Finishing a Project: Lessons From a Classic Hip-Hop Beat

For a few moments, listen to the beat of the Jay-Z song, Dirt off Your Shoulder here:
Jay-Z – Dirt off Your Shoulder (produced by Timbaland) Instrumental

When I first listened to the song, the beat definitely stood out. I’ve heard it dozens (hundreds?) of times by now, so it’s lost some of its mojo, but the majority of you reading this were probably as awe-struck as I was when I first heard it, a few minutes after I had unwrapped The Black Album. It just doesn’t get more simple and elegant.

To me, the beat doesn’t sound all that complicated, but everything seems to be just right – the way the supporting synth line does its job but doesn’t get in the way; the slight displacement of the snare (or rim shot, rather) in the stereo field – to the left; the barely noticeable slight tap of the kick drum to produce the double kick before every fourth snare; the lo-fi-style production/mixing that goes so well with everything else. So many examples!

(By the way, listen to the full beat closely for some really good examples of contrast, which is necessary for very loop-centric beats like this, despite the song’s status…
How many examples of contrast can you find?)

Walking a Mile in the producer’s shoes

When looking back on this song, I realized something. I thought to myself, wow, that’s a really cool melody, but how would I have handled coming across such a melody during my beginning days as a beginner? If I had stumbled onto it myself, would I have produced the same beat Timbaland did?
Of course not.
Timbaland saw the potential in this riff, while I might have dismissed it and moved on. Maybe you were the same when you started. Maybe you are starting now and will go through the same things.
In trying desperately to find an ‘amazing’ melody on the MIDI keyboard, I might have skipped hundreds of simple melodies with potential like the one in D.O.Y.S.

Most people have gone through the same phase, where we just cannot see the potential of simple musical phrases. Our mind’s eye can’t see the destination, and therefore we don’t even start the engine! For some reason, we always need to be immensely impressed right away with a musical concept before we pursue the finished product. This instant gratification is what is ruining not only our musical pursuit, but other things also. (For example, you know that new iPhone will make you happy tomorrow if you get it, but unfortunately it’s much harder to get excited today about the things that 20 years of interest on your regular saving deposits [however small they might be!] will allow you to do later in life. It’s a shame.)

Of course, you wouldn’t try to run with an undeniably crap concept, for the same reason that you wouldn’t drive over a deserted wooden bridge that seems to sway in the wind! But for the could-be/would-be ideas, try to drive down that swerving road we talked about earlier and try to picture the finished product. If you can’t, try to picture the scenery around the first bend of that musical road – that is, try to picture the next step in the composition process. Even if you can’t yet, it’s normal and perfectly okay!

Keep Going (the Right Way)

You may surprise yourself with the quality of the product as you persist. Remember, though, that with any concept (either immediately impressive or a could-be), never drag it down with lazy drum programming (by lazy I do NOT mean simple – it CAN be simple, and sometimes this is the best choice – but rather poorly considered due to lack of effort) or a poor second instrument layer.

You will never win if you just go through the motions apathetically. You need to be passionate about every new member of this musical family. Never lay down a second layer unless you are confident you are moving the beat UP and towards its destination!

Sometimes, your decisions and musical sight are colored by certain things:

• Patch selection. If you’ve got a good musical concept but can’t seem to build on it fruitfully, try changing the patch. Forget the arpeggiated synth you wanted to lay down at this stage, and compose a bassline first. Or, try a different arpeggiated synth patch. Different sounds – even of the same type – inspire different ideas.
• Exhaustion. If you’ve been on this beat for 4 hours and are starting to feel a little bit tired, it’s probably time to stop. Tomorrow, or in a few days, when you go back to this project, you’ll have fresh ears and an eagerness you will relish. You will be a totally new person.
• Your personal formula. Your current production formula might just not be right for you, as weird as that sounds! Try a different way.

When I played soccer in 10th grade, at every moment I did not have the ball, I would think, “what would I do if the ball came to me right now?” This helped my game quite a bit.
Then I started to word it like this: “What would David Beckham do if he received the ball right now?” and funnily enough I played better. I was familiar with Beckham’s movements (from watching way too many games on the telly) and I could – to some extent – better my own play by looking through his eyes, so to speak. It was of course all in my head, but the difference through this perception trick was HUGE, and the results were massive!

So here’s what you should try. Every time you come across a could-be concept, think to yourself:

• How would Dr. Dre continue with this song?
• What would be Timbaland’s next step?

If you are not familiar with any producers’ work, just find some songs you like (or songs which have production values you’d like to incorporate into your own music), and then find out who produced those songs (use Google or Wikipedia).

Now find and listen to songs by that producer on repeat until you think you have a solid overview of how they deal with different artists and styles (if they are versatile). Then substitute their name into the above questions when you are trying to find a creative path to take in a project. This perception shift could be amazing for your music!