Hip Hop and Chords

I know scott storch uses chords. Even if they're just string stabs. Like someone else said he uses chords on Game's Westside Story (just some simple piano chords, in D minor?...I think). I've played it a couple of times.

What about Talib Kweli's track produced by Kwame (isn't it "Listen" or something?). I think the track opens with organ chords.

Chords are definitely present in hip hop and R&B.
 
Say Bay Boy (respect) you dont need a whole lot of time or money to learn music. If you trying to go beyond a beat then its something we all are going to have to do whether you play or not. I got my books.
 
Theres a bunch of artist that commonly use chords and composed beats. T.I., UGK, the roots, Outkast, old murder ink, G-unit, the game, Lil wayne. Thats off the top of my head but unfortunantly theres alotta wack beats out right now with three note melodys and not much else *cough*crank dat*cough* but theres still artist comin out with melodic composed tracks. And I could go on and on if i was talkin about sampled beats lol.
 
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Q-Mystik said:
i agree with the ones above. some hip hop doesnt really need chords. but imo when they dont have great of a melody either it just sounds simple and generic (crank dat anything). me personally i use chords in a lot of my productions. R&B and a lot of other genre's use chords in almost everything, so i guess it depends on what u do personally
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LMFAO, as much as you might hate to admit it, the steel drum sound in Crank Dat Soulja Boy is definitely melodious. Don't take what few musical elements it might have away from the poor song.
 
First things first: there is no such thing as musically incorrect. That's an amateur's viewpoint. That being said, there are chords in most hip hop, especially sampled hip hop. If there are notes of different pitches sounding simultaneously or in a succession with some coherence, you can interpret a chord. The casio stuff you're listening to on TV sometimes has chords too, but who cares.
 
bkd3vil said:
thnx all u been really helpful. but how is there chords in sampled beats?
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wow.....have you ever listened to an orchistra? chords dont get better than that. brass hits? its so simple. even tho you are chopin a 2track audio, within the 2track you can have 20tracks playin at the same time. not every sample has chords but alot do.
 
sellinbeats said:
wow.....have you ever listened to an orchistra? chords dont get better than that. brass hits? its so simple. even tho you are chopin a 2track audio, within the 2track you can have 20tracks playin at the same time. not every sample has chords but alot do.
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o so u sample the chords? I thought you played chords on the sample and I didnt think sample producers would do that.
 
Naw...^ The original sample has the chords in it lol. The brass, the piano or whatever instrument in the original sample is the chords.
 
PrevisaoDoTempo said:
You seriously need to pick up a theory book. Study on your own for a few months, then ask questions. Can't we close this thread?
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I am. I just wanted 2 know one thing. Are chords a must or not in Hip Hop and I already got my answer so....
 
deRaNged 4 Phuk'dup said:
Rap Songs out right now with chords in them(don't know if they're samples, but know they have chords)....
Rich Boy feat. Keri/Polow "My Friend"
Baby feat. Lil Wayne "Pop Bottles"
Chamillionaire feat. Slick Rick "Hip Hop Police"
Mims "Like This"
Gorilla Zoe "Hood Nikka"
Yung Berg "Sexy Lady"
"Crank Dat Soulja Boy"
50 Cent "To The Bank" & "Rollercoaster" not sure about "Get Money" that could just be a thick synth preset, but for me to replay it, I'd use chords.

I think because they're not used as intricately as in other genres of music, you guys miss them.
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i still can't understand how crank dat is in this list... there is NO chords in this song.
 
I personally love using chords, but for certain sounds and ideas, chords just don't fit. Chords add a epic feel to the idea.

I use synths a lot. So imagine using a weird saw synth, and try using a chord, it sounds horrible when you do it.
 
almost all songs have chords. Think about it, different patches playing in unison overlapping each other playing different notes. It creates chords. Theyre just arranged differently due to the way most producers approach beatmaking. They do things layer by layer. you know? Its like a string section playing together to create a chord.
 
In da club did have chords - it just works with single notes aswell

most hiphop has chords, you can find guitar/piano music for nearly every hiphop song made.
 
Broken Friday said:
I personally love using chords, but for certain sounds and ideas, chords just don't fit. Chords add a epic feel to the idea.

I use synths a lot. So imagine using a weird saw synth, and try using a chord, it sounds horrible when you do it.
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are you talking about a synth with 5ths? thats the only kind of synth i would have problems with.
 
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