DRUM MACHINE PROGRAMMING TIPS

["loop.pool" <looppool@cruzio.com>]

I found this post I made to a looper requesting drum machine programming 
tips on another online community.

I can't remember if I posted this or not, so please forgive the redundancy 
if I did but I offer it up for what it's worth and would
love to hear other thoughts and approaches on the subject.


DRUM MACHINE SONG CONSTRUCTION TIPS

>From the drum machine programs I heard you perform, (which I enjoyed a 
>lot) 
it sounded like you were trying to compose with drum sounds as opposed to 
writing things that an actual drummer would play.

I think this is a very valid approach, aesthetically but not a strong 
groove 
approach. No judgement either way.

Groove oriented drummers think very simply and for good reason: their job 
(when they are good enough that people will pay them a lot of money for 
what 
they do) is to serve the song and provide a minimalistic enough foundation 
so that the composer/songwriter has a lot of room to move over the top of 
it; both melodically, harmonically and timbrally.

How I think as a drummer is to come up with a simple and distinctive drum 
groove that I try to play. Frequently that may be a one bar groove but
a lot of times I may compose a two or four bar groove that has slight 
variations in it.

I consider any single variation from a repeated pattern, whether an
AAAA form or a more complicated ABAC ABAD form to be a
'fill' and I tend to only use fills in a ration of 1/8 or more frequently 
1/16
when I'm playing (especially if I'm recording a record for someone).

Frequently , I will even take the 'linear rhythm' which is the combined 
syncopative quality of all the parts played in a piece and I will make
the fill play that exact rhythm-----this creates what I call a 'groove 
fill' 
or a fill that pushes the forward momentum of the piece. A wild fill that
radically differs from the "linear rhythm' of the piece will be 
distracting 
frequently.

I also think very seriously about whether a drummer would actually be able 
to play a fill that I program. As an example, if you are playing 16th 
notes 
on a hihat with a backbeat on snare on beats 2 and 4, DON"T put a hihat 
note 
on 2 and 4. It's not physically possible for a drummer to play a hi hat
on beats 2 and 4 at a higher speed.

Towards this end, go out and watch a good 'pocket' funk or soul drummer 
play 
and watch what they do physically. You don't want to be doing melodic tom 
fills that are physically impossible to play by a human being.
We unconciously 'hear' this when people program ineffectively.

I always use very simple song forms when providing variation in a drum 
groove: AAAB, AABA, ABAC, ABCB, for example, if I am writing a four bar 
groove.

This comes from a very Afro-centric orientation which is the basis of most
trapset groove playing (pre Drum and Bass and Glitch styles).

The Afro-centric approach is very call and response or response and call 
oriented.

Because drum machines lack 'energy' or a human feel, programmers 
frequently 
feel the need to make their patterns more complicated
so that 'something happens'. Oddly enough, I have found that the opposite 
approach is more effective...............I think it is much stronger to
make the groove as simple as effective in conveyng the kind of feel you 
want 
to get across and then build the 'human' qualities into the upper voices 
(or 
bass voice). In many pop groups this is what the drummer does anyway.

Also, because drum machines lack 'energy' frequently mixers pull them down 
in the mix. I, again, have found the opposite approach works better.
I actually will mix a drum machine in a piece louder than I would as a 
compensation for lack of energy.

I'd say in general, don't be afraid to use the machine as a trance 
element..............extremeley minimalistic with really nice choice of 
sounds
(also beware of huge kick drum sounds that mask, timbrally with big 
subsonic 
bass guitar or synth tones).

Let me know if any of this is helpful or it you'd like more suggestions.

yours, Rick