So the chords he is playing in this are F-Am-Em7-F
Which makes this some sort of modal adventure, most likely F lydian - i.e. F-G-A-B-C-D-E-F (1-2-3-#4-5-6-7-1) - all the white keys
So there is one tip to making soulful beats: use a modal center
next thing is the chords are played with a syncopated rhythm
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
1 | + | 2 | + | 3 | + | 4 | + | 1 | + | 2 | + | 3 | + | 4 | + | 1 | + | 2 | + | 3 | + | 4 | + | 1 | + | 2 | + | 3 | + | 4 | + |
F | Am | Em7 | Em7 | F | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
[
[mp3]http://www.bandcoach.org/fp/audio/rnbTips-01.mp3[/mp3]
Tip 2: use a syncopation based on the 3-2 or 2-3 clave or similar (3-2 and 2-3 tell us the order and the number of accents) - this will make the beat seem more fluid and lifelike
3-2
| 1 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 1 | + | 2 | + | 3 | + | 4 | + | 1 | + | 2 | + | 3 | + | 4 | + |
3-2 | X | | | X | | | X | | | | X | | X | | | |
[mp3]http://www.bandcoach.org/fp/audio/rnbTips-09.mp3[/mp3]
2-3
| 1 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 1 | + | 2 | + | 3 | + | 4 | + | 1 | + | 2 | + | 3 | + | 4 | + |
2-3 | | | X | | X | | | | X | | | X | | | X | |
[mp3]http://www.bandcoach.org/fp/audio/rnbTips-10.mp3[/mp3]
Tip 3: percussion
Vary your percussion a little bit to make it less repetitive and boring
drop instruments out
add extra hits on an instrument
Tip 4: Melody
Melodically, fewer notes and a small interval range usually work well - this is because the average untrained voice can cope with about a half an octave and only moving by step (tone or semitone up or down) or single skips (m3/M3 up or down) - usually the home key note and the notes above and below - might skip out to 5th above/4th below if being adventurous.
Tip 5: Bass line
Bass line will be rooted to the root of each chord with maybe a small scale run or chord run (arpeggio) to join chords together. It will also be strongly tied to the rhythm of the kick.
Tip 6: Pads
Things like string synth lines should be long held notes that tie over as many chords as possible.
In the case of the track you mention, if I were writing a string machine part, I would use the notes A-A-G-A or A-A-B-C or F-E-E-F above the treble clef (above C[sub]4[/sub]).
[mp3]http://www.bandcoach.org/fp/audio/rnbTips-02.mp3[/mp3]
[mp3]http://www.bandcoach.org/fp/audio/rnbTips-05.mp3[/mp3]
If I strongly felt the need to provide a second line to this part it would probably be something like
[mp3]http://www.bandcoach.org/fp/audio/rnbTips-03.mp3[/mp3]
or
[mp3]http://www.bandcoach.org/fp/audio/rnbTips-04.mp3[/mp3]
or
[mp3]http://www.bandcoach.org/fp/audio/rnbTips-06.mp3[/mp3]
or
[mp3]http://www.bandcoach.org/fp/audio/rnbTips-07.mp3[/mp3]
or
[mp3]http://www.bandcoach.org/fp/audio/rnbTips-08.mp3[/mp3]
usual caveats about fl not using standard note numbering (add 2 to the fl subscript and you will have the same notes as I indicate above: C[sub]3[/sub] in any other Daw === C[sub]5[/sub] in FL and BiaB)