................................................................................................................................................

Drum Loop

Musical

Example

Drum Loop

Secret

Score

Drum Loop

Animated

Score

Rhythmic Vamp

In our Adventure topic, we discuss the importance of constructing a rhythmic vamp to help bring excitement and momentum to the music. Even though we are using powerful sounding drum loops in this current example, we can still benefit from the use of a rhythmic vamp. In bar 3, we introduce this vamp:

All the notes in this vamp come from the C diminished scale. We can see that while the basses, cellos and timpani play the complete vamp, the trombones and piano accent various notes within the vamp. We can also see that it is a two bar vamp that repeats. What is interesting about this vamp is the rhythm. The first bar of the vamp emphasizes the downbeats while the second bar emphasizes the off beats:

This syncopated feel helps to break up the repetition of the constant drum loop. Let's listen to what the rhythmic vamp and the drum loop sound like when played together:  

It is interesting to point out that while the rhythmic vamp provides accents to the drum loop, we can strengthen those accents even more by adding a brass color. From bar 19 to the downbeat of 23, the trumpets do just that:

Notice how they reinforce selective beats.