How to construct an R&B song?

M

mmaqtin

New member
Okey so I'm new to this R&B thing and I need some help from wiser folks.
I've been doing popmusic for a while and I have a feel of how to construct my songs, but for the most R&B songs are not really the same.
What I would like is if someone could explain a bit what signifies an R&B song, like the beat. Should I layer kicks? Use "analog" claps or human recorded?
What about high hats?
Instruments? Acoustic guitars etc etc.

I just want someone to give me just an idea of the formula for a good hit R&B song.
I've analyzed some of StarGates work but I need someone to help me with the formula of any given R&B beat.


Thanks in advance!
 
r&b is about the melody always start there. its more about individual expression.
its not a specific set of sounds or tempo to analyze you actually need talent for this.
r&b can sound like any genre of music so just start out by mimicking what you like until you develop your own expression.
 
mmaqtin said:
Okey so I'm new to this R&B thing and I need some help from wiser folks.
I've been doing popmusic for a while and I have a feel of how to construct my songs, but for the most R&B songs are not really the same.
What I would like is if someone could explain a bit what signifies an R&B song, like the beat. Should I layer kicks? Use "analog" claps or human recorded?
What about high hats?
Instruments? Acoustic guitars etc etc.

I just want someone to give me just an idea of the formula for a good hit R&B song.
I've analyzed some of StarGates work but I need someone to help me with the formula of any given R&B beat.


Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...

When you ask for any given R&B beat you are asking for a lot of music to be distilled into a very few ideas - this is because R&B as a genere/style has been around for a very long time (the name arrived in 1948 and replaced a much more colourful name (race music, meaning black, African-American music) that was considered to be unsavoury by the newly emerging socially aware (and vocal) middle class) - based on the above we are at the 65th anniversary of R&B.

In terms of stylings within R&B, there are distinct periods of internal shift, with the entire genre sometimes experiencing what others might call tectonic shifts - moving so far from the original meaning as to be inconsistent to use the same name to describe the newer stylings - the name sticks because it is still used to describe music created for (and mostly by) people of colour.

Simply going to wikipedia I found a wealth of information about early R&B and its Afro-Cuban influences

Rhythm and blues - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Guajeo - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia which flows from the previous

Based on the above I would suggest that you consider Afro-Cuban percussion and rhythm studies as a starting point. Then consider the jazz influences in terms of chord progressions, and finally the Blues influence on melodic material.

Structural ideas would include ABAA and AABA with the A section being the Chorus and the B section the verse. Each of the letters can stand for any power of 2 bar length from 4 to 8 to 16 bars (2[sup]2[/sup],2[sup]3[/sup],2[sup]4[/sup])

happy mining
 
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