
It’s super common for the drums to be slightly behind the beat. It makes sure every note is perfectly in time.īut lofi hip hop thrives on imperfections. Quantization automatically snaps your tracks to the grid. But there’s nothing wrong with sampling (as long as all your samples are cleared). Some producers take pride in creating all their sounds from scratch. Try slicing trumpets, basses, pianos, and vocals into shorter clips. You can do the same thing with other instruments. This is how you can create a playable drum set from a drum loop. Then I can play them back in a totally different order. And the sampler will let you slice it, rearrange it, and add effects.īy dropping a drum loop into Quick Sampler, I can automatically slice each transient into a new sample. They all work a little differently, but the idea is basically the same. Just about every DAW comes with a stock sampler. Luckily it’s much simpler than it used to be! The genres greatest inspirations all made heavy use of samples. But you’ll want to experiment with other chord progressions as well. Those are some solid chords to get started with. But it’s packed with emotion, which is why it’s perfect for this genre. The most common jazz progression out there is 2-5-1. Once you’ve got your drums, it’s time to figure out chords.Īs you probably know, lofi hip hop often has jazz chords. This is a great way to set your beats apart from anyone else. It doesn’t have to sound one specific way.įor example, you could record yourself closing a door and turn it into a snare using EQ and ADSR. You can use anything for the kick or snare. The snare should cut right through to the front of the mix. Make sure you grab a kick with plenty of low mids and a snare that’s really focused on the upper mids. Layering multiple snare and kick sounds on top of on another will help create impact. So don’t be afraid to throw some crashes and snares in there too. The kick and snare are often punctuated with cymbals as well.

You’ll know you’ve found a good rhythm when you can’t help but bob your head along to the beat. Experiment with the timing of each drum hit. The beats between are often filled with additional kicks and hi-hats. The first beat of each measure is punctuated with a kick, while the third beat is a snare hit. Questions like these will help you craft a beat that’s emotionally engaging.īoom bap is almost always in a 4/4 time signature. Is it inside or outside? Sunny or rainy? Is it a comfortable place or a stressful one? So before you write a single note, figure out the vibe you’re going for.Ī good way to do this is to imagine a setting you’re writing a soundtrack for. So they fit perfectly into people’s everyday lives. People treat lofi hiphop like their own personal soundtrack. People want something they emotionally identify with. Vibe is the reason there are so many lofi hip hop playlists on Youtube and Spotify.

Lo fi hip hop how to#
Not finding out how to sound exactly like someone else. Lofi hip hop doesn’t have to be just jazz chords and drums. Since then, soulful boom bap has been combined with countless genres to create new sounds. Other producers like Nujabes focused solely on instrumental mixes that highlighted the beats. But the beats sounded amazing even without vocals. These sparse beats were perfect for an MC to rap over. That creates a bed of white noise for the rest of the mix to sit in. The crackle and hiss from these vinyl samples would usually be pretty high in the mix. Producers like J Dilla and Madlib took the boom bap formula and crossed it with samples from soul music. It’s usually pretty minimalist, without a ton of instruments or mix processing. Boom bap features low, boomy kick drums and in-your-face snares. If you want to make lofi hip hop, you should know some of its history. This guide will teach you how to make your own lofi hip hop.

The laid back tones of this influential genre has taken the internet by storm. Looking to try your hand at lofi hip hop?
