Instruments and Devices You Can Use in Hip Hop Genre
Hip Hop genre is one of the most popular genres in this century. Started in Western culture, it has been embraced and patronized all over the world in no time. Aside from its fast growth, the passion for making quality compositions in the genre of Hip Hop led to the improvement of various instruments used to keep the genre relevant and popular. Here are some instruments that you might not know can be used in playing Hip Hop music.
1. TURNTABLE
Serves as the guitar of the Hip Hop music, turntables are also used for Rap music where the Hip Hop actually came from. With turntables, a musician can manipulate the records to produce a different outtake or perspective from existing material. If you are familiar with the scratching technique by moving the record forward and backward, it’s only the turntable that has the ability to produce that distinct sound.
2. SAMPLER
Working as a synthesizer, the sampler is a digital device producing the loops for the producer instead of the musician producing the sound again manually through a turntable. Through this method, the producer can produce the exact sound a musician did in his composition that has more precision compared to the manual method.
3. VIOLIN
While violins aren’t commonly used for Hip Hop genre, many artists are now incorporating it in their music. Some even play cover songs using other string instruments such as cello and viola. Combining it with samplers and other mixing devices, playing the violin in this genre makes it more creative and produces a more original sound.
4. DRUM MACHINE
Working as an electronic instrument, the drum machine as the name suggests can produce a various number of drum sounds. It can unburden a musician in looking and hiring a drummer or rely on previous samples done to input in their new composition. The artists or producers themselves can produce customized beats without the need to seek help from others.
5. KEYBOARD
The Hip Hop industry uses both keyboards and digital synthesizers in producing a composition. While the digital synthesizer can aide in imitating sound an artist prefers, the analog keyboard, on the other hand, produces the authentic and old school vibe that can make the composition unique and different from the rest.
6. COMPUTER
While a computer isn’t actually a musical instrument per se, it helps producers and artists to utilize computer programs that can put tones and melodies into a single. It gives an artist the ability to mix and match the beats, samples, turntabling and vocals previously recorded to make an all-new composition.
However, in this modern-day, the Hip Hop industry also uses software that has the ability to produce sound and patches. This software can fulfill the roles of the following instrument:
The percussion perspective which usually utilizes drums to produce a steady tempo.
The harmony area that usually uses piano or guitar and plays underneath every composition.
The bass that can either be a bass guitar or patch and serves as the bottom notes of the chords.
The melody or lead which usually comes from the singer.
The rise of this software has led artists to form a band or become a soloist because you won’t need to have drums, guitar, piano, bass and singer to produce the music. All you need to have is the knack and guts in producing a composition that would be patronized by the public and create the last song syndrome. While the rise of technology led for some aspects of our lives easier, you can never go wrong in looking back and utilizing the instruments that made Hip Hop popular today.
