Today, we'll discuss the lead and it's important role in a beat. As the name of the role suggests, the lead is the part of the beat that sticks out and is the part that gets stuck in the minds of the listener.
Traditionally, classic hip-hop did not incorporate many lead sounds. Outside of the samples used from vinyl records and the drums, traditional classic hip-hop instrumentation was pretty sparse. However, in modern hip-hop, a lot of influence today is derived from dance music and from older synth -based hip hop such as Afrika Bambaata. With the rise of southern rap, leads are now a part of a typical beat and are most likely here to stay in hip-hop. For examples of the lead in hip-hop, listen to the in-your-face synth in "Yeah" by Usher or the high-pitched west-coast style lead in "Big Poppa" by Notorious B.I.G.
The lead falls within a song's harmonic structure, but is the star of the show. The other parts such as the pads and the groove support what goes on in the lead sound. Within the lead part, you have counter leads as well.
The counter lead has essentially the same characteristics as the lead, but it's sole purpose is to support the lead and to make the lead part more interesting. This can be done in a number of ways. One way is to have the lead part play a starting phrase and to have the counter lead play the ending part of a phrase in a "call and response" fashion. Another example is to have the lead part play a whole musical phrase and then have the counter lead only accent the most important notes in the phrase. One final example may be to have the lead playing a whole musical phrase and then having the counter lead playing long and sustained drone sounds to support it. The possibilities are endless between the lead and counter lead and you should experiment with it in your music.
Also, as a final point, experiment with having the lead and counter leads play only during certain sections of the song. For example, have the counter leads come in at the verse and then the lead sound come in only during the chorus. Dropping parts in and out of certain sections of a song is a great way to make your musical arrangements more interesting and to keep your listeners interested in the beat. In our next section, we'll discuss the bass.
Traditionally, classic hip-hop did not incorporate many lead sounds. Outside of the samples used from vinyl records and the drums, traditional classic hip-hop instrumentation was pretty sparse. However, in modern hip-hop, a lot of influence today is derived from dance music and from older synth -based hip hop such as Afrika Bambaata. With the rise of southern rap, leads are now a part of a typical beat and are most likely here to stay in hip-hop. For examples of the lead in hip-hop, listen to the in-your-face synth in "Yeah" by Usher or the high-pitched west-coast style lead in "Big Poppa" by Notorious B.I.G.
The lead falls within a song's harmonic structure, but is the star of the show. The other parts such as the pads and the groove support what goes on in the lead sound. Within the lead part, you have counter leads as well.
The counter lead has essentially the same characteristics as the lead, but it's sole purpose is to support the lead and to make the lead part more interesting. This can be done in a number of ways. One way is to have the lead part play a starting phrase and to have the counter lead play the ending part of a phrase in a "call and response" fashion. Another example is to have the lead part play a whole musical phrase and then have the counter lead only accent the most important notes in the phrase. One final example may be to have the lead playing a whole musical phrase and then having the counter lead playing long and sustained drone sounds to support it. The possibilities are endless between the lead and counter lead and you should experiment with it in your music.
Also, as a final point, experiment with having the lead and counter leads play only during certain sections of the song. For example, have the counter leads come in at the verse and then the lead sound come in only during the chorus. Dropping parts in and out of certain sections of a song is a great way to make your musical arrangements more interesting and to keep your listeners interested in the beat. In our next section, we'll discuss the bass.
About the Author:
Frank Lubsey is a member of the Jam Sonic music production team. With over ten years of composing experience, Frank and the Jam Sonic team make beats for hip-hop artists, jingles for small businesses, and music for tv and film. Be sure to visit his website for hip-hop beats for sale and beatmaking articles and videos.