Learning how to structure a beat is crucial to creating a polished and cohesive piece of music.
A well-structured beat provides a solid foundation for the other musical elements to build upon, while giving the listener the full-fledged creative experience.
We have the basics of beat building, such as tempo, time signature, and groove, the which set the tone for the entire composition. We can then build on that framework to add variation and complexity so that the track to evolves over time without boring the listener to death.
Without proper structure, you end up with a beat that’s mundane or cluttered and chaotic, which is why we want to help you create and engaging musical experience for your listeners!
#1 Start With a Solid Foundation
The first thing you’ll need to do is consider your tempo.
There are numerous ways to do this, but I often like to consider the genre before anything else.
Different music genres tend to have distinct tempos.
For instance, hip hop beats usually range from 80-100 BPM, while EDM typically has a faster tempo ranging from 120-140 BPM. Knowing the typical tempo range of your genre can help you choose an appropriate tempo for your beat and give you a good jumping-off point.
Of course, with so many sub-genres and hybrid tracks, consider genre isn’t always enough.
Sometimes you have to consider the mood.
The tempo of a beat can have a major impact on its mood. Faster tempos tend to create a more energetic and upbeat, while slower tempos tend to be more relaxed and contemplative.
Think about the mood you want to convey in your beat and select a tempo that aligns with that mood.
You can use a metronome to accurately measure the tempo of your beat.
Remember that the tempo of your beat is not set in stone. You can always adjust it later down the line, especially if you’re using MIDI, without disrupting your flow. If you’re feeling especially experimental, you can adjust it midway through your track too!
Once you have a dedicated tempo, you can begin establishing a basic groove.
#2 Identify Your Key Elements
The key elements of a beat can vary.
For you, it might be the drums. For someone else, it might be the bassline. For some other producer, it might be a sample.
The important thing here is to get your key elements in order.
I often like to start with the drums when building a beat, as it gives me a rhythmic foundation to experiment with. First, I’ll find my kick drum.
The kick drum is often the foundation of a beat, along with an 808, depending on the genre. It provides the rhythm and sets the tempo for the track. The important thing is to choose a kick that fits the style of the beat you’re making.
Next, you’ll want to get a good snare drum sample. I see the snare drum as the second most prominent element in a beat. Experiment with different snare sounds to find one that fits well with the kick.
PRO TIP: Spend as much time as you need finding the right samples so you don’t need to spend as much time mixing down the line.
#3 Create a Starting Structure and Rhythm
Once you have your basic samples or sounds in your DAW, you’ll want to start crafting the main part of your beat.
I often like to start with references.
I’ve said it time and time again — using references when making beats is a great way to improve the quality of your productions and learn from other artists that you love.
There are a few ways you can use a reference to craft a strong rhythm, though it starts with choosing your reference wisely. Choose a reference track that has a similar style and genre to the beat you’re making. Listen to the track carefully and analyze its structure, instrumentation, and mix.
First, pay attention to the structure of the reference track. Look at the arrangement of the different sections of the track, such as the intro, verse, chorus, and bridge. Take note of the length of each section, and how they transition from one to the next. Feel free to use the exact structure of the beat if you want! Remember, you can always make adjustments down the line.
Next, analyze the instrumentation. Pay attention to the sounds that are used, such as the drums, bass, chords, and melodic elements. Take note of how they interact with each other and create a cohesive sound. Write them down and consider them as a ‘sound palette’ for your beat.
Once you have some semblance of a goal in mind, you can begin crafting a solid rhythmic foundation for your beat.
Start with an 8- or 16-bar loop to keep yourself from getting overwhelmed. You can copy and paste it along the entire track when you’re done with it, adding and removing elements as it moves forward. We’ll get there in a bit, though.
For now, keep things simple.
Consider the elements in the track you referenced.
What basic are they using?
Maybe start with a simple kick, snare, hi-hat, and bassline. Maybe introduce the main melodic line or a sample to give your beat life.
Keep building until you have a solid 16-bar loop.
If it’s sounding a bit sterile, consider incorporating some syncopation.
Syncopation is one of the most powerful tools for creating interest in music. It involves placing accents or rhythmic emphasis on unexpected beats or parts of the beat, which can create a sense of tension and release.
You can experiment with offbeat rhythms, use ghost notes, play around with time signatures, vary the length of notes, and more.
Remember that syncopation is all about playing with the listener’s expectations subverting the usual rhythmic patterns. J Dilla was the king of this. In fact, he would often use unusual time signatures like 3/4 or 5/4 in his beats, which gave them a unique, off-kilter feel.
He was also known for his use of space and silence in his beats, often leaving gaps between the drum hits or remove elements entirely to create a sense of tension and release.
#4 Incorporate Variation
Once you have a solid 8- or 16-bar beat, you’ll want to start adding variation.
One effective way to keep a beat interesting is to switch up the patterns in different sections of the beat.
By changing the drum patterns from verse to chorus, for example, adding or removing elements, or varying the instrumentation, you can create a sense of progression and development.
As you develop your beat, gradually introduce variation in the patterns.
You can do this by changing the timing of certain hits, adding or removing elements, or switching up the instrumentation.
