Build up -> Drop

[Wolfey]

Hi!


I came here because I don't know how to transition from a build-up to a drop... My drops always sound very distant and unrelated to the build up (as if it was another song); A few questions that come with this one are "Do I need to use the same scale/key?" "How do I make a powerful drop?" "Do I bring in new melodies or do I just keep the one from the build-up?" I would be very happy for an answer... Thanks in advance!

[RichieWitch]

Are you talking about the drop or the breakdown?

To me, the drop is the short silence/burst of sound between sections, the transition. You bring everything to a dramatic halt, then rip the listener's ears off with a sonic attack before launching into the next section. It could be modulated machine noise, a heavily distorted cymbal crash, a skyrocketing riser, an erratic series of synth stabs.... key? melody? These seem like attributes for the breakdown rather than the drop.

[garryknight]

Depends on the style of music and the person producing it. In much of EDM, and trance in particular, the drop is the part after the breakdown where you drop everything on the listener; everything that was being built up to from the start; that bit that gets everyone up with their hands in the air. So you usually (or often) start off by designing the drop. Then you've got enough material to put together the intro and first part. Then you can design a breakdown that's related but different. Or there might be more than one breakdown: a small one near the start and a longer one just before the drop.

Anyway, if the OP is creating 60s country and western the composing style will be totally different. Makes the question difficult to answer.

If, as I suspect, the OP is talking about some form of dance music, Rick Snoman's book, The Dance Music Manual, is likely to be of some use.

[trewq]

Hi!


I came here because I don't know how to transition from a build-up to a drop... My drops always sound very distant and unrelated to the build up (as if it was another song); A few questions that come with this one are "Do I need to use the same scale/key?"!

Hi!

my 2 cents: if you are not spending enough energy exploring other scales and modes (2 or 3 at least) and accidentals(1 or 2), then any transition like that will probably sound useless.

[Zexila]

Can't you just hear what most of them are doing?

[FLPnotc1]

My advise would be... Make your builds with instruments that have long tails... pads strings etc.. use snares also gradually pitching up or rapidly up and down with high hats doing the same

When its time to drop... use short sounding instruments , such as synth with short up pitch, bleeps vocals chops, short noises etc. In my opinion the very first sound of drop is what you build around.


Here my example of what im trying to say
https://soundcloud.com/divinasoundscape ... cape-doser