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Drum Programming Masterclass Part Three: Advanced Programming

This course is designed for those interested to learn the basics of drum programming, making hip hop, funk and footwork beats, how to program drums into track, drum transitions and the glitch drum programming for IDM, Breakcore, and other genres. Read more.

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Course Skill Level
Beginner
Time Estimate
2h 51m

Jason Allen is a PhD in music, and was recently named one of the semi-finalists for the Grammy Foundations "Music Educator" award.

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About This Course

Who this course is for:

  • Students who are making tracks, but want a better handle on how to program drums.
  • Students are interested in electronic music and want to learn the fundamentals of drum programming.

What you’ll learn: 

  • At the completion of this class, students will understand and be able to use basic beat patterns and build unique and progressive beats
  • Programming drums into a track
  • Making Hip-Hop Beats
  • Making Footwork Beats
  • Making Funk Beats
  • Drum transitions
  • Fills and drops
  • Glitch Drum Programming for IDM, Breakcore, and other genres

Requirements: 

  • Students should be comfortable with an audio sequencing application (Ableton Live, Pro Tools, Logic, FL Studio, Fruity Loops, etc.) Any audio sequencer will work.
  • Students should be ready to make tracks using beats!
  • Sample libraries are not required. Samples will be provided.
  • Students do not need to know how to read music, rhythms, or any music theory.

This course uses Ableton Live and some Logic, but it will be easy to follow along on whatever program you are most comfortable with. We will start the class off with an explanation of working with samplers, and working on the MIDI grid. Then we will learn to adapt that pattern to work for a number of different styles, including Drum and Bass, Trap, and Dubstep.

This is a class designed for music producers who are ready to get serious about drum programming. The art of programming drums on a MIDI grid, in drum machines, or with audio files can be tricky to master but when you finish this class, your tracks will have the extra energy that comes from professional drum tracks.

Also in the class we will be doing a number of analysis projects. That just means we will load up some tracks, and reconstruct the beat in the track. Doing this will help us to see how those beats are built, and guide us in making our own beats. And as a special bonus, I’m going to give you a lot of MIDI files in this class of all the beats we’ve made. Throughout the class I’ll be giving you whole sessions you can download and use in your own tracks.

Our Promise to You

By the end of this course, you will have learned advanced drum programming.

10 Day Money Back Guarantee. If you are unsatisfied for any reason, simply contact us and we’ll give you a full refund. No questions asked.

Get started today and learn more about drum programming patterns and style tips.

Course Curriculum

Section 1 - Introduction
Introduction And Welcome 00:00:00
Tools 00:00:00
Review: How To Read Rhythms On The Grid 00:00:00
Review: Counting Rhythms 00:00:00
Section 2 - Programming Beats To A Track
Finding The Beat 00:00:00
Getting Intimate With The Bassline 00:00:00
Make Sure Your Swing Matches 00:00:00
Side Chaining: Finding Great Rhythms We Can Use In The Track 00:00:00
Experiment 00:00:00
Just For Fun: Experimenting With Other Beats 00:00:00
Section 3 - Genre Study: Hip Hop
The Basics Of Hip Hop 00:00:00
Analysis: Nothin' But A G Thang - Snoop Dog, Dr. Dre 00:00:00
Analysis: Lose Yourself - Eminem 00:00:00
Analysis: Skeleton Key - Dessa 00:00:00
Section 4 - Transitions And The Beat
The Breath 00:00:00
Subtract Before You Add 00:00:00
Transition Experiments 00:00:00
Fills 00:00:00
Section 5 - Genre Study: Footwork
The Basics Of Footwork 00:00:00
Analysis: High Life - Boylan 00:00:00
Analysis: 114799 - DJ Slugo 00:00:00
Section 6 - Pitch And Drums
Tuning Kick Drums 00:00:00
Melodic Percussion 00:00:00
Mixing: Bass And Kick Clashes 00:00:00
Frequency Space And Drums 00:00:00
Section 7 - Genre Study: Funk
Analysis: Cissy Strut - The Meters 00:00:00
Analysis: Cold Sweat - James Brown 00:00:00
Analysis: Sexy MF - Prince 00:00:00
Analysis: Amen Brother - The Winstons 00:00:00
The Amen Break 00:00:00
Section 8 - Drum Glitch Plugins
Overview Of Glitch Techniques 00:00:00
Fracture - Glitchmachines 00:00:00
Hysteresis - Glitchmachines 00:00:00
Stutter Edit - Izotope 00:00:00
Section 9 - Wrap Up
What Comes Next? 00:00:00
Thanks And Bye 00:00:00

About This Course

Who this course is for:

  • Students who are making tracks, but want a better handle on how to program drums.
  • Students are interested in electronic music and want to learn the fundamentals of drum programming.