Divide your beat into distinct sections based on your reference, such as an intro, verse, chorus, and bridge. Each section can have its own unique drum pattern or instrumentation to create variation and interest. Don’t be afraid to try out different drum patterns and rhythms as you build your beat!
You can always draw inspiration from other songs or genres, or try experimenting with unusual time signatures or rhythms.
#5 Pay Attention to the Arrangement
So, at this point, you should have a decent beat moving from start to finish with different sections that tell a story.
Now, it’s time to bind those sections together so they feel like a single, cohesive unit.
Any well-structured beat should have a clear and logical flow, taking the listener on a seamless journey from start to finish. You don’t want your beat to feel like it just hops from one section to the next. This can make it feel disjointed and confusing.
Instead, you’ll want to use elements to tie your sections together so they each feel like pieces in the same puzzle.
I always like to use fills and transitions to start.
Fills are short drum patterns or rhythms that are used to fill empty spaces in a beat or to add emphasis to a particular section.
You can make fills using the drum samples that are already in your beat or incorporate sample fills to transition between different sections of the beat.
If the track isn’t calling for a fill, you can use transitions.
Transitions, in the realm of electronic music, are FX elements used to smoothly move from one section of the beat to another, creating a seamless flow, much like fills.
These can include effects, filters, risers, or just about any other technique that creates a sense of anticipation or excitement.
Even if you use fills and transitions, however, they won’t do much if the sections of your beat lack contrast.
Contrast in music is a fundamental for adding interest and depth to their beats.
There are infinite ways to create contrast, though here are a few basic ideas to get you started:
- Vary the Instrumentation: One way to create contrast from section to section is to vary the instrumentation. For example, you could use a different drum kit or add in a new instrument in the chorus section.
- Switch up your Chord Progression: Another way to create contrast is to change the chord progression. Using a different set of chords in the chorus or bridge section can help to create a new emotional tone to keep your listener more engaged.
- Alter the Melody: No one wants to hear the same melody over and over again, no matter how catchy it is. Vary it! Use a different melody or altering the existing one by changing the rhythm, pitch, or phrasing from section to section.
One of the most overlooked techniques for creating cohesion and interest when making beats is automation.
Automation can be a powerful tool for switching up patterns in different sections of a beat. For example, you can use automation to gradually increase or decrease the volume or panning of certain elements, or to add effects like filters or delays.
As the cherry on top, I often find myself employing breaks and drops in my beats to create tension and anticipation.
Everyone and their mother knows about the infamous ‘drop,’ which reached its cliche peak with dubstep. However, there is more than one way to use this technique, regardless of genre:
- Build up to the Break or Drop: Gradually increase the intensity of your beat or adding new elements and sounds as the section progresses. This can build anticipation for the break or drop and make it far more impactful when it finally hits.
- Use Silence: Never underestimate the importance of silence. Cutting out all the elements in the beat for even a moment can create an overwhelming sense of anticipation and tension, which can be especially effective when used just before a break or drop.
- Add a Distinctive Sound: Using a distinctive sound or sample before the break or drop can also create tension. The sound should be one that stands out from everything else in your beat to build anticipation for the next section.
Now, comes the fun part!
#6 Enhance Your Beat with Effects
Adding effects to your your beat can take it to the next level, even when done subtly.
Effects create depth and texture, add movement and interest, and highlight certain elements of your track. Whether we’re talking about subtle reverbs and delays or more intense distortion and filtering effects, there are millions of ways to get creative.
The important thing here is experimenting with different effects and find the ones that work best for your music. A 120BPM side-chained white noise sweep might not sound that great in a lo-fi hip-hop beat, for example. A lo-fi hip-hop beat might benefit from something subtler, such as a texture layer. This can be anything from a subtle pad to an atmospheric sound (birds chirping, distant traffic, vinyl noise, etc.) that adds a new dimension to the beat.
You can blend the texture layer with the original sound using volume and panning.
When proper effects are used tastefully and with intention, however, they can elevate your beat.
Beyond effects that you would get from synthesizers or sample packs, you can experiment with effects in your DAW, including:
- Reverb and delay
- Sidechain compression
- Filtering
- Modulation effects (chorus, phasers, flangers, etc.)
Of course, these are just a few examples of the infinite effects that can be used in beatmaking. Experiment with different combinations of effects and settings to come up with unique and interesting sounds.
#7 Don’t Overproduce
Overproducing is one of the most common pitfalls many music producers face.
Sure, it can be tempting to add as many elements and effects as possible to a track, though most of the time, less is more.
Overproduction can make it difficult for listeners to distinguish between different elements in a track and can result in a lack of clarity and focus. It’s important to prioritize the key elements of a track and ensure that they are given the necessary space to shine.
Each element should serve a purpose.
By avoiding overproduction and focusing on the key elements of a track, you can create a more polished and effective final beat that is both sonically pleasing and engaging for your listeners.
Mastering the Art of Beat Structure
Structuring beats is a crucial aspect of the music production process, as a well-structured beat can hold listener interest and provide a foundation for other musical elements, such as vocals and instrumentation.
However, it’s important to remember that beat structure is not a rigid formula but rather a flexible framework that can be adapted to suit different styles and genres.
Experiment with different structures, listen to references, and use the tips and techniques above to create more engaging and exciting beats.
If you’re ready to take your music production and beatmaking skills to the next level, make sure to check out our flagship course.