The Roshua Review May 2015 | Page 15

How To:

Make a Dope Beat

bl_nk

edition

2. Plan out chords. Chords are important. This is where some musical knowledge is required. A 15 minute google search will probably be all you need to get you up to speed. You should have decided what sound you’re going after, whether it’s hard Southern Hip-Hop or that nice chill OVO sound. Your chords are the foundation of your creation, and if you have great chord progression, you already have a great sounding beat.

3. Make Melody. The melody is the hook. This is the first thing you hear in all music; it’s important to have your melody reflect your musical concept. The melody should be the most identifiable part of the beat, but do not limit your creation’s melody to the typical melodic instruments. Tip: If you stem you melody from your chords or even use complementing notes, your instrumental will sound great.

4. Have the Beat Knocking. It’s detrimental to the success of the music that the beat knocks. Bass, kicks, snare toms, and high-hats are all the tools you need for a knocking beat. A great example is Kanye West’s stronger, but don’t let that limit you. Music is all relative, and you can use whatever percussion you favor.

5. Add Ornamentation. Ornamentation is really whatever you feel will make the listening experience better. A crash there or a tomb break down there, it’s all up to you. Just make it dope.

1. Birth a Musical Concept. Birthing a musical concept sounds complex, but it basically means the sound you are going for. You’re deciding which genre of music you’re about to create whether it’s Trap, Hip-Hop, or funk; it’s all up to you.

The Roshua Review Interviews a lot of rappers. However, the people behind the rappers are really what make Hip-Hop Special. Since we appreciate our rappers so much, we only see it fit to appreciate our producers as well. Here is bl_nk, the first producer to ever sit down with The Roshua Review. Being a close friend, I know what he is capable of creating, So I decided to give him the feature. Here's how bl_nk makes his beats dope.