TrapMusic

Quora Answer : When did flutes become so popular in trap music?

Jun 8, 2020

I may be wrong, but I'd guess Future's Mask Off had something to do with it.

But overall flutes, like "bells" are the kinds of instruments / sounds that complement trap well.

Trap music is largely about making space for the voice. Because the voice is not necessarily very loud and annunciation is not MumbleRap's ... er ... strong suit.

So you need to leave space for it.

Now the 808s are providing the groundwork of your tune. With kicks providing extra bounce. At the other end of the frequency spectrum, hi-hats are providing forward motion with some extra bounce and claps giving you pulse, snares a bit of extra bounce.

So how to you provide your harmony / melody / hook?

It has to be an instrument that doesn't take up too much of the frequency spectrum. You don't want to be competing with the voice.

So the solution is have some quiet chords / arpeggios (maybe piano etc.) lower down and a higher pitch purer melodic figure. Either on bells. But the word bell now seems to mean more or less any high pitch short / staccato sound. Or a flute-like sound when you want a more legato continuous melody.

Basically flutes sound good when they are nice and high pitched, and not in conflict with the rapper's voice. But are "pure" without too many overtones that would fight the hats and muffle the crispness of the claps and snares.

Quora Answer : Is the album Mystic Stylez by Three 6 Mafia considered to be trap music?

Jun 9, 2020

Good question.

It's not the sound of contemporary trap.

But it's very clearly part of the history that brought us to trap. I'd say Three 6 Mafia and that southern scene were fundamental influences in the evolution of contemporary trap / hip-hop sound. (Along with crunk and the Houston scene)

The snare drum is very trap. There's lots of triplet flow (from long before Migos)

And I'm sure the slang term "trap" was in use at that time.

OTOH, that kick doesn't feel very much like today's trap. There are no hats doing what hats do in contemporary trap. And it is not at trap's double tempo speed (AFAICT).

I wouldn't call it trap. But it is certainly "proto-trap"