Drum Samples – Sequencing and Bars
The number of bars used when sequencing drum samples can vary quite a lot. Usually, the total number of bars will be equal to the length of the song as a whole, and if you’re making loops to start with, it can be a bit more complicated.
If you’re composing a standard loop and want to portray a general outline of your song in a fairly straightforward manner, using four bars should be enough. The theme of the song can be condensed into these four musical bars, and the sample should be able to stand on its own; that is, you should not need surrounding music to really give the sample context. You should also add some variance in the drum samples or instruments, and a popular method is to do this toward the end of the forth bar. Keeping the listener comfortable and yet not sure what comes next is the aim of the game here, so remember that variance is key, even in a measly 4-bar loop.
Sixteen bars is another common loop number, usually because in hip hop, 16 bars is a typical vocal verse length. So if you can develop the 16 bar loop, complete with pre-chorus introduction and an 8 bar switch-up (just an example), you can give a good example of the way the song would be structured. Using drum samples over these 16 bars will give see you test your creative limits, especially if you make a few beats every day. Introducing the hi-hats starting at bar 8, for instance, gives the song a great motion factor.
Looking beyond changes to the drum samples? You can be as creative as you want. A lot of producers will change the harmony as well as the rhythmic aspects around the half-way mark or even after just four bars to kick things off. If you change multiple aspects of the beat, you’re really telling your listener that things are starting to kick off, and this is a great way to create some energy in your song.
Looking outside instruments and drum samples, vocals can also be a great trigger tool. A singer or rapper may perform the first four bars in a very monotonous tone and then simply explode with emotion. This is a wake-up call on its own, but coupled with the other techniques, you could really run wild in your listener’s mind.
Having said all of this, though, drum samples are definitely the easiest way to introduce some change into an existing musical piece. Your singer does not have to sing anything different to switch up their vocals and you don’t need to play new harmonies or anything else to add that subtlety.
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