Making a Dirty South Beat

JetBeatz

JetBeatz
I've been makin beatz for a hot minute now but I've never tried makin a Dirty South beat. I figured out that the typical BPM is around 127, but I'm not sure what the typical measure length is. Normally I use 2-4 measures for my East Coast style beats @ around 88-90 BPM, but when I try to build a Dirty South style beat within these measures it comes out all jacked up! Can anyone help me out with this please? I'd appreciate a direct response via email: jetbeatz@gmail.com Thanx!
 
you could make a dirty south beat at the same tempo as an eastcoast joint. its all really the same format intro 4 bars verse 16 hook 8 ect
 
Actually many dirty south tracks have a 12 bar verse. And the tempo for southern tracks is usually around 90 bpm or something. All you need for a dirty south track is 808 drums with pitch rolls, heavy trance synth, and brass and strings.
 
The bpm does not make a beat a dirty south beat, because the snare and the kicks can go into the same spot. It's the sounds that you use like 808 kit, whistle, bells, trance synth, and strings.

Take your time out and listen to some dirty south producers that you like and figure out what sounds they use.
 
trumpets, synths, snare rolls, 808 kicks / clapz, just get that hood amp feel, tempo is usually slower, i dont really use a specific bpm, long as the melody I put down sounds right, but as far as the bars and everything, thats all tha same, 8 bar hooks, 16 bar verses, just practice, whenever you try a style u dont ever do, you are bout 2 hit some road blocks and make some uninspiring tracks

when i 1st tried 2 do reggaton I waz hella wack, gettin better now, made a few nice onez and a whole lotta un nice onez
 
with dirty south beats there are only a few different types of drum patterns they use...i would suggest listening to alot of south music and try to determine common traits that they all have...besides use of 808 sounds...you will find that there are about 3-4 different basic drum patterns that they use...also they very seldom have a swing groove...so dont swing your drums
 
Thanx 2 all of u 4 tha responses! I wuz able 2 figure it out tha other nite on my MC808, but tha only thing I'm still havin trouble wit are tha snare & HH rolls. Any tips? I use an MC808 for my synth soundz & an MV8800 for my drums. Thanx again!
 
Double your BPM, and cut everything in your beat by half, to where it sounds like it does now.

Example: if you have 16th note hi hat pattern for example at 80 BPM, double the tempo (160 BPM)and make it an 8th note pattern in your sequencer with the doubled tempo, it will sound like the 16th note pattern did, but with the faster tempo. Then when you want to do a roll use actual 16th notes (still 160 BPM), they will sound like 32nd notes, aka a single stroke roll. (hope that made sense). Can even use actual 32nd notes for an even tighter roll.

It makes programming hi hats and rolls alot easier.

Also, pitched snares are used alot in southern rap. Send a snare patch to a keyboard and play your roll using the keys of an arpeggio of your choice (ie, 2 beats of rolls, play it over 3-4 notes). Figure out how to split it across those 3-4 notes to get the exact rhythm/melody you want. Think of the snare as a lead instrument on breakdowns/transitions.

Theres other tricks but that should address what youre trying to do pretty well.
 
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Alabaster, I just now read ur post; thanx! I'll try this out & see whut happens. One!

jetbeatz.com
 
Last edited:
Alabaster, I just now read ur post; thanx! I'll try this out n see whut happens. One!

jetbeatz.com
 
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