Where to place drums on 3/4 time signature?

K

koalafresh

New member
For instance on a 4/4 time scale. Typically the snare/clap will go on the 2nd and 4th beat. Kicks usually on the 1st beat and sparingly in between. However when I occasionally make a beat in 3/4 time I'm unsure were to put these drum elements. What is the rule of thumb on drum placement for 3/4 time signature?

Fresh
 
Try rolling the snares into the kick, just get crazy with it and shave your head, start slapping people in the face with hot dirty mops and pushing old elderly people into the f**king bushes with a 3/4 feel to it. That should help.

The "compound" time signatures (6/8, 9/8, 12/8, 6/4, 9/4, 12/4, etc.) are used a lot less than "simple" time signatures (2/2, 2/4, 4/4, 4/8, 4/16, etc.) in popular genres.

With that said and to the point of your question: 3/4 will have the snares/ claps/ rim shots/ whatever usually on the "and" of the beat. So, Boom-pa, Boom-pa, Boom-pa. "Boom" being the downbeats (kick) beats 1,2,3 and "pa" being the up beats (snares). So, another way to think of it is: 1 AND 2 AND Three AND. "And" being the snare.

THIS IS ONLY ONE SUGGESTION. There are millions of different ways to syncopate the beat in any time signature and you just have to experiment. Happy producing.
 
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I agree that you can do a lot of things with this. I think that the simplest idea would be to have the kick on the first beat and a snare/clap on the other two - or even just a snare/clap on the last beat of the three. Sometimes a rimshot or brush sounds better as these are not as strong and more relaxed. A ride/shaker/hat playing double this time is usually good too. That is to play 6 times to the 3 beat bar.

This is just a starting point and it depends more on what sounds right for what you are doing.
 
I think this sounds like a nice friendly battle here! Let's see who can produce the sickest 3/4, 6/8, 9/8, etc. Hip hop/ rap beat. I think it will be an interesting challenge since most people are used to 4/4. I'll start on my track tonight :)
 
Simple to begin with:

each step is an 8th/quaver


XXXXXX : Hats/Ride
--X---- : Snare
X-----X : Kick
​

image1.png

[MP3]http://www.bandcoach.org/fp/audio/3-4-beats-1.mp3[/MP3]


XXXXXX : Hats/Ride
-----X- : Snare
X-----X : Kick
​

image2.png

[MP3]http://www.bandcoach.org/fp/audio/3-4-beats-2.mp3[/MP3]

each step is a 16th/semi-quaver


X-XXX-X-XXXO : Hats/Ride
----X------- : Snare
X---------X- : Kick
​

image3.png

[MP3]http://www.bandcoach.org/fp/audio/3-4-beats-3.mp3[/MP3]


XXOXXXOXXXOX : Hats/Ride
--------X--- : Snare
X-----X---X- : Kick
​

image4.png

[MP3]http://www.bandcoach.org/fp/audio/3-4-beats-4.mp3[/MP3]
 
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Now some 6/8 stuff

Simple to begin with:

each step is an 8th/quaver


XXXXXX : Hats/Ride
---X-- : Snare
X--X-- : Kick
​

image5.png

[MP3]http://www.bandcoach.org/fp/audio/6-8-beats-1.mp3[/MP3]


XXXXXO : Hats/Ride
----X-X : Snare
X-XX-X : Kick
​

image6.png

[MP3]http://www.bandcoach.org/fp/audio/6-8-beats-2.mp3[/MP3]

each step is a 16th/semi-quaver


X-XXX-X-XXXO : Hats/Ride
------X----- : Snare
X-----X---X- : Kick
​

image7.png

[MP3]http://www.bandcoach.org/fp/audio/6-8-beats-3.mp3[/MP3]


X-XXXOX-XXXO : Hats/Ride
------X---X- : Snare
X---X-X---X- : Kick
​

image8.png

[MP3]http://www.bandcoach.org/fp/audio/6-8-beats-4.mp3[/MP3]
 
Stop following made-up rules. The drums in your tune go wherever you put them. Don't try to conform. Just make good music. Too many followers out there already...
 
Dude not made up rules, examples based on observation and personal practice. I had to ask the same question 25 years ago as I had done little work in 6/8 at that time and needed some clues.

So I asked a drummer friend who pointed me in the right direction with notation and vocalisations.

We all have to start somewhere and learning what has been done is the first step to creating what could be done.
 
im down for a 3/4 or 6/8 beat battle. ive never done anything but 4/4 myself so it should be interesting to see. im always down to try to learn or practice something new. ill start mine tonight

---------- Post added at 01:01 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:46 PM ----------

and yes i agree with bandcoach completely. if you think about it, and you purposely try to avoid using the so-called "made-up-rules" then your approaching your music with more of a closed mind then the person who seeks to build off from tried and proven methods. over time from building off from standard methods you come up with your own style, its inevitable, it just happens. if you take piano or guitar lessons theyre going to teach you using "standard rules" over time you'll adjust to your own style. and theres very few self taught pianists or guitar players that can successfully play their instrument better then people who are trained from these standard practices. and even more so, the good pianists or guitar players who do teach themselves how to play are , again, using the same standard methods. how do you think that posting, "dude, come up with your own stuff." is helpful to the op at all? obviously he was looking for some feedback or he wouldnt have posted

---------- Post added at 01:26 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:01 PM ----------

by the way, im using 6/8 for my beat
 
lol. i saw your soundcloud page. youre in a whole different genre of music. electronic music and hip hop are completely different. you dont have to worry about somebody being able to lay vocals over top of your tracks so in theory, you can just throw anything wherever you feel like it.

---------- Post added at 11:11 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:06 PM ----------

im actually liking this 6/8 time scale. im glad i decided to try to make one for the first time. it seems like it would be easier to make a dirty south type of beat in this time scale
 
Bandcoach::

Thanks for the response!
I like the beats that include a constant hi hat input. It makes it seem less waltz and more 4/4 imo.

Astroidmist::

Music is just like anything else. There is no such thing as being completely original. You would be hard pressed to find it actually. But, even more important music is more like building a house or baking a cake. Sure you can not follow any rules whatsoever but the foundation will crumble without a basic knowledge. And if we were not to share info with one another this forum would serve no purpose.
 
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koalafresh said:
Bandcoach::

Thanks for the response!
I like the beats that include a constant hi hat input. It makes it seem less waltz and more 4/4 imo.

Astroidmist::

Music is just like anything else. There is no such thing as being completely original. You would be hard pressed to find it actually. But, even more important music is more like building a house or baking a cake. Sure you can not follow any rules whatsoever but the foundation will crumble without a basic knowledge. And if we were not to share info with one another this forum would serve no purpose.
Click to expand...

Green is a new color even though it is made up of blue and yellow. Even if the parts are unoriginal it doesn't mean that the product is also. This is not an inspiring way to look at art. I suppose that some will find this view to be helpful though - to think that the creation is not so big a step from what has already been created.

I don't see music and in particular composing as anything to do with building a house. You don't need any foundation or knowledge and there is nothing necessarilly that crumbles away. This depends on your philosophy of how to compose and also on what you are trying to do though. People are free and sometimes advised to have their own philosophies or methods on how they create as it does make things easier, and house-building may be included in this. Not a view for everyone though.
 
A lot of people turn tune making into launching the space shuttle. Yeah it's complex at times, but not THAT complex. You put the beats where you want them and move them somewhere else if you don't like where you put them the first time. Whether you use a guide or not, it's pretty much as simple as that. And you build onto that.
 
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