Sampled and Mixed
Sample vs Mixing vs A Cover Song
Sampling and mixing are two common techniques used by hip-hop music producers and DJs. When you sample a piece of music, you take a portion of one song and use it in a new song. When you mix songs, you find a way to combine them. This sometimes creates a new song, but mixing is usually used to transition from one song to another on the radio or at a live event. Sampling and mixing are different than performing a cover which is when a musician or band perform their own version of an already existing song.
a very popular example of a cover
I will Always Love You
Original performed by Dolly Parton
I will Always Love You
Cover performed by Whitney Houston
One thing leads to another…
Sampling and mixing are very common in the genre of hip-hop, but others genres of music use these techniques as well. Because there is so much music out in the world, many people don’t even realize that their favorite new song has elements of music that was written decades ago or is from a completely different genre. Hearing the original source of a song’s sample is like going on a musical scavenger hunt! One song may lead to another and then another and maybe even another!
The same but different
Let’s have a listen to some examples of songs that were sampled and mixed to create new hip-hop songs. In the first example, you’ll hear how The Fugees used elements of two different songs to create their song “Ready or Not.” The second shows how a gospel song became an R&B song which became the main element of the “hook” or chorus of the song “Gold Digger.” Now that’s a journey!
Boadicea by Enya
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Ready or Not, Here I Come by The Delfonics
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Ready or Not by The Fugees
It Must be Jesus by The Southern Tones
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I Got a Woman by Ray Charles
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Gold digger by Kanye West
Even though they share the same elements, each song is unique and represents the artists’ style and genre (type of music). Sampling a song is kind of like following a recipe you like but changing just one or two things. You take what you like and add your own special touch!
Do you know which of you favorite songs samples an older song?
What about a cover song? I bet there are more of them than you think!