Not every hip-hop beat is built on a sample. Synths, keys and MIDI have been part of the sound since the 808, and many modern hip-hop records are entirely synthesised. This chapter covers writing melodies and leads, and designing two classic hip-hop synth sounds from scratch.
Inspiration from MIDI
MIDI loops and chord packs can kick-start a progression or melody. Layering sample-based instruments - Spitfire Audio's free LABS series is a good place to start - with synths gives you rich textures quickly.
Writing strong melodies and leads
Effects can help, but memorable leads come from the notes:
- Chord tones - start with the 1st, 3rd and 5th of each chord; try octave changes.
- Syncopation - accent offbeats with 8th and 16th notes.
- Non-chord tones - add notes that are not in the chord for tension and colour.
- Motifs - short musical ideas reused for memorable moments.
- Harmony - add notes to complement the melody, especially on longer notes.
- Fill the gaps - add notes between perfect fourths and fifths to avoid an empty, hollow line.
Sound design fundamentals
- Waveforms - sine (pure), triangle (soft), square (hollow), sawtooth (bright and buzzy), noise.
- Envelopes (ADSR) - attack, decay, sustain and release, shaping amplitude, filter and pitch over time.
- LFOs - slow, repeating modulation for movement: vibrato, wobble, tremolo.
- Effects - reverb, delay, chorus, distortion.
The Electronic Sound Art module covers synthesis in depth.
Recipe: the West Coast G-funk lead
The high, whining lead synth of early-90s West Coast hip-hop, heard on many Dr. Dre productions:
- Start with a high-pitched tone - a sine or triangle wave. Push the oscillator's octave setting high.
- Add glide (portamento) to overlapping notes for that signature slide. Play the melody legato and experiment with the glide time.
- Add a second oscillator with a different waveform - a sawtooth for more bite.
- Detune the oscillators slightly for warmth.
- Use a low-pass filter if it is too bright.
- Add reverb and delay.
Recipe: trap bells
The glassy, bell-like melodies of melodic trap and alternative R&B:
- Choose a synth with at least two oscillators.
- Write a simple melody in a high register, roughly C4 to C6. Start with four quarter notes per bar, looping.
- Oscillator 1 - sine wave, up two octaves.
- Oscillator 2 - triangle wave, down one octave.
- Add a little noise oscillator if available (or distortion later).
- Amp envelope - sustain all the way down, decay and release fairly long, so each note rings and fades like a bell.
- Filter - a 12 dB low-pass with medium cutoff and high resonance for a hollow tone.
- Unison - two voices per oscillator, slightly detuned - keep it in tune.
- Layer a second copy an octave up or down.
Bell effects:
- Width and depth - a chorus-style effect.
- Movement - a ping-pong delay.
- Colour - a touch of distortion.
- Instability - a fast, subtle vibrato.
- Space - a little hall or plate reverb.
Free plug-ins such as Valhalla Space Modulator and Valhalla Supermassive are excellent for these effects.
Do this now
- Write three parts with LABS or another free instrument: bass, chords and melody.
- Build the G-funk lead from scratch and play a melody with glide.
- Build trap bells from scratch and write a four-bar melody with them.