Hear audio examples of tips and techniques for improving drum tracks by clicking here.

FIG. 1: This screen shot from Sony Acid Music Studio shows the track setup for Web Example 6. The bottom two tracks are the tom tracks; the wide stereo effect was produced by adjusting the pan sliders on the left side of the screen.

In “Tips and Techniques” in the April/May 2007 issue of MET, I described a few techniques for creating interesting drum and percussion tracks. This time around, I've compiled a few more that complement the previous batch. These techniques will work with many contemporary musical styles and can be used by students having minimal performance skills.

Because loop-based software such as Apple GarageBand, Sony Acid, and Ableton Live makes it almost too easy to combine dozens of drum and percussion tracks, I warned in last issue's column against piling on too many drum tracks. A lot of songs, however, can also benefit from some layering. Web Example 1 begins with two measures of a pattern played on a basic drum kit, followed by two measures of a different pattern using toms and no cymbals. The final two measures combine both patterns. In Web Example 2, you can hear both patterns playing in measures 3 and 4 and 7 and 8. The addition of the toms reinforces the low sound produced by the bass track and gives those measures a deeper, more powerful sound.

You can also produce interesting layers by mixing acoustic drum sounds with electronic kits and sound effects. In Web Example 3, the first two measures consist of a traditional rock beat; in measure 3, an electronic percussion track comes in; and in measure 5, a second electronic percussion track enters. The combination of these sounds gives the traditional acoustic beat an entirely different feel and prepares the way for the electronic chordal and bass tracks. In measure 11, a shaker loop helps reinforce the acoustic atmosphere introduced by the drum kit.

You can alter the overall effect of a recording dramatically by changing the location of sounds within the stereo mix. Programs such as Propellerhead Reason let you vary the stereo placement of each sound in a kit. In Web Example 4, for instance, the drum kit is mono, with all sounds coming from the center. This placement makes it easy to hear the spatial dialog between the two guitar parts. In Web Example 5, the guitars are centered, eliminating the dialog effect and producing a single guitar texture. The drums are given an unorthodox stereo placement: the bass drum is on the left side, and the snare is on the right. That creates a low/high spatial dialog anchored by the shaker in the center, and the addition of the bass part in measure 7 provides another anchor for the center. This mix produces a very different sound from the one in Web Example 4.

In some loop-based programs, the drum kit loops are recorded as stereo files, and you therefore have no way to change the drum placement. You do have some flexibility, however, if the program provides loops of individual percussion instruments, such as shakers and tambourines. You can add these loops to the drum kit loops and place them anywhere in the stereo mix.

You can also easily create a “two-drummer” effect. Listen again to the layered drum patterns in Web Example 2. Next, listen to Web Example 6. In this example, the original tom pattern has been placed in the left speaker, and another tom pattern has been placed in the right speaker. The new tom pattern is played a little differently from the original, and those differences make the tom sections sound wider and heavier than the original tom track (see Fig. 1). Fans of the Beatles and the Grateful Dead will recognize this effect.

In spite of all the audio loops and MIDI patterns available, sometimes it's best to lay down a drum part live by recording a few sounds at a time using a keyboard or other MIDI controller. For example, students could play snare and bass drum on one pass, add hi-hat and ride cymbals on another pass, and add fills and percussion as needed on a final pass. This process is labor intensive but a great way to create an original drum part for a specific song.

If your students have difficulty creating a drum part in that way, try having them record a percussion part, such as a tambourine or cowbell, in real time on top of a drum loop. The random timing variations in just one live percussion part can create a thicker and more spontaneous-sounding drum track.

Today we have it all — from pristine-quality samples and loops of almost every percussion instrument and genre to realistic-sounding software emulations of legendary drum machines. The problem with drum sounds, therefore, lies not with their availability but rather with how to use them appropriately and effectively. If you take the time to demonstrate these recording and editing techniques to your students, they will have no excuse for producing monotonous drum tracks in their songs.

Don Muro (www.donmuro.com) is a member of the NYSSMA Technology Committee and the TI:ME Board of Directors.