While the name Barry Beats may not be as familiar in the world of Hip-Hop production as a Dr Dre, or a Kanye West, those in the know are only too aware that on YouTube Barry’s Beats mean business. This mysterious, unassuming character has often been likened to the Ned Flanders of hip-hop (or perhaps the Bob Ross of beatmaking). About as unlikely a hip-hop producer as you’re ever likely to meet, he perfectly embodies the old saying: don’t judge a book by its cover.

While he’s built a loyal legion of fans over the years, Barry has never been known for being especially prolific. In fact, the latest drop, which premiered last Friday, is his first new video in three years. So, with the comments section full of fans celebrating Barry’s return, the question is: what about the content itself?

A revolutionary new chopping technique?

This video, which appears to be an old episode unearthed from the vaults, introduces what it claims is a brand new chopping technique.

To demonstrate it, Barry uses a track from his 2020 album 2 Sides of Barry. The source material is the well-known northern soul classic Harlem Shuffle by Bob & Earl, which is sliced into equal quarter-note increments. So far nothing new or revolutionary.

Where the technique becomes interesting is in how those chops are reprogrammed.

Instead of replaying and flipping the sample at its original tempo of 118 BPM, Barry slows the project down to a sluggish 80 BPM. Normally, such a drastic tempo change would require pitching the sample down or time-stretching it to make it fit. Instead, the sample stays at its original pitch.

This works because Barry reprograms the quarter-note chops as eighth notes at the slower tempo. The result totally reframes the sample giving it a completely new feel. Because the chops are just short enough they don’t clash and instead create a heavily swung groove. As several sharp-eyed commenters have pointed out, the concept is similar to a beat juggling technique used by turntablists.

Barry also demonstrates how, once you’ve established a basic groove using this approach, it’s easy to swap individual chops in and out, opening up almost endless creative possibilities.

To finish the exercise, he layers in drums and a deep bassline over the chopped sample to build a complete beat.

To see Barry demonstrate the technique for yourself, watch the video below.

Get some Barry in your beats

If this video’s sampling techniques have inspired you, here’s a way to get a little bit of Barry into your own sampler.

Here at RouteNote Create, we’re proud to offer Barry’s acclaimed Ultimate Fakes & Beats drum packs. Volumes 1–3 are available to download now for just $10 each or as part of our great value subscriptions.

Each pack is packed with vintage-inspired drum loops and one-shots, capturing the sound and feel of the classic breakbeats of the ’60s and ’70s. Layer them with melodic samples for authentic boom bap hip-hop, or crank up the tempo for some jungle-inspired mayhem.

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Download a pack or three today and start building beats like Barry.