First 20 minutes of class

History and Overview

Reggaeton is a popular music genre that originated Panama and got popularized in Puerto Rico in the late 1990s. It is characterized by its fusion of various musical styles, primarily influenced by dancehall, hip-hop, and Latin American and Caribbean rhythms.

Check out the Reggaeton Roots documentary HERE

The Dembow

The "dembo w" rhythm, often referred to as the "dembow" or "dembow beat," is a distinctive and essential element of Reggaeton music. This rhythm is characterized by a repetitive, syncopated beat, and it serves as the backbone of all Reggaeton tracks. The dembow rhythm is relatively simple but highly infectious and bouncy, which contributes to the genre's dance-inducing quality.

The origin of the dembow rhythm can be traced back to Jamaican dancehall music, particularly a track titled "Dem Bow" by Shabba Ranks, released in 1990. Shabba Ranks' "Dem Bow" featured a distinctive drum pattern that became the foundation for what we now know as the Reggaeton dembow rhythm. Puerto Rican producers and artists in the late 1990s adopted this rhythm and incorporated it into the genre.

Reggaeton Drum Techniques  

In this session, we'll explore the different ways to produce the dembow rhythm for modern Reggaeton productions. How to use different drum sounds for different sections of the songs. How to add groove and when to use Caribbean drum fills.

We'll explore different approches to creative and drum programming for Reggaeton.

Custom Reggaeton Arp Preset

Included with the downloads is a custom production-ready Instrument rack for Ableton Suite (You'll need the latest version of Ableton Suite for this to work)

What's Included with this session

• 2 hours of Ableton Certified Training Video
• 2 Reggaeton Ableton Projects
• Style Overview PDF
• Reggaeton Sample Pack
• Bass Pad Ableton Preset
• Reggaeton Arp Preset Pack

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR

Yeuda Ben-Atar, a world renowned Ableton Certified Trainer, hails from Los Angeles, California. Originally from Israel, Yeuda’s passion for music led him to the United States, where he discovered his true calling with Ableton Live in 2007, embarking on a journey of mastery.

He approaches Ableton in a unique way; producing and performing with video game controllers under the moniker Side Brain.

One of Yeuda’s most remarkable qualities is his exceptional knowledge and speed, combined with his unparalleled ability to explain complex concepts in a simple and engaging manner.

With years of experience as a music production instructor and educator, Yeuda has contributed his expertise to prestigious institutions throughout the United States, including USC, UCLA, UCSD, Colburn Music School, Berkley School of Music, Cal Arts, NAMM, Skywalker Sounds, Bedrock LA, Sonos Studios, Sweetwater Headquarters, 1500 or Nothing studios, Grammy U, Pensado’s Place, Vintage King, Museum of Making Music, Lynda.com (now known as Linkedin Learning), and Perfect Circuit Audio, among many others.

His projects have included working with and teaching artists such as Timbaland, Ludacris, Lavel Kali(Beyonce, Drake) DJ Numark and Jurassic 5, Beck, Skrillex, Flying Lotus, Ed Sheeran, Rick Rubin, Giorgio Moroder, Simi, Bootie Brown (Pharcyde), Dave Pensado, Madison Mcferrin and countless others.