How To Produce R&B Beats (step by step, with examples and free samples)
This guide will go over how to create high quality, authentic R&B beats using multiple different techniques. It'll be easy to follow along and learn from with all the free packs, audio demos, and pictures.
What is an R&B beat? An R&B beat is a type of instrumental designed to be used by artists, singers, or even listened to on it's own. They're known for their slower BPM, smooth melodies, warm basslines, and emotional feeling.
Step 1: Get your project ready: this is where you get your samples, project settings, and set the bpm.
This means setting your bpm, and getting your samples and plugins ready. You’d be surprised how many producers mess up this step, and are at a disadvantage before they even start making the music!
The common bpm range for R&B is between 100bpm and 120bpm. If you’re trying to replicate the style of an artist, singer, or producer, have a look at what bpm they commonly use, and use that as a guide.
We compiled a list of the best FREE R&B samples on the internet, so having those is a must…
With that being said… you’re ready to start the track!
If you want to watch me create an R&B style track live, watch this free production tutorial!
Step 2: Melody Creation: to create an R&B melody, you need to pick a scale, and build a chord progression around it.
The first R&B melody I made started with me staring at this for like 20 minutes…
If you know the “secret formular”, R&B melodies aren’t crazy difficult to make.
R&B melodies are often filled with emotions, and feelings. The best way to capture this feeling is with the chord progression and the scale. If you struggle with music theory, and building chords, a lot of production software comes with built in chord tools!
For example, FL Studio just added this free chord tool you can use to generate chords instantly!
How to create an R&B chord progression:
If you get the chord progression right, you're already halfway there. The chords carry the feeling, emotions, and vibe of the track.
Old school R&B melodies often used a Mixolydian mode, or pentatonic scale. More modern R&B tracks tend to use a major, minor, or Dorian scale. It’s important to keep an eye on the 7th, and 9th notes, as these are commonly used extensions.
Common chord progressions for R&B include:
- ii – V7 – I
- vi – IV – I – V
- vi7 – IV7 – I – V6
To turn this "roman numeral notation" into chords inside your piano roll, create a chord on the note defined by the roman numeral. For example, if you're creating an R&B melody in D# minor (forshadowing)...
If you follow the top example, you'll want to place a chord on the 2nd note of the scale, an F. If the roman numeral is UPPERCASE, it's a major chord. If it's lowercase, it's a minor chord.
I recommend creating the chord progression on a piano, or very simple preset, so it’s easy to hear what's playing.
For example, we now have this chord progression here:
How to create an R&B melody:
I’m now going to add another layer this this melody, and create a counter melody. This counter melody can completely change the whole vibe of the melody.
This melody can follow the progression of the chords, or do the opposite to add a mysterious vibe.
Step 3: Drum sequencing. To create an R&B drum beat, drag and drop R&B samples into your project, and make a smooth drum beat.
So how do I create an R&B drum beat? R&B tracks are known for having a fairly wide bass.
The other drum layers tend to be syncopated, and not especially bouncy. This really emphasises the smooth, soulful vibe of R&B. It's also helpful to add chants like this "listen" chant.
This is the drum sequence I came up with. If you want to learn how to create perfect hi hat sequences, check this out.
It's best to have a simple kick, snare, and 808 pattern. Unlike trap, R&B has a catchy rhythm that is usually predictable.
Step 4: how to mix your R&B track.
The mixing is how you blend all the layers together. To get a good mix on your R&B track, you need to make sure your melodies and drums aren’t clashing. The best way to do this is with an EQ.
Every producer has a different opinion on how to mix, but I have found that cutting out some of the low end of my melodies allows the bass to breath, and be louder without clashing.
You can always automate this so the “low end” of the melody is added back when the bass isn’t being used, to keep the track sounding full.
Now would also be a good time to add any effects to your melody layers or drum layers. For example, reverb, delay, chorus, distortion, or more.
Once you’ve finished “eqing” the layers, it’s time to actually mix them. This is a difficult process that requires quite a bit of experience to get right first try.
I like to mute every layer, and unmuted them one by one, while changing the volume of each layer. I tend to start with the melodies, and keep the overall volume pretty low.
TIP: TURN UP YOUR HEADPONES OR SPEAKERS WHEN MIXING!
Now you have your mixed track ready to be mastered. If you’re not sure if you’ve done this correctly, try comparing it side by side to an instrumental that inspires you.
Try and focus on each element, and see if anything stands out. Is your snare too loud? Is your bass and low end too muddy? Does your kick take up too much room? Do the melody layers clash?
Once you’re done, go and make any necessary adjustments to your mix.
The next step is mastering...
How to master your R&B beat:
This is where you have a lot of options…
The most common are using a soft clipper, maximiser, or compressor.
Using a soft clipper is simple, you basically just increase the gain until the finished track starts clipping.
Using a maximiser is also very simple. On izotope ozone 9, I lower the character down to roughly 1, and decrease the threshold slider until the track starts "peaking". You can increase the character to get a smoother sound.
If you’re planning on sending this track out to a vocalist or artist, they will have their own engineers who will likely do their own mix and master. Don’t overthink this step and let it stop you from releasing music.
Step 5: Arrangement. to arrange an R&B track, pick how long you want each section to be, and then arrange your patterns.
So now you have a cool sounding 8 bar loop…
How do we turn it into a finished project?
The first step is to drag this 8 bar loop into your playlist, and split it into separate mixer tracks.
The second step is to keep a mental note of what your track arrangement is going to be. From my personal experience, I’ve found that R&B tracks can have longer intros than a lot of pop or hip hop tracks.
For example, Weekend by SZA has a very long intro.
For this track, there’s an 8 bar intro, 8 bar verse, and 12 bar hook. I’m going to duplicate the verse and hook 3 times, and add an 8 bar outro.
To add evolution, I’m going to cut out certain drum layers and melody layers, as well as add this "transition" effect which is basically a riser and crash combined.
And just like that, you should have a ready to go R&B track!
To summariese, here's how to create an R&B beat:
- Set your bpm to 100-120bpm
- Create a chord progression that feels warm and emotional
- Create counter melodies to carry the emotion of your melody
- Add a smooth drum beat with a warm bass
- Mix your track so that the melodies and bass stand out
- Master your beat using a soft clipper, maximiser, or compressor.
If you're struggling to find R&B samples, check out these FREE R&B sample packs!
If you want to watch free production tutorials, including R&B tutorials, check out my YouTube page here!
Also check out @legacybeats on Instagram for daily production tutorials.
~ Luke from WavGrind