"Uncovering 7 Popular Tunes with Undetected Samples!"
In the world of music production, sampling has become a powerful tool for creating fresh, innovative sounds while paying homage to the past. Many popular hits today, such as "Stronger" by Kanye West, "Uptown Funk" by Bruno Mars and Mark Ronson, "Nice for What" by Drake, "Bad Romance" by Lady Gaga, and "Love Again" by Dua Lipa, have all incorporated samples from older tracks to breathe new life into their music.
One notable example is Bruno Mars and Mark Ronson's "Uptown Funk," which infused modern production with authentic funk sensibilities from the golden era by sampling The Gap Band's "Oops Upside Your Head." Similarly, Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance" showcases the blending of baroque influences from nearly 300 years ago with contemporary pop production.
Drake's 2018 hit "Nice for What" features chopped-up vocal samples from Lauryn Hill's 1998 track "Ex-Factor." Doechii's hit "What It Is (Block Boy)" reimagines elements from TLC's "No Scrubs." Dua Lipa's song "Love Again" samples the 1932 swing ballad "My Woman" by Lew Stone & the Monseigneur Band featuring Al Bowlly.
So, how can you incorporate sampling techniques into your own music production? Here are some tips:
- Find samples that inspire you. Start by seeking out samples that resonate with you and your creative vision.
- Tune and prep samples precisely. Once you've selected your samples, tune and prepare them meticulously before loading them into a sampler instrument.
- Use round robin techniques. Round robin techniques in samplers can help avoid robotic repetition, making your music feel more natural and dynamic.
- Learn sound selection skills. Choose samples that are already sonically rich so you can subtract unwanted frequencies rather than trying to add missing frequency content later.
- Practice sound shaping. Learn to shape sounds within your sampler or synth (like using filters) for more control and unique sound design.
- Study the work of top producers. Study how top producers like Kanye West collaborate and produce beats, often using tools like FL Studio and layering samples cleverly to craft memorable tracks.
- Watch tutorials and guides. Watch tutorials and detailed guides on sampling techniques on platforms like YouTube and TikTok for hands-on tips and modern workflows.
For those looking to delve deeper into the world of music production and sound engineering, The Music School offers degrees and short courses in London, LA, Ibiza, and online. They provide a Music Production & Sound Engineering Degree that teaches techniques for creating music that stands the test of time, as well as a Music Production & DJ Performance Degree. The school also offers free courses, exclusive music-making tools, and tutorials.
The Music School has earned a Gold rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF), ensuring students receive high-quality education. With a focus on technical skills and creative approaches, The Music School equips students with the tools they need to create music that transcends trends and endures over time.
Incorporating sampling techniques into education-and-self-development, one might consider enrolling in online-education courses on sampling offered by The Music School. Such courses could help individuals learn sound selection skills, tuning, and preparation of samples, and sound shaping within samplers or synths. The knowledge gained from these courses could enable one to create a lifestyle that embraces entertainment and learning, blending diverse musical elements, as exemplified by popular songs like "Uptown Funk" and "Bad Romance."
