The Amen break is the most legendary drum break and the rhythmic foundation of DNB

The Amen break is the single most legendary drum break in electronic music and the rhythmic foundation of drum and bass. DNB producers chop it up and bend it into many variations — chopping and rearranging its individual hits is the defining drum-programming technique of the genre. When sped up toward DNB tempos the break’s snare becomes high-pitched and its hi-hats and cymbals turn grating, a characteristic aesthetic. Getting good at chopping drum-break samples is presented as essential for making DNB, whether working from the audio sample or reconstructing the groove in MIDI.

Examples

Load the Amen break in a sampler, speed it toward 170 BPM (thin high-pitched snare, grating hats), slice the hits, and rearrange kick and snare positions into a new DNB variation. Alternatively grab a royalty-free break and chop your own.

Assessment

Name the break most associated with DNB, describe what happens to its sonic character when sped to DNB tempos, and identify the primary technique producers use to create variation from it.