By Frank Lubsey
In this article, we will explore an often under-appreciated role in a hip-hop beats, the pads. Pads have never been a prominent feature in hip-hop, but nevertheless, when used correctly, pads can be an effective way to spice up your beats.
Whereas the drums lay the rhythmic foundation of a song, the pads lay the harmonic foundation of a song. With this role of building a song's harmonic structure, the pads have a unique ability to add emotion to a track that the drums cannot match. No matter what vibe the song is, pads can help instantly bring that to a track. For good examples of this, listen to "One Mic" by Nas and notice how the pads in the intro instantly give the track a reflective vibe. Also, listen to "I'm Not Afraid" by Eminem and hear how the pads in the intro immediately give the song a feeling of triumph. You can use pads to have the same effect on your songs.
Another great use of pads is their ability to fill space in a track without taking away from the main part of the song. Because pads are long and sustained, they can easily complement other parts such as the groove and the lead parts without distracting the listener. If you tried to fill in space in your track with other parts such as the lead or the groove (both of which we'll cover in later articles), they can often times take away from those parts because they will distract the user. As a result, pad sounds are one of the primary sounds used for layering ( a concept that we will talk about in later articles). The key to having pads fill up space in a track is to mix them in at low volumes in a mix. Pads should be audible but not noticeable in a mix in order to get the maximum effectiveness out of them.
With their ability to fill in space in a track, pads can be a great way to provide a difference in sound between verse and chorus parts. The parts of the verse can be left without pads for a more sparse sound while the chorus contains the pad sounds for a more robust and full-sounding track. When the beat changes from verse to chorus, it will have a more dynamic impact on the beat and the listener.
Now that you've learned about the pads, keep an ear out for them next time you are listening to beats and start incorporating them into your tracks. In our next article, we'll the discuss the next role, the groove.
Whereas the drums lay the rhythmic foundation of a song, the pads lay the harmonic foundation of a song. With this role of building a song's harmonic structure, the pads have a unique ability to add emotion to a track that the drums cannot match. No matter what vibe the song is, pads can help instantly bring that to a track. For good examples of this, listen to "One Mic" by Nas and notice how the pads in the intro instantly give the track a reflective vibe. Also, listen to "I'm Not Afraid" by Eminem and hear how the pads in the intro immediately give the song a feeling of triumph. You can use pads to have the same effect on your songs.
Another great use of pads is their ability to fill space in a track without taking away from the main part of the song. Because pads are long and sustained, they can easily complement other parts such as the groove and the lead parts without distracting the listener. If you tried to fill in space in your track with other parts such as the lead or the groove (both of which we'll cover in later articles), they can often times take away from those parts because they will distract the user. As a result, pad sounds are one of the primary sounds used for layering ( a concept that we will talk about in later articles). The key to having pads fill up space in a track is to mix them in at low volumes in a mix. Pads should be audible but not noticeable in a mix in order to get the maximum effectiveness out of them.
With their ability to fill in space in a track, pads can be a great way to provide a difference in sound between verse and chorus parts. The parts of the verse can be left without pads for a more sparse sound while the chorus contains the pad sounds for a more robust and full-sounding track. When the beat changes from verse to chorus, it will have a more dynamic impact on the beat and the listener.
Now that you've learned about the pads, keep an ear out for them next time you are listening to beats and start incorporating them into your tracks. In our next article, we'll the discuss the next role, the groove.
About the Author:
Frank Lubsey is one-third of the Jam Sonic music production squad and currently makes beats for hip-hop artists, jingles for small businesses, and music for tv and film. Please be sure to check out his site for beatmaking articles and videos and hip-hop beats for sale.