BeatTips List of Great Records for Drum Sounds, Vol. 5
Record Gems with Open Drum Sounds
I’m a strong advocate for using custom drum sounds. And although I have no issue with stock drum sounds (I’ve used stock drums in the past, and I have no problem with using them in the future) I believe that one of the most effective ways of creating your own style and sound is through the use of your own customized drum sounds.
That being said, I will be compiling an ongoing list—the BeatTips List of Great Records for Drum Sounds—of ALL of the records that I (and many others) have found to be great for drum sounds. For each installment or volume of the list, I will try to post at least five songs. Furthermore, this list will also include those songs that I have studied as a guide for drum pattern arrangements. And it is my hope that the songs on this list well help serve as a guide for those who want to tune the drum sounds that they already have to the sounds showcased on this list.
Finally, although some readers will note that there are some obvious choices that should be on this list, please bear with me, as I will be rolling out this list periodically without, necessarily, any preference to the most well-known “break-beats” (this is not a list of break-beat records). In fact, I suspect some songs on this ongoing list will surprise some of you. But after a “full-listen” of the record, you’ll see just why it earned a spot. Still as always, I invite discussion. So any and all suggestions, whether well-known or obscure, are certainly welcome.
The music and videos below are presented here for the purpose of scholarship.
Mike James Kirkland – “Together”
Two different snares, nice tom, closed hat, and kick at the 0:00-0:06 mark. Also, take a listen to the bass line. Listen for how it moves, less complex, like a soft accompaniment. Great modelt/lesson for how to build less complex or “busy” bass parts (support bass) for your beats. And, of course, this is a serious soul joint.
Marva Whitney – “Get Together”
A funk staple and popular cut amongst seasoned collectors. Not just that, the drum sounds on this record are undoubtedly in the drum sound libraries of many early ’90s beatmakers. I built a couple of different snares from the snare that I initially sampled off of this cut. At the 0:00-0:06 mark: kick, snare, hi-hat, open hat, and break.
Smoked Sugar – “My Eyes Search a Lonely Room For You”
Far as drum sounds, the only thing to catch on this cut are the toms at the very opening, 0:00-0:02. Still, an introduction to Smoked Sugar is a good thing. Remember, all music is a gateway to more music.
Lafayette Afro Rock Band – “Hihache”
For its opening break, this Lafyette Afro Rock Band cut is one of the most well-known breaks amongst funk aficionados and vinyl collectors. The break itself has been sampled a lot, and has shown up in a number of songs over the past 20 or so years. But take the break apart, and what you have is a true drummer’s delight—19 seconds of open drum-hits! At the 0:00-0:19 mark, snare (at least 3 different velocity flavors), kick, hi-hat, open hat, closed hat. And the break works as an added bonus, as it serves as a great drum pattern practie session. I used to practice recreating this opening drum break using the same sounds and different sounds. And note: I practiced making the break with time correct on and off to help develop my sense of time and my overall drum programming/arraning skills.
