MTM27.

10MM Rhythm

5/5/05

12:44 pm

Page 1

TEN MINUTE MASTER No57

Rhythm section arrangement

No band is complete without a rhythm section, but getting everything to sit together in the mix takes skill and patience. Dave Gale picks up the beat...

he rhythm section is best described as the instruments which normally drive the rhythmic aspect of any composition or song. As such, they play a pivotal role in just about every contemporary composition in one way or another, particularly in dance music. Traditional rhythm sections would have comprised drums, bass, guitar and piano, but with the advent of electronic instruments, this collection has expanded to include keyboards and synths. Although the sounds may have changed from the original construct, the methodology behind the way these instruments work together is largely unchanged. Rhythm sections first distinguished themselves in jazz and big bands, with their primary role being the driving force behind the lead instruments. In the case of a big band, this would have meant backing anything up to 21 horn
An example of a basic drum groove. Notice the 4-to-the-floor kick part notated on the bottom line of the stave.

players. With that kind of force of numbers to contend with, its hardly surprising that rhythm sections became the musical engine for most groups, playing hard in order to be heard above the rest of the band. In a contemporary setting, little has changed, and its no surprise that the kick or bass drum in most dance tracks maintains a 4-to-the-floor feel in order to hammer home the beat.

Instrumentation
The drum kit is the backbone of any rhythm section. It consists of three basic elements which provide the mainstay of any groove: the bass drum (or kick), snare drum and hi-hats. In one self-contained unit, it provides everything needed to power a song along: kick to provide a solid foundation to the time signature, snare to break up each bar on the second and fourth beats, and the hi-hat to sub-divide the beat further into 1 8th or 16th notes. I Other elements within the kit include cymbals and toms, but these are generally used for embellishment or to indicate a change in the song structure.

Before the advent of the electric bass, the bass part would traditionally have been played on an upright double bass. Today, we have many synths, both hardware and software, which can also provide this component for us. One popular option is Trilogy, from Spectrasonics, an all-in-one package that can realistically re-create upright, 2 electric or synth basses. I Guitars and keyboards share a very similar role within a rhythm section. In 70s-derived funk, the guitar is crucial, providing chordal elements which drive forward in 8th- and 16th-note divisions. Keyboards often provide a similar role rhythmically, particularly after the advent of the Hohner Clavinet or Fender Rhodes. In a more contemporary setting, many guitar parts have been replaced by synth sounds, which work in a very similar way.

By arrangement
When starting an arrangement, its often a good idea to put your drums and bass in first. Given the wealth of good-quality

sample CDs on the market these days, you may choose to use a loop. Alternatively, you may choose to program your own parts or mix-and-match with existing loops. In either case, make sure that the groove you are aiming for is achievable with the loop you are using. If youre programming your drum track, keep the individual elements of the kit on separate tracks, as it will make it easier to adjust the arrangement should you decide to change it later. Once the drums are in place, move on to the bass part, but before laying anything down, consider the range that the instrument will play across. Bass sounds can appear very strong in one register of the keyboard, but really lose impact in another, so its worth thinking about the line you want to play, working out the lowest note of the phrase and making sure that it doesnt sound weak in that register. In addition to this, try to match some elements of your bass line to the kick drum that
A more elaborate version of a basic drum groove. The kick and hi-hat parts are more embellished.

34 June 2005 MusicTech MAGAZINE

MTM27.10MM Rhythm

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Drums
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Bass

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Drums

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you have already laid down. Bass lines have far more impact if the notes you want to emphasise within a phrase are matched to a beat on the kick drum. The obvious choice is the first beat of the phrase, but thats not always the most appropriate. Consider Princes Alphabet Street: there is a rest on the first beat of every other bar. It initially sounds a little strange, but its highly innovative and it works. On the other hand, think of Good Times by Chic, in

question-and-answer device, whereby the guitar plays a line which is subsequently answered by a keyboard chord or riff. Alternatively, the guitar could follow the rhythm of the track much the same as the hi-hat while the keyboard plays sustained chords. One of the best examples of this sort of interplay can be found on the Scritti Politti album Provision; producer/programmer Dave Gamson uses an extensive

Wembley Stadium, where there will be monitoring wedges and top-quality gear, but at your local pub, with only average facilities. Ensure the kick drum and the bass are panned dead centre and work on mixing these two instruments first. The bass will probably require a little compression to give a good foundation to the mix. One by one, add the other percussive elements until the entire kit is in place. The snare often tends to sit in the middle of the mix, too,

Generally speaking, the size of a band is to some extent determined by the genre of music they play. A small, traditional jazz band may simply comprise piano, bass and drums (left). They tend to play in close proximity to each other in order to be heard clearly. A typical on-stage line-up is shown on the right.

Listen to a wide range of music to broaden your appreciation of different approaches.

which the very distinctive and relentless bass pattern is tracked by a kick pattern which backs it up possibly the finest example of a definitive bass line. array of timbres which blend together to form a wonderful tapestry of sound.

wide a range of music as you can to broaden your appreciation of different approaches. Above all, be brave and experiment. As long as you keep copies of your work as it progresses, you can always come back to it later. Never rush the process you will almost certainly regret it. MTM

Arranging the mix

Having thought about the notes the various instruments will play, its now time to consider where to place those instruments in your mix. A basic concept to bear in mind when mixing is that the lower-frequency instruments should be panned centrally in the mix. This is not a hard-andfast rule, but it works effectively in the majority of situations. It is a good idea to think about the way the instruments you have used will sound in a live environment not at

The shape of space

Once your drum and bass elements are taking shape, its time to add keyboards or guitar. If you want to use both instruments, it is often a good idea to leave a little space between the respective parts for one to interplay with the other. You could explore the
Trilogy is a perfect example of an all-in-one plug-in bass synth. The choice of basses is huge, catering for every style of composition.

while hi-hats sound best when panned to one side (which side you choose is a matter of personal preference). If you have a guitar part, balance out the hi-hat by placing it on the opposite side. Too much rhythm on one side of the mix wont give the impression of space that you probably want. By the same token, the keyboard will probably be less rhythmic, so offset that against the guitar part so that they are on opposite sides.

Tech terms
I Rhythm section

Collective name for the instruments that comprise the driving force behind a band: drums, bass, guitar, keyboards and percussion.
I Arranging

The process of distributing the chords and melody of a song across a set of instruments. This is sometimes known as orchestration, although this is linked more with classical music.
I 4-to-the-floor

The final mixdown

Mixing is a good example of a task that requires an objective, focused approach. As you become more skilled at arranging and mixing a rhythm section, you should find that you begin to get a solid, tight sound, with an element of space between the various instruments and phrases. You can pick up many tricks and techniques from listening closely to the type of music you want to make. Initially, you will have to train your ear to isolate the various parts in an overall mix, but it becomes easier with practice. There is much to learn from past masters; listen to as

A term often used by drummers to refer to the kick/bass drum playing on every beat of the bar.
I Drum score

A drum part notated on a standard musical stave. The kick is positioned on the bottom line, snare on the middle line and the hi-hat on the top line.

FURTHER INFO
BOOKS I Arranging Music For The Real World, Vince Corozine I Basic Concepts Of Arranging And Orchestrating Music, Tom Bruner I Arranging In The Digital World, Corey Allen SOFTWARE I Trilogy Total Bass Module, Spectrasonics www.spectrasonics.net LISTENING I Lovesexy, Prince I Good Times, Chic I Provision, Scritti Politti

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