feeling. These two words in my humble opinion are one and the same. I don’t believe you can have one without the other. Dilla stated in an interview that “When I make my music, I want people to feel what I feel.. I want them to feel that energy…I make it straight from the heart.” It’s evident, especially if you listen closely to Donuts, that he was very intentional with his feelings as he cranked out those beats from his sickbed. This is why his beats are so amazingly soulful. I would suggest striving to create beats that move you emotionally so that you can move other people emotionally.
It has been an honor just discussing the topic of beat making tips with Dilla in mind. This legend has truly been influential in my personal beat making process. I hope that you can use some of these tips for your own productions and I’ll even leave a Dilla technique for you to try. Peace and thanks for reading!
[youtube url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NWpOl1cUEw”]