lessons from Dilla

April 19, 2018

Lessons From Dilla 7: Master A Single Instrument

Dilla used just a single instrument to make his tracks. Continue reading

beat programming, groovology, hip hop, lessons from Dilla, Uncategorized
April 12, 2018

Lessons From Dilla 6: Snare Drum Resonance Is Your Friend

Snare drum resonance is your friend. Continue reading

beat programming, hip hop, lessons from Dilla, Uncategorized
April 5, 2018

Lessons From Dilla 5: You Don’t Have To Stay On The Grid

Play a metronome along with this and it will never stay lined up. That’s a good thing: the musical time lives. Continue reading

beat programming, lessons from Dilla, Uncategorized
March 22, 2018

Lessons From Dilla 3: The Bass Can Walk Or Wander

The bass can walk or wander from the drum rhythm. Continue reading

beat programming, hip hop, lessons from Dilla, Uncategorized
March 15, 2018

Lessons From Dilla 2: Contrast Dry With Atmospheric

Contrast the dry beat with an atmospheric keyboard sample. Continue reading

beat programming, creative strategies, hip hop, lessons from Dilla, Uncategorized
March 8, 2018

Lessons From Dilla 1: High End Is Optional

Having high-end frequencies is optional: Do you need hi hats and cymbals? Does the kick need to be crisp or can it be muffled? Continue reading

beat programming, hip hop, lessons from Dilla, music production, Uncategorized

Thomas Brett is a musician and writer who holds a PhD in ethnomusicology from New York University. He is the author of Principles of Electronic Music Production and The Creative Electronic Music Producer, a book described by Sound On Sound magazine as “a deep philosophical analysis of the various creative inspirations, ideas and processes involved in producing electronic music.” His essays have appeared in the journals Popular Music and Popular Music and Society, as well as edited collections by Routledge, Oxford, and Cambridge University presses. Thomas has played percussion on Broadway since 1997 and writes about music at brettworks.com.