Writing + Producing Jazzy Lo-Fi Hip-Hop Beats (the HARD way!)

[@MKSilverSax]

Government Subsidized Saxophone approves of this message. Thanks for letting me be part of this. It was fun!

[@SignalsMusicStudio]

THE SAXMAN COMETH. Thanks so much for playing on this track man!

[@candormind3159]

your line is my favorite part of this lofi

[@MKSilverSax]

@@candormind3159 Thank you!

[@Jonpoo1]

Best use of taxes

[@telecoustic000]

No more government subsidizing for active basses!

[@MarceloHenkin]

the amount of knowledge this guy has and the way he is able to express and communicate it is almost frightening. brilliant video, by the way.

[@seiph80]

Agreed

[@awakelingsignals]

My appreciation for him doin his thang and every patreonsupporter he has ever and ever will have ... is enormous.

[@Dariocomposer]

This type of communication is definitely an amazing skill

[@Dariocomposer]

and he looks like Shazam!

[@kazvanrooij]

But he gets some things wrong. His way of making the last beat late is redundant. You CAN tell a computer to be late. Groove settings are a thing computers can do.

[@hahayes7205]

"We could write this as a measure of 33/32" Me: **master of puppets flashbacks*

[@Wind-nj5xz]

@Hidde Veldkamp 21/32

[@blackcitadel37]

Lmao I knew someone would remember that

[@DuNkGoW]

Is that the A part? I count like two 4/4 bars and a 7/4 bar

[@Roboprogs]

Hmmmm. So, a 33 beat long pattern in my Model Samples??? Maybe.

[@simonbelanger1046]

This whole channel is the definition of quality content.

[@cory8242]

I don't think ive come across anything similar to how quality this guys channel is in any field

[@_wayneman_]

"So you have a new music production video for me?" "Yes Sir, I do." "But you just released another good video a couple of days ago. Isn't it hard to come up with new ideas that fast?" "Actually no. Super easy, barely an inconvenience" "Well, if you say so... I'm gonna watch, like and comment for the algorithm"

[@SignalsMusicStudio]

for the record I don't find this very easy lol

[@_wayneman_]

@@SignalsMusicStudio Mom get the camera! He answered to me! On a serious note tho: I DO think you make some of the finest videos on this platform and if I wouldn't be that chronically broke student, I'd totaly support your work besides sharing it with friends. Hope you never stop doing this and all the best wishes from Germany!

[@NoName-fc8cq]

@@_wayneman_ "Is it going to be difficult to put in a ryan george reference?" "Actually, no. Its super easy, barely an inconvenience"

[@KyAnnZorain]

Well said.

[@jimBobuu]

"Lo fi hip hop is tight!" "Sir, no. It's the exact opposite of that so I'm going to need you to get all the way off my back on this one."

[@ThatOtherRaccoon]

I love when Beardstank is involved in projects. He's like, "You want elevator? Boom I got you. You want cityscape sounds? Boom I got you."

[@SignalsMusicStudio]

and to think you haven't even seen him in his final form yet...

[@ThatOtherRaccoon]

@@SignalsMusicStudio nothing short of majestic I'm sure!

[@MattyWhens]

"The Sample Pack!" "The Sample Pack!" "Unbelievable Sample Pack!"

[@zachr5779]

You can’t escape the ad. Ever.

[@rx456]

im preety sure the city sound is him humping his bed or somthing

[@dylanduke1075]

Getting a notification saying “Signals Music Studio has uploaded a new video: Writing & Producing Lo-Fi Hip Hop” was literally like a god send

[@mokrodrigues4515]

This is exactly what is was looking for: Lofi without using samples. Thanks a lot! This sounds beautiful!

[@JayOneAlumni]

Most of it isn’t Cos clearing samples is too much money usually so people just make their own stuff

[@isaacthecorncob]

@@JayOneAlumni No a lot of it is just stolen. Not the officially released stuff because legal reasons, but there is a LOT of lofi that is just completely ripped

[@JayOneAlumni]

@@isaacthecorncob its not stolen (as a music producer) a lot of people sample in lofi, the people who make money usually use sample packs (different thing) or make them themselfs/get people to play parts and then sample that and manipulate that. its not hard.

