Today I'm going to share something with you that will not only make you a better rapper but it will make you an outstanding entertainer! This "thing" I'm talking about is called "The 4 Bar Theory" and it doesn't just apply to rapping but it's also useful in songwriting, music production, and mixing as well. The 4 Bar Theory is simple. 4 bars isn't too long nor is it too short. If you can create a payoff for your listener every 4 bars you will have them locked in because your song will be highly entertaining! Let's take a quick look at the word "entertainment". To entertain means to … [Read more...] about The Four Bar Theory – How To Keep Your Listeners Hooked!
music theory
How To Rap A Verse: Translating Cadence To Lyrics
Welcome to the 3rd installment of How To Rap A Verse. In the last lesson I discussed how to establish your flow and I came up with four cadences and broke them down for you. In this lesson you're going to learn how to translate your cadences into lyrics and I'll be demonstrating these techniques in the coming videos using the four cadences from the last lesson So without further ado... LET'S GET IT!! https://youtu.be/HIRb0DhWoCw Now before I dive in and start translating my cadences into lyrics there's a few things you need to know. Their Relationship It's important to understand the … [Read more...] about How To Rap A Verse: Translating Cadence To Lyrics
How To Rap A Verse – Establishing Rhythm PT.3
Staying on beat is probably the most common obstacle I see people struggle with who are learning how to rap and there's several reasons for it. It's most likely not due to you being tone def or not having rhythm. It's probably because you've just never been taught how to do it in a way that's easy to understand and practical to implement. In this article I'm going to go deeper than I ever have before into this topic and if you apply these techniques they will prevent you from making the same common mistakes that many do. So if you're ready to learn how to lock on to the beat tighter than … [Read more...] about How To Rap A Verse – Establishing Rhythm PT.3
Top 5 Mistakes Rappers Make When Learning How To Rap
I've been rapping for a little over 18 years and have been teaching on the subject of how to rap for about 1 1/2 years as I write this. In this article I will give you inside information on what I've found to be the top 5 mistakes I've found rappers making while their learning how to rap. I hope this article will help prevent you from making the same mistakes and give you more of a focus on the steps you need to take in order to get better at rapping quicker. 1. Can't Identify Beats If you're wanting to learn how to rap there is a certain order that you need to follow in order for everything … [Read more...] about Top 5 Mistakes Rappers Make When Learning How To Rap
How To Rap – Music Notes Explained
https://youtu.be/nnEDBbgu11Y When you're first learning how to rap and you're focusing on improving your flow you may get confused once you learn about music notes such as 1/4 notes, 8th notes and 16th notes. You may be wondering what's the difference between them and why they're important? Now at the moment they may seem sporadic and random but hopefully by the end of this article you'll understand music notes in a new light. Giving you the ability to hear things in music you may have never noticed before which will in turn enable you to work that much more effectively within it. Zooming … [Read more...] about How To Rap – Music Notes Explained
How To Write A Rap Song
It's one thing to know how to rap but knowing how to write a rap song is a completely different ballgame. In this article I will break down the key fundamentals to aid you during your future song writing journeys. These techniques will help you approach songwriting with a more methodical and foccused approach and will help you build your songs with finesse. Cinematic I like to think of a song like a movie. Movies are stories, experiences & journeys that captivate you. They give you experiences that you otherwise would have never had. They can make you feel scared, anxious, curious, … [Read more...] about How To Write A Rap Song
How To Rap: Detecting Tempo
https://youtu.be/dDRfWymngN4 In my last how to rap article I broke down how the tempo of a beat has a significant factor in picking which beat is right for you. In this weeks article i'm going to be explaining different methods of detecting tempo along with the important benefits of doing so. So without further ado... LET'S GET IT!! Why It's Important Now tempo is an Italian word that means "time" and in musical terms it basically means the speed at which a piece of music is performed. Detecting the tempo of the song you're working on is important for the following reasons. You can … [Read more...] about How To Rap: Detecting Tempo