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.
The lead was not as prominent in hip-hop's early years as it is today. That is because hip-hop mainly relied on samples for it's sounds instead of synths. However, even in hip-hop's early years there were artists that used synths such as Afrika Bambaata. However, as hip-hop evolved and the West Coast and the Dirty South made it's contributions, the lead sound has become more prominent. Furthermore, dance music and hip-hop have borrowed from each other, and as a result, lead sounds are more prominent than ever. To hear good examples of lead sounds occurring in hip-hop, check out "Big Poppa" by Notorious B.I.G or "Yeah" by Usher.
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.
A counter lead has similar characteristics to a lead sound, but it helps to make the lead part more interesting and to support it as well. Some examples include a "call and response" interaction between the lead and counter lead where the lead plays the beginning portion of a musical phrase and the counter lead finishes the phrase. Another possibility would be to have the counter lead accenting the most important notes/beats of a musical phrase played by the lead sound. Finally, one other example is to have the lead play a whole music part and to have the counter lead playing drone sounds underneath it to support it. The possibilities are really endless with the interaction between the leads and counter leads and you should experiment with incorporating both of these elements into your music. Listen to existing songs for good example of the interaction between the two parts.
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.
The lead was not as prominent in hip-hop's early years as it is today. That is because hip-hop mainly relied on samples for it's sounds instead of synths. However, even in hip-hop's early years there were artists that used synths such as Afrika Bambaata. However, as hip-hop evolved and the West Coast and the Dirty South made it's contributions, the lead sound has become more prominent. Furthermore, dance music and hip-hop have borrowed from each other, and as a result, lead sounds are more prominent than ever. To hear good examples of lead sounds occurring in hip-hop, check out "Big Poppa" by Notorious B.I.G or "Yeah" by Usher.
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.
A counter lead has similar characteristics to a lead sound, but it helps to make the lead part more interesting and to support it as well. Some examples include a "call and response" interaction between the lead and counter lead where the lead plays the beginning portion of a musical phrase and the counter lead finishes the phrase. Another possibility would be to have the counter lead accenting the most important notes/beats of a musical phrase played by the lead sound. Finally, one other example is to have the lead play a whole music part and to have the counter lead playing drone sounds underneath it to support it. The possibilities are really endless with the interaction between the leads and counter leads and you should experiment with incorporating both of these elements into your music. Listen to existing songs for good example of the interaction between the two parts.
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 squad. With over ten years of composing experience, Frank and the Jam Sonic squad make beats for hip-hop artists, jingles for small businesses, and music for tv and film. Be sure to check out his website for hip-hop beats for sale and beatmaking articles and videos.
