{"id":1192,"date":"2014-11-20T17:31:34","date_gmt":"2014-11-20T22:31:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.splice.com\/?p=1192"},"modified":"2023-09-04T09:19:43","modified_gmt":"2023-09-04T13:19:43","slug":"amen-break","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/amen-break\/","title":{"rendered":"A History of the Amen Break: From The Winstons to Futurama and Om Unit"},"content":{"rendered":"

The history of sample-based music is intertwined with a 1969 funk instrumental track by the name of \u201cAmen Brother.\u201d The seemingly innocuous B-side by The Winstons gave birth to the most important drum break in history: the amen break. You\u2019ve likely heard the name before, you\u2019ve definitely<\/i> heard the sample before, hell you may have even heard its history before. It\u2019s the story of how a 6-second drum loop became the most sampled piece of music in history.<\/p>\n

So what\u2019s so appealing about the amen break? How did a six second drum sample go on to inspire entire sub-genres of music? Technically speaking, the amen break is notable for a few things. The sample features a steady ride cymbal to keep time rather than a constant hi-hat. The delayed snare in the third bar adds to the rhythm while the beat-gap in the third bar is famously jarring. The flavor of the sample is perhaps the break\u2019s most coveted feature next to its one-of-a-kind rhythm. As a live recording from 1969, it harbors a certain crispness to it that you don\u2019t get with computerized drums. Not to mention, when pitched up or down, the snare in the sample takes on plenty of desirable characteristics that makes for a damn good addition to any drum \u2018n\u2019 bass or hip hop track.<\/p>\n

To utilize the amen break, you can of course just drop it directly into your DAW and warp the sample to correct timing. To replicate its rhythm, you can use Ableton Live and right-click on the sample to \u201cConvert Drums to New MIDI Track.”\u00a0 Read on to learn more about the incredible history of this drum break.<\/p>\n

In 1969, Richard Lewis Spencer, the tenor saxophonist for The Winstons, received a Grammy for his compositional work on \u201cColor Him Father.\u201d The B-side to the track was a little number by the name of \u201cAmen Brother\u201d which went largely unnoticed at the time. Flash forward twenty years: samplers are gaining widespread traction in music production. Hip hop artists are making full use of the hardware for back-tracks and instrumentals. Sample-based music is flourishing and lo-and-behold, that catchy 6-second drum loop has become the basis for many a hip hop beat.<\/p>\n

\"Courtesy

Courtesy of Ethan Hein<\/p><\/div>\n

Mantronix\u2019s “King of the Beats” is often cited as one of the earliest examples of the sample, yet perhaps the most well-known is N.W.A.\u2019s \u201cStraight Outta Compton\u201d from 1988. Creating a clean two-bar loop of the sample and pitching it down to a comfortable hip hop pace, \u201cStraight Outta Compton\u201d used the amen break as the foundation for their entire song.<\/p>\n

Listen to the Amen Break at normal pace, slowed down, and sped up:<\/p>\n