[@dissinyosandwich7548]

Honestly one of your best vids so far. The 4/4 + 9/8 slowed down trick was HELLA smart. The slowing down and chopping up of samples funnily enough reminded me of Ben Levin's amazing "fakerwave" video. A lot of these tricks could be applied to an 80's pop context instead of hip-hop and you'd get some classic vaporwave in the vein of Floral Shoppe or Eccojams.

[@SignalsMusicStudio]

If someone says my video reminds them of Ben Levin I take it as an enormous compliment :)

[@TheKnicks2012]

Only thing you missed was a “Jake Studying” character loop

[@coreyz796]

And a cat🐈

[@TheGlitterMovement]

Everything about this makes me realize how much I don't know.

[@Chris_Viarengo]

Keep pushing forward and learning! Learning never ends and no matter how much you know you can always learn more. Having said that, limitation breeds creativity, so you’ll be fine with what you already know!

[@SignalsMusicStudio]

Sounds like a huge opportunity :)

[@KyAnnZorain]

You and me both. And I studied music theory for more than 4 years. I don't know anything.

[@ricardotmc]

@@KyAnnZorain If u studied music theory for 4 years and don't know nothing , u are doing something wrong

[@yessir6427]

@@KyAnnZorain lul

[@Hexenhammer]

Great song, btw. I usually can't stand disjointed rhythms, and my brain wants to "fix" them. This hits exactly where you wanted, and as an educational piece, it is super functional. Bravo, sir.

[@SignalsMusicStudio]

It's funny, the whole song is kinda off the grid but just implies a grid, and that's close enough. there's also a randomly generated hi hat that appears at the silliest of times, and even that's not enough to ruin the 4 4 vibe

[@imslicc]

you're actually a music theory youtuber that can make nice sounding music. ridiculously, this is never the case..

[@induhgo_]

Hahah I was just watching some tutorials and all the music sounded lame. The instrument choices weren’t it. He’s def got it

[@emapage8914]

You should check out Adam Neely then :)

[@induhgo_]

@@emapage8914 thanks! Will do!

[@johnrushton3426]

@@emapage8914 I second this comment!

[@tfwnoyandere]

@@emapage8914 yes

[@gemmachaos]

These are the most empowering music videos around. Everytime I watch one of Jake's videos I feel like I've learned something I can just immediately apply to my own music.

[@pdreding]

But where's the studying anime girl and/or raccoon?

[@morethen9000]

It's so funny how the harmony changes how we feel a melody. The melody alone gives me a dark and unsettling vibe, probably because it finishes in the 7th degree. But when you add the I-V progression it kinda sounds resolved when the F# kicks in, sounding like F# is our I chord actually.

[@okwhatever_]

Yeah it slays fs

[@darshankumar2717]

I shall be eternally grateful to this channel.

[@jamesrobinson529]

Hands down, this is my favorite tutorial that you've ever produced! You should definitely consider making an entire lofi album.

[@psychonavi]

why dont you do it, ill be pleasedt to hear it, no jokes

[@jamesrobinson529]

@@psychonavi I should probably do that. One of my problems is that I get deep in production. Then I'll start to feel like I'm neglecting my guitar technique. One of my biggest hurdles is mastering the 9/8 feel. To me, it's a must have to authentically nail the lofi sound.

[@isaacthecorncob]

I second this. I normally don't like lofi or hip hop, but I really, thoroughly, enjoyed his track here.

[@yd6782]

I love the sax part! Omg so nice

[@MKSilverSax]

::High Five:: Thanks for the love!

[@ayojdon]

As if I couldn't have fallen in love with this channel more with the amount of information I've gained and retained over the past few weeks, props to you man you are a great teacher and I hope you see this so you can see how much you've truly help me fall back into love with making and playing music again! 🎶 thank you

[@BenRobsonMusic]

The polymeter is a cool idea to get that "drunk" rhythmic feel. I also like the "quintuplet/septuplet swing" method, where what sounds like inaccurate timing is actually just a weird, sparse -tuplet rhythm.

[@cherian5700]

Can someone explain how he did it? I’ve rewatched the rhythm part for about 3 times, and I still don’t get it. I’m not too familiar with time signatures and all that, so any help would be appreciated.

[@BenRobsonMusic]

@@cherian5700 each "beat" you hear in the final song is actually a full measure at a really fast tempo - 4 times faster than the "real" tempo of the song. The first 3 "beats" are full measures of 4/4 (4 quarter notes, or 8 eighth notes, per measure), but you hear them as beats instead of measures because they go by quickly and there's only one point of emphasis in each. The last "beat" is a measure of 9/8, which is one eighth note longer than the other 3. This makes it sound like the music is skipping or stuttering because the rhythmic loop restarts slightly later than it would if all 4 beats were the same length. In short, the last beat of each measure that you hear is intentionally "too long."

