That's how I feel too...
On the subject of hats - Experiment with other sounds (not necessarily percussion) but play them in the same pattern in which you would play the hi hat to move the track if the track feels stagnant without them. You'd be surprised what you come up with.
Listen to "Encore" on Eminem's latest album (I think that's the track). I'm assuming Dre produced it. Listen to how he freaks the percussion - kick, snare and staccato vocal samples in between the kicks and snare where the hats would normally go.
Listen to "Tough Guy" on Xzibits latest album. Again, I'm assuming Dre produced this one. Check how he has some different vocal samples going back and forth but in the pattern of how you would normally play hi hats.
Quincy Jones once said that everything starts with tempo. If you have the correct tempo for a track, you can do without some of the sounds you feel you couldn't live without before - thus simplifiying things. If you're creative enough, you can use other sounds to take the place of traditional sounds and patterns and it will still sound good. Can't be afraid to do something different.
On the subject of hats - Experiment with other sounds (not necessarily percussion) but play them in the same pattern in which you would play the hi hat to move the track if the track feels stagnant without them. You'd be surprised what you come up with.
Listen to "Encore" on Eminem's latest album (I think that's the track). I'm assuming Dre produced it. Listen to how he freaks the percussion - kick, snare and staccato vocal samples in between the kicks and snare where the hats would normally go.
Listen to "Tough Guy" on Xzibits latest album. Again, I'm assuming Dre produced this one. Check how he has some different vocal samples going back and forth but in the pattern of how you would normally play hi hats.
Quincy Jones once said that everything starts with tempo. If you have the correct tempo for a track, you can do without some of the sounds you feel you couldn't live without before - thus simplifiying things. If you're creative enough, you can use other sounds to take the place of traditional sounds and patterns and it will still sound good. Can't be afraid to do something different.
