| Snare Drum Samples: Under the Microscope |
|
|
|
| Written by JohnGellei | |
| Monday, 16 November 2009 | |
|
Snare drums are an essential component in a lot of genres; from dance to hip hop and RnB and all types of metal and rock, snares really have an impact beyond just a monotonous sound. The usage of snare drum samples is dependent on the exact style of music, as well as the tempo of the songs they are featured in.
Snare drums are an essential component in a lot of genres; from dance to hip hop and RnB and all types of metal and rock, snares really have an impact beyond just a monotonous sound. The usage of snare drum samples is dependent on the exact style of music, as well as the tempo of the songs they are featured in. Snare drum samples are usually placed on beats 2 and 4 in urban groove songs such as most hip hop. The reason for this is that it's usually the kicks that occupy the other, stronger points of the bar, but the snare still plays an important part and sets the tone for the rest of the song much of the time. There are literally thousands of different snare types out there for use in computer music production. Two of the types seem to dominate the music scene, though, and these are the real snares recorded in professional settings and made available to beat makers, and the snare drum samples that are generated with different programming in devices like drum machines and keyboard workstations. The snare drums made by computers can also be very realistic and not synthetic-sounding. Effects play a big role in the final sound of the snare drum samples, and one of the most common one is reverb. The reverb effect doesn't just affect the sample, but can affect the whole song, even if only the snare is subjected to the reverb process. The reverb can be dynamic, as in applied throughout the song with variable parameters, or on a per-sample basis, with it having been applied prior to use and perhaps only affected by an ADSR envelope or similar. In dance music, the snare placement and general use has been tried and tested over 20 years, with different techniques still popping up today and being heard worldwide literally overnight! Two of the most widely used ways to place snare drum samples are heard in songs every day if you're into this sort of music. The first method sees the snare sitting on beats 1 and 4, the weaker spots of the bar, while the kick hits every beat consistently. Basically, the snare relieves the ear from hearing just the kick. The second way is to use it on every beat with with a slightly different groove. Using snare drum samples as best as you can is an art form, and it is an easy goal to reach consistently if you experiment enough. You need to keep an ear out for new methods and new techniques all the time, and apply what you want to your own tracks, not worrying about the fine things at this point. About the Author: If you want the best drum samples available, check out My Drum Samples here: http://www.mydrumsamples.com/ From the Webmaster: "Having the opportunity to share my hobbies and interests with so many people around the world gives me great satisfaction. As a bonus, I blog and produce websites about topics that interest me and receive ad revenue from the websites and Blogs."
|