[@BenRobsonMusic]

@@cliffpinchon2832 yeah this is an unusual method as far as i know. I can't argue with the result though!

[@dylanduke1075]

Jake any chance you could do something on jazz noir?? Your new track seems to hit on that vibe a little

[@natios100]

oh yes please! some dark jazz tutorial would be amazing

[@rodrigolara6263]

Yessssss

[@mariabrandao5559]

Ooooh i would love that

[@jameskowalkowski2308]

Second that!!

[@CarlosMartinez-gr1rp]

Just my appreciation note for using an MClass compressor for the pumping effect, the Audiomatic Retrotransformer for coloring and even an ID8 epiano for that descending arpeggio, instead of 3x $300 vsts. You are a craftman.

[@SignalsMusicStudio]

Never had the luxury to buy vsts or good gear when I was learning to produce, looking back it was a blessing in disguse

[@CTRex343]

Alternative title: i break every rule of music and it sounded great

[@g.mantua1195]

Signals Music Studio has quickly become my favorite KZbin channel. Great groove and thanks for the teching.

[@DDRseagull]

Speeding up the song and using each measure for a single beat... That's brilliant

[@drumlinemedia5555]

My dirty secret to making trip hop sound old is to sample in a record needle running on empty vinyl, the space before the music starts.

[@steevothaman]

Excellent content. Your musical range and talent for teaching makes for one of the best music instruction channels on the web! Also if I close my eyes and listen, it’s like Jeff Goldblum is teaching me about music theory. And that is awesome!

[@jmusick848]

that polymeter technique on the drums is a pretty unique to get that off the grid rhythm for sure

[@SteffenThole]

"Slow it down by a half step" astonishingly makes a lot of sense.

[@lanegibson5926]

This helped a lot. I’m working on a Lofi EP and I realize I’ve been overthinking a lot of it tbh. Your creativity in this inspired me to just have fun with my songs and throw in random sounds and see where it goes from there!

[@frankjager1647]

I highly encourage you to consider making some "lofi guitar chord progression" sample packs. There is a HUGE market for it, and not that many people who know theory are in it.

[@victorNDSL]

YES!!! I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS VIDEO FOR AGES! THANKS JAKE!

[@moenesbenfradj7462]

This is the best lofi beat i've ever heard... Goosebumps 🎷

[@Gjushiii]

At first, i was like nah this ain't it but the key switch really made it really good and the sax and guitar along with the ambiance I mean just great. The ambience really gave it some sauce.

[@paulmichaud7565]

OK. If there's another season of Twin Peaks you've got the soundtrack. Loved it.

[@xBandhead3]

Jake, probably one of my favorite videos yet. Great job bröther, I’m adding this to my playlist once it’s on Spotify. Next up: How To Write Adidas Hard Bass Music (the hard way)

[@SignalsMusicStudio]

Thx bro! ngl the resulting music + vid is really one of my fav creations to date

[@england101510]

I have been listening to a Lo-Fi Beats playlist pretty heavily for the last few months, and you absolutely nailed it with this track. I really enjoyed seeing what a complex process it is to make these "simple" songs. I had no idea!

[@rswatzl3]

Dude, was that hypnotic vibe done on purpose? Good job, man!

[@MrDo2an]

Excellent, thank you. Very pleasant stylish song. Your teaching and presenting style is great, speaking fast and clear, getting to the point immediately. If I didn't see your face I would say you were a 50-year old pro-experienced musician and teacher.

[@DopamineOverload]

Still the most informative and most underrated music channel on KZbin, by far. You need 2 million subscribers, man. Another superb vid!!

[@raphaelbiazotto]

I like how Jake can interest me in the process of creating a song of a genre that I wouldn't normally listen to. It is a nice learning experience.

[@louieangeldeleon]

I will watch every one of your videos because you are the best guitar teacher on KZbin!! BTW I bought your modal poster! Awesome Art! 🖼

[@SignalsMusicStudio]

I take no credit for the actual art but take complete credit for befriending the amazing artists who helped :)

[@joeeeee8738]

This is just beyond amazing in many ways

[@clairevee2108]

Music theory should be this fun mates. I was smiling and grabbing every pieces the whole time. THANK YOU!

