How to Create a Haunting Drill Beat: Step-by-Step Guide

Written by Daisie Team

Published on 10 July 2023 6 min read

In the world of music production, creating a haunting drill beat can add a unique touch to your tracks. But the question is, how do you go about it? This step-by-step guide will take you through the process of how to make a drill beat, even if you're stepping into this space for the first time.

1. Get the Right Tools

Before you start creating your drill beat, it's essential to have the right tools in your arsenal. These can significantly influence the quality and authenticity of your sound. Let's explore which tools you'll need and why they're important.

Choose Your DAW

First things first—choosing your Digital Audio Workstation (DAW). This software is where all the magic happens—it's where you create, edit, and record your music. Consider using popular DAWs like Ableton Live, FL Studio, or Logic Pro X, each offering unique features to cater to your specific needs. Remember, the key to making a drill beat lies in mastering your DAW.

Pick Your Samples

Next, selecting your samples. This is a fun part of the process as you choose the sounds that will make your drill beat come to life. While you might be tempted to use any sound you come across, remember that not all samples are created equal. To make an impactful drill beat, choose samples with a dark, eerie undertone—these can really set the mood and create that haunting effect you're after.

Select Your MIDI Controller

Finally, you'll need a MIDI controller. This device allows you to interact with your DAW more intuitively, making it easier to create complex patterns and melodies. While it's possible to make a drill beat without one, having a MIDI controller can make the process more enjoyable and efficient.

Choosing the right tools is the first step on your journey to creating a haunting drill beat. With these in your hands, you're ready to move onto the next stage—creating the drum pattern. But that's a topic for another section!

2. Create the Drum Pattern

With the right tools in place, it's now time to create the drum pattern. This forms the backbone of your drill beat, providing the rhythmic structure that other elements will build upon. Let's dive into how to create a compelling drum pattern for your drill beat.

Set the Tempo

First up, setting the tempo. The tempo—or speed—of your beat can significantly affect its vibe. For an authentic drill beat, aim for a tempo between 135 and 145 beats per minute (BPM). This range provides a fast-paced rhythm that's characteristic of the drill genre.

Create the Kick Pattern

Next, let's add some punch to your beat with a kick drum pattern. Start with a simple pattern, placing your kicks on strong beats. As you get more comfortable, experiment with placing kicks on offbeats too, adding complexity and interest to your rhythm.

Add the Snare

Last but not least, add a snare. The snare usually lands on the third beat in a drill beat, providing a contrasting sound to the kick. For a haunting touch, choose a snare with a sharp, crisp sound—this will cut through the mix and add an eerie vibe to your beat.

Creating a solid drum pattern is key to making a drill beat that grabs and holds your listener's attention. Once you've nailed this, you're ready to add some melodic elements. But how exactly do you go about this? Let's find out in the next section.

3. Design the Melody

With a solid drum pattern set, it's time to bring your drill beat to life with a captivating melody. This is where you can let your creativity run wild and really show off your style. Let's explore how to create a melody that will leave your listeners humming along.

Choose the Scale

First things first, choose a musical scale. In the world of drill beats, minor scales reign supreme. They provide that signature dark and haunting sound associated with the genre. The minor pentatonic or natural minor scales are great choices to get that eerie feel.

Create the Melodic Pattern

Next up, use your chosen scale to create a melodic pattern. You can start simple—pick a few notes and repeat them in a loop. As you build confidence, you can start introducing more notes or play around with rhythm and timing. Remember, repetition is key in music, so don't overcomplicate things. A simple, catchy melody often works best.

Add Some Variation

Lastly, sprinkle in some variation to keep things interesting. This could be as simple as changing one or two notes in your pattern, or adding a short melodic fill every few bars. Variation helps avoid monotony and keeps your listeners engaged and guessing what comes next.

With your melody in place, your drill beat is starting to take shape. Next, we'll add some depth and weight with a bassline. But how do you create a bassline that supports your melody and drum pattern without overpowering them? Let's find out in the next section.

4. Add the Bassline

Got your melody sorted? Great! Now it's time to add in the bassline. The bassline is the backbone of your drill beat—it gives weight to your track and helps glue the melody and drum pattern together. So, how do you make a drill beat bassline that hits just right? Let's dive in.

Select the Bass Sound

First and foremost, you need to pick the right bass sound. In drill music, a deep and gritty bass is the norm. Look for a sound that's low and heavy, but still clear enough to be heard on small speakers. A good starting point could be a basic sine or triangle wave. Don't be afraid to experiment with different sounds to find the one that fits your track the best.

Create the Bass Pattern

Once you've found your bass sound, you can start creating the bass pattern. A good rule of thumb is to start your bassline by following the root notes of your melodic pattern. This will ensure your bassline and melody are in harmony. After that, feel free to play around with rhythm and note length to add some groove to your track. Remember, less is often more when it comes to basslines, so don't overdo it.

And there you have it—you've got your bassline! But, we're not done yet. A great drill beat is not just about the individual elements, but also how they all blend together. So, how do you make a drill beat that sounds polished and professional? Let's move on to the final step—polishing and mixing.

5. Polish and Mix

So, you've got your drum pattern, melody, and bassline. Congratulations! But, we're not done just yet. The last step on how to make a drill beat is to polish and mix your track. This is where you fine-tune your beat and make sure all the elements blend together seamlessly. Let's get to it.

Adjust the Volume

First off, you need to adjust the volumes of your different tracks. The goal is to make sure no one element overpowers the others. Generally, the kick and bass should be the loudest elements in a drill beat. The melody and snare should be a bit quieter, but still noticeable. Fine tune until you get a balance that sounds good to your ears.

Add Some Effects

Adding effects is a great way to add depth and character to your beat. For instance, you could add reverb to your snare to give it a sense of space, or distortion to your bass to make it grittier. However, be careful not to overdo it—too many effects can make your beat sound messy. As always, trust your ears and don't be afraid to experiment.

Do the Final Mixdown

Last but definitely not least, it's time for the final mixdown. This is where you do the final touches, such as equalizing your tracks to make sure they all have their own space in the frequency spectrum, and compressing your beat to make it sound cohesive. Some producers even like to add a bit of saturation or limiting to give their beat a bit of extra punch.

And there you have it—that's how to make a drill beat! Remember, the most important thing is to have fun and let your creativity flow. Happy beat making!

If you enjoyed our step-by-step guide on creating a haunting drill beat and want to explore more unique ways to make music, check out the workshop 'Making Music From Everyday Sounds' by Tom Glendinning. This workshop will teach you how to use everyday sounds to create innovative and captivating music, taking your production skills to new heights.