Have you ever heard a song and thought, “Huh, I’ve heard that sound before?”
Music often shares common elements—chord progressions, textures, instruments, rhythms—but sometimes artists go a step further.
In fact, some choose to directly incorporate pieces of existing recordings into new songs. Known as sampling, this technique takes a portion of a pre-existing audio recording and repurposes it to create something quite new. While it may not seem like it, sampling is everywhere in the world of music!
What is sampling?
A sample can be anything—a melody, a vocal phrase, a bass line, a drum break, or even a common sound. Producers frequently alter these recordings by chopping, pitching, or layering them to generate something new and unique. Think of it this way: the base audio is like a producer’s playground, and the sample can be stretched and embellished in so many ways that an artist can find a way to express themself despite the recognizable foundation.
Why use samples?
Artists use samples to pay homage to the music that inspires them. Incorporating a recognizable sound from an older recording can celebrate influential artists and expose vintage sounds to modern listeners. Many genres of music—including pop, R&B, hip-hop, and breakbeat—have embraced sampling as a core part of their sound. By blending elements from different songs, producers naturally innovate. Even if a sample does not make the final cut, it plays a significant role in the experimentation phase of a creative journey.
Where have I heard a sample?
One of the most iconic samples in music history is known as the Amen Break. It’s originally a six-second drum solo from the song Amen, Brother by The Winstons, but producers chopped, looped, and sped up the drum pattern in a diverse array of ways, defining genres such as jungle, drum and bass, and breakbeat. It’s simply remarkable how the Amen Break was such a brief segment of a relatively obscure recording, yet it became one of the most influential sounds in modern music. All through the power of sampling, a simple musical phrase became the foundation of several entirely new genres.
It is interesting to see how music evolves over time, as sampling continues to be a part of many producers’ creative process and shapes contemporary music today. If you are lacking inspiration, take a stab at sampling—you never know what new ideas might emerge.
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Hi, I’m Devon! I play the flute and enjoy writing music in my free time.