[@Telee_Pawt]

The fun is infectious. Loved it. Couldn't keep the smile off my face. Thx!

[@blakhowk1]

This is the BEST representation of how to make lo-go hip-hop from scratch. Thank you very much!

[@kiah.bender]

ive learnt more from your videos in the past few days than i have in years. absolutely love your work. you're the man :)

[@97jallen]

Wow! This was great! I love lofi and I love what you did with this. The meter stuff kind of blows up my brain…. but that kind of thing is what makes lofi so cool. And I love that you are using Reason. I am a Reason user too, so it’s nice to see it.

[@blurryvisionsanimations3716]

YESS!!! finally this is the the subject I’ve been wanting from my favorite KZbin teacher

[@MyXAHOB]

2:32 in fl studio you can automate tempo you can create short 1 bar clip of automation and replicate it throughout the song

[@roma540]

Well, he did say we're going HARD way :D

[@iasyama1999]

not my type of lofi but finally one lofi video that actually has an awesome result. Gonna use some of your techniques/tips here mate thanks!

[@iarreolav]

you patreon supporters are the best. This guy makes me feel like i can make music

[@ijahB18]

WOW...THAT REALLY TRANSPORTS, TO ANOTHER UNIVERSE. THAT STAGERED BEAT IS WHAT DOES IT. IT TRYS TO CATCH UP TO ITS SELF. BRILLENT. THANK U. U OUGHT TO WIN.

[@lofialumni]

This was the best Lofi tutorial I have ever seen, I have recently taken the plunge into getting away from sampling while still making Lofi beats, you have inspired me to work harder. This was a dope groove and not yet super detailed

[@Outside998]

Here we go! Insight into a genre I am unfamiliar with. Nice.

[@samkng]

Ugggghhhh this is such a great video dude. Learned so much from this. So many little tricks that you can forget about haha. The 4/4 to 9/8 move was especially cool!

[@choowie92]

That 4th beat was unsettling at first and then it goes into you. The half-step slow down was genius. And the overall song has a soothing effect. I need to try it!

[@shandani7215]

Man, you blow out, man! This is awesome. You are very talented.

[@nimlhug138]

My ex was really into Portishead when I met her. This video made me remember our relationship when everything was good for both of us.

[@mikkoiranen]

One of the best beat producing videos I've seen. 😯

[@Tyler-dp6by]

I have a question that I hope makes sense. I'm looking in your previous videos and I don't see any videos that really speak about how to write chords for an already established melody, unless I just completely missed it. I've heard some people say it's easier to have a melody first and then build a chord progression for it vs writing a melody over a chord progression. Is there a video of yours that would help more on that kind of subject? I know I could find other videos on KZbin talking about it but no one has explained music theory and guitar theory better than you. I would love for you to make a video on that if you haven't already.

[@SignalsMusicStudio]

I actually don't have a video on that specific topic, I've been meaning to make it for a long time and keep forgetting! Thanks for reminding me, it should appear one of these days

[@Jr-Forastiere]

thumbnail is elite

[@williamconnolly2152]

Please keep posting videos. You helped me understand modes!

[@geekyprojects1353]

I watched many of Jake's videos and I'm still shocked by a 15 yo teenager sounding like a 30 yo radio host :)

[@Der.Geschichtenerzahler]

Man you definitely should start a lofi channel. This video was long but was worth watching

[@Stephanie.Palmer]

Fantastic video! The way you explained everything made it easy to understand (thanks AP music theory😂). I truly enjoy watching your videos. You definitely earned my subscription to your channel. Great work! 👏🏻

[@davidaa9238]

please make more videos like this, ive watched almost all of your videos in the last week or two and this is by far my favorite. i love your channel, keep creating

[@Wouterferdinand]

Good to still see new videos!

[@wondervalleyexperimental]

Really digging this episode! I loved the way you pushed the beat off the grid. Inspiring!

[@darkvalkyrie5366]

You are such a genius and I'm literally in love with your voice 😍

[@Se7eNiToS]

Am I witnessing a genius at work here? What's going on?! Amazing work as always!

[@EchterBonito]

god i love this guy so much already and i found him just yesterday on youtube

[@alexisalvarez6336]

Your channel is chock-full of music genius!

