In this article, we will take a look at one of the most subtle but nonetheless important roles in a beat, and that's the pads. Pads have never been the focal point of hip-hop and have instead had a more prominent role in more chord and melody-centric music such as techno and r&b. Nevertheless, pads can play an important role in a beat and can be used in a variety of ways in your beat to spice them up.
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.
Pads are also great at filling in dead space within a track. Because they are a subtle and undynamic sound, they can sit with other parts such as the groove and the lead without distracting the listener. If you tried to fill in empty spaces with other parts such as the groove or the lead, it could potentially distract the user if there is too much going on. Because of this ability, pads are an excellent sound for layering (a topic that we'll discuss later). The critical thing to understand about incorporating pads into your track is to mix them in a lower volumes. Pads should have a subtle effect on a track and should not be the star. In many cases, a listener should even notice that the pads are there until they are removed from a track and the listener detects that something is missing.
Use the space filling ability of pads to help distinguish parts such as the verse and chorus from one another. Experiment with bringing in the pads during the chorus and leaving them out during the verse. Now listen to the beat and notice how the song has a more dynamic impact when the chorus kicks in. You can also experiment with this by doing it the other way around. Have a full-sounding verse and a sparse chorus.
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.
Pads are also great at filling in dead space within a track. Because they are a subtle and undynamic sound, they can sit with other parts such as the groove and the lead without distracting the listener. If you tried to fill in empty spaces with other parts such as the groove or the lead, it could potentially distract the user if there is too much going on. Because of this ability, pads are an excellent sound for layering (a topic that we'll discuss later). The critical thing to understand about incorporating pads into your track is to mix them in a lower volumes. Pads should have a subtle effect on a track and should not be the star. In many cases, a listener should even notice that the pads are there until they are removed from a track and the listener detects that something is missing.
Use the space filling ability of pads to help distinguish parts such as the verse and chorus from one another. Experiment with bringing in the pads during the chorus and leaving them out during the verse. Now listen to the beat and notice how the song has a more dynamic impact when the chorus kicks in. You can also experiment with this by doing it the other way around. Have a full-sounding verse and a sparse chorus.
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 produces beats for hip-hop acts, jingles for small businesses, and music for tv and film. Please be sure to check out his website for beatmaking articles and videos and hip-hop beats for sale.