What you’ll learn: 

  • At the completion of this class, students will understand and be able to use basic beat patterns and build unique and progressive beats
  • Programming drums into a track
  • Making Hip-Hop Beats
  • Making Footwork Beats
  • Making Funk Beats
  • Drum transitions
  • Fills and drops
  • Glitch Drum Programming for IDM, Breakcore, and other genres

Requirements: 

  • Students should be comfortable with an audio sequencing application (Ableton Live, Pro Tools, Logic, FL Studio, Fruity Loops, etc.) Any audio sequencer will work.
  • Students should be ready to make tracks using beats!
  • Sample libraries are not required. Samples will be provided.
  • Students do not need to know how to read music, rhythms, or any music theory.

This course uses Ableton Live and some Logic, but it will be easy to follow along on whatever program you are most comfortable with. We will start the class off with an explanation of working with samplers, and working on the MIDI grid. Then we will learn to adapt that pattern to work for a number of different styles, including Drum and Bass, Trap, and Dubstep.

This is a class designed for music producers who are ready to get serious about drum programming. The art of programming drums on a MIDI grid, in drum machines, or with audio files can be tricky to master but when you finish this class, your tracks will have the extra energy that comes from professional drum tracks.

Also in the class we will be doing a number of analysis projects. That just means we will load up some tracks, and reconstruct the beat in the track. Doing this will help us to see how those beats are built, and guide us in making our own beats. And as a special bonus, I’m going to give you a lot of MIDI files in this class of all the beats we’ve made. Throughout the class I’ll be giving you whole sessions you can download and use in your own tracks.

Our Promise to You

By the end of this course, you will have learned advanced drum programming.

10 Day Money Back Guarantee. If you are unsatisfied for any reason, simply contact us and we’ll give you a full refund. No questions asked.

Get started today and learn more about drum programming patterns and style tips.

Course Curriculum

Section 1 - Introduction
Introduction And Welcome 00:00:00
Tools 00:00:00
Review: How To Read Rhythms On The Grid 00:00:00
Review: Counting Rhythms 00:00:00
Section 2 - Programming Beats To A Track
Finding The Beat 00:00:00
Getting Intimate With The Bassline 00:00:00
Make Sure Your Swing Matches 00:00:00
Side Chaining: Finding Great Rhythms We Can Use In The Track 00:00:00
Experiment 00:00:00
Just For Fun: Experimenting With Other Beats 00:00:00
Section 3 - Genre Study: Hip Hop
The Basics Of Hip Hop 00:00:00
Analysis: Nothin' But A G Thang - Snoop Dog, Dr. Dre 00:00:00
Analysis: Lose Yourself - Eminem 00:00:00
Analysis: Skeleton Key - Dessa 00:00:00
Section 4 - Transitions And The Beat
The Breath 00:00:00
Subtract Before You Add 00:00:00
Transition Experiments 00:00:00
Fills 00:00:00
Section 5 - Genre Study: Footwork
The Basics Of Footwork 00:00:00
Analysis: High Life - Boylan 00:00:00
Analysis: 114799 - DJ Slugo 00:00:00
Section 6 - Pitch And Drums
Tuning Kick Drums 00:00:00
Melodic Percussion 00:00:00
Mixing: Bass And Kick Clashes 00:00:00
Frequency Space And Drums 00:00:00
Section 7 - Genre Study: Funk
Analysis: Cissy Strut - The Meters 00:00:00
Analysis: Cold Sweat - James Brown 00:00:00
Analysis: Sexy MF - Prince 00:00:00
Analysis: Amen Brother - The Winstons 00:00:00
The Amen Break 00:00:00
Section 8 - Drum Glitch Plugins
Overview Of Glitch Techniques 00:00:00
Fracture - Glitchmachines 00:00:00
Hysteresis - Glitchmachines 00:00:00
Stutter Edit - Izotope 00:00:00
Section 9 - Wrap Up
What Comes Next? 00:00:00
Thanks And Bye 00:00:00

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