[@liquidsolids9415]

That was really inspiring. You’re right - there’s no need for anyone to sample these days. It’s so much more fulfilling to write your own original music, record your own effects, etc. Well done! Keep up the great work!

[@victorcobane6644]

Nice! I never think of traditional music theory mixing well with lo fi hip hop, but you did it really well!

[@rebeccawhite5333]

Great video. Love the track! Those descending guitar lines fit perfectly.

[@jasongravely7217]

I’m 5 min in and this is already awesomely genius

[@heyiplaybassguitar]

Love your approach! Really liked the "call and answer" saxophone + guitar melody nearing the end of the song. Great work!

[@themeadowshadows]

I don’t understand the appeal of Adam Neely - not to compare - but it’s so heady. I actually understand you. You the YT music teacher GOAT.

[@Afurthyclays]

There's just something I don't like, regarding using someone else's samples, straight out. If I build it from scratch, I can say with confidence that I made the song all by myself. If I'm going to steal, it will be much more discreet & inconspicuous. You'd never know. That's part of the fun of songwriting! 😃 I like your approach. This is a good video! 😎

[@mooreta]

I feel the same way when it comes to producing music. Although samples are an integral part of music, just the feeling of " I made this from nothing". Is truly euphoric

[@minhuang8848]

I just tend to just hard code odd meter and metric modulation and all that nonsense, but if you want to give it a laid-back or a wonky feel, I highly recommend messing around with tempo automation. Which obviously means you should go for your vsts first and track any analog inputs after the fact, but that shouldn't be a huge deal. Just give it a gentle nudge down (or up) on the last measure and adjust for feel. Groove quantization is also super powerful and, at the very least, is a banging tool to find the feel that fits your beat. Sweet video as always! Also, good call on that transposition/slow down combo. Kind of really sits perfectly in that lazy mood, just super relaxing. Oh and the ambient sounds, like a nice, warm blanket.

[@ericmaher4756]

You could have just said it isn't done in 17/32 days...gosh, but such a great vibe!

[@Churro_Flaminguez]

This video is fantastic like all your content, Jake. I have been working on my first original chillhop/lo fi track lately as well. Main difference is, I work in Ableton exclusively. I thought your "tempo hack" to get an uneven, shuffling draggy rhythm was too convulted and cumbersome, though effective. I would recommend just automating tempo changes in Ableton. You could make every fourth bar slightly slower-tempo pretty easily if you wanted. I've automated tempo changes on hard rock tracks with sampled drum kits and it makes them sound way more natural.

[@Hexenhammer]

Agreed about the timing. You have such a way of slimming things down to the straight facts. Thanks, man. I am always recommending you to people. You're in my top 10 for all content (not just for music).

[@shye229]

something you can do instead of the 4/4 9/8 thing which will keep your DAW organised is to automate the BPM to slow down a bit on the last bar, this also means you can get more unpredictable and organic wonky grooves

[@clcr932]

I like that you use reason, finally somebody

[@mram6311]

These are my favorite videos on KZbin. Your explanations, although far advanced for me, are interesting and educational.

[@martinezlopez4699]

That's what I call »SHARING«!! Profound KNOWLEDGE, well tempered & step-by-step EXPLANATION is just incomparable! (Just a side-note & for personal liking: End-result could be ever so slightly faster …;-))))

[@julioxstaticv3782]

That final product was fire dude!! Also very descriptive and follow-able production video. Thank you Signals/Jake

[@lupito6185]

i love how when u slow it down u are capable of hear the 8/9

[@galupa518]

I thrive on the music theory elements and your approach to creating great music. Genius.

[@asherdaniels9466]

Wow. That was absolutely beautiful.

[@bullcrapptv]

You're totally trying to look baked in that thumbnail! Mission accomplished! 🤣

[@Natsuki_Cover]

I’d already felt the effect of side-chain compression in many lofi beats, but I didn’t know what is that. Your video cleaned up my confusion! Thank you so much

[@orfeasmusic6677]

Very informative video. Thanks a lot!

[@kenkaniff2071]

Love the tune. Hope it wins the contest

[@bicho5925]

the groove, melodies, and even to the visuals this was heat 😭🔥🔥. thank u for the information and insight into ya brain sir

[@MS-iq4eo]

Signals , is the best music education channel

[@tomtran2945]

So young and so many talents. How can you master a lot of music ideas. I am a fan. Listen to you all day long. A lot of things you talked I know but not organized as you do. Bravo the channel.