How to Make an R&B Beat in FL Studio: Step by Step

An R&B beat is about two things: warm chords and room for the voice. The drums are softer than in trap, the tempo is lower and everything serves the singer or rapper. In this guide you'll make an R&B beat in FL Studio, from the tempo to a structure with a hook.

What makes a beat R&B?

• A calm tempo, often between 60 and 100 BPM.
• Chords with a seventh or ninth that sound warm and a bit jazzy.
• Soft, round drums with snaps, rimshots and hi-hats.
• A bass that follows the chords, often an 808 or a deep sub.
• Room for the voice. The beat is the bed, the vocal is the lead.

Step 1: set the tempo

Set the tempo in FL Studio somewhere between 60 and 100 BPM. A lot of modern R&B feels half-time: the snare or clap lands on beat 3 instead of 2 and 4. That way a beat at 130 BPM can feel just as slow as a beat at 65. BPM by genre explains how that works.

Step 2: pick a warm instrument and write the chords

Pick a soft instrument: a Rhodes, warm keys, a pad or a clean guitar. In FL Studio you can use FL Keys. According to Image-Line, FL Keys works as a piano by default, and as a Rhodes with the included modules.

Then the chords. R&B lives on chords with a seventh or ninth added, like maj7, m7 and m9. In R&B chord progressions with free MIDI you'll find seven loops to start with right away. With the free chord generator you pick the R&B mood and download the MIDI.

Don't play every chord equally hard. According to Image-Line, Randomize in the Piano roll's Tools menu (Alt+R) can vary the velocity of existing notes. That makes it sound less like a computer.

Step 3: build the drums

Kick and snare

Pick a round kick without a hard click. For the snare, a soft clap, snaps or a rimshot work well. Put them on beat 3 for a half-time feel, or on 2 and 4 for a more classic R&B groove.

Hi-hats and percussion

Start with hi-hats in eighth or sixteenth notes, with a low velocity. A roll here and there is fine, but keep it calmer than trap. A shaker or a few snaps in between add movement. If you program your drums in the Channel rack, try a bit of swing with the Swing knob.

Step 4: add the bass

Let the bass follow the root notes of your chords. An 808 works well for modern R&B, a soft sub for a calmer song. Make sure the bass and kick don't fight each other. Read how to mix 808 and kick and what an 808 is.

Step 5: leave room for the voice

In R&B, the voice matters most. A few tips:

• Not too many layers. Chords, drums and bass are often enough. A small melody is fine, but don't let it clash with the singer.
• Keep the mids calm. That's where the voice sits. Chords with lots of notes can cover the vocal. Drop a note or play them lower.
• A bit of reverb on your chords adds space. Keep your drums drier.

Step 6: from loop to beat

A 4 or 8 bar loop isn't a beat yet. Give it a structure: an intro, a verse, a hook and maybe a pre-chorus before it. A 16 bar verse and an 8 bar hook are common. Read what a bar is in rap. Take out a layer in the verse and let the beat get fuller in the hook.

Does the key fit the voice?

A lot of R&B is sung. If the hook sits too high or too low for the singer, you can shift the beat a few semitones without changing the tempo. Read how to transpose a beat.

Common mistakes

• Drums that are too hard. Then it quickly sounds like trap instead of R&B.
• Too full. A beat that already sounds finished on its own leaves no room for the voice.
• Plain chords. Without sevenths and ninths, you miss that warm color.
• Everything tight on the grid. A bit of swing and some velocity changes make it more human.

Want something else? Read how to make a lo-fi beat or how to make a trap beat in FL Studio. Mostly an artist? Browse the beats by NameOnTheBeat.

FAQ

What BPM is R&B?

Often between 60 and 100 BPM. A lot of modern R&B feels half-time, so a beat at 130 BPM can feel like 65.

What chords do you use for R&B?

Often chords with a seventh or ninth added, like maj7, m7 and m9. They sound warm and soft.

What's the difference between an R&B beat and a trap beat?

They can sound alike, especially with 808s and hi-hats. But an R&B beat has softer drums, warmer chords and leaves more room for the vocals.

Source: Image-Line's FL Studio manual.