How to Make a Rema Type Beat: Afro-Rave Guitars + Free Loops

What BPM and key is a rema type beat?

Most of these sit between 90 and 125 BPM, with the sweet spot around 100 to 115. The slower, moodier cuts hang near 95 to 100, while the more up-tempo rave records push toward 120 to 125, so pick the tempo from how much you want people to move rather than a fixed number.

Key is usually minor. Rema has leaned heavily on minor keys for that dark, almost trappy feeling under the sweetness, with C sharp minor, B minor and C or G minor all common choices in these builds. That said, brighter major keys like F work too when you want a happier, sunnier Afrobeats vibe, so try both and keep whatever matches the mood.

Whatever you choose, tune your sub bass to the root of the loop and let it follow the chords, because in Afrobeats the low end and the kick have to lock together and leave the percussion room to breathe.

How do you make a rema type beat in 6 steps?

The loops in step 1 stream right here and the mp3 is free, no login needed. Then work through the six steps.

1. 1Pick a loop▾

   a bouncy hand-played Afro guitar or mellow keys, minor or major, 90 to 125 BPM. Grab one from the list below, they are already in tempo and played by hand.

   • ▶
     Aftersun
     120 BPM · G#min
     AmbientVirtual
     @ndacompany
     ↓
   • ▶
     Barely
     120 BPM · Fmin
     AmbientSynthVirtual
     @ndacompany
     ↓
   • ▶
     Easily
     120 BPM · Emin
     AmbientHappyHyper
     @ndacompany
     ↓
   • ▶
     Layer
     130 BPM · Fmin
     AmbientHappyHyper
     @ndacompany
     ↓
   • ▶
     VHS
     110 BPM · C#min
     AmbientDancehallVirtual
     @ndacompany
     ↓
2. 2Program the drums▾

   a steady kick on the main beats, then build a groove out of toms, congas, rim shots and shakers with a touch of swing so it bounces instead of sitting on the grid.
3. 3Add the sub bass▾

   one round, clean sub following the root notes of the chords, with the highs cut off and a little space left so the kick punches through.
4. 4Lay the chords▾

   a simple two to four chord loop in minor on keys or a plucked sound, kept flexible so the guitar can dance around it.
5. 5Drop a top line▾

   a short guitar or vocal chop melody over the chords, with a few notes nudged off the grid so it feels live and human.
6. 6Arrange and sidechain▾

   build the song by adding and removing percussion and strings, and sidechain the bass to the kick so the low end stays tight and groovy.

What makes a beat sound like Rema?

Rema calls his own lane Afro-rave, a mix of Afrobeats, Indian and Arabic melodic influences and a darker, moodier energy. So a rema type beat is not just happy Afrobeats, it has tension in the chords and a bit of edge, even when the groove is warm.

The percussion is the heart of it. In these builds the drums carry most of the song, a busy bed of toms, congas, shakers and log drums with a steady kick, while the melody stays simple. If the groove bounces, you are already most of the way there.

That is why the tags here are Afro, Guitar and Happy. The sound lives in a live-feeling guitar or keys over an Afro percussion groove, so keep it melodic, keep it bouncy, and do not overload the top line.

Which sounds do you actually need?

For the melody, a hand-played guitar is the signature. Producers reach for realistic guitar instruments like Omnisphere double-track six strings or a plucked keys sound, and they play the chords and a short lead by hand with randomized velocity so it breathes. If your guitar sounds stiff, nudge a few notes off the grid and vary the velocity before you blame the preset.

Under that, keep the harmony simple. A two to four chord loop in minor on Sky Keys, a mallet or a plucked piano is plenty. Rema beats live on groove, not on complicated chords, so resist the urge to stack ten layers.

The sub bass is the glue between the melody and the drums. Use one clean, round sub, tune it to the loop root, cut the highs so it stays pure low end, and let it follow the chord notes. A touch of sidechain or Kickstart against the kick keeps the two from fighting.

The drum kit is where you spend the most time. You want toms, congas, rim shots, shakers and often log drums, plus a steady kick and the occasional clap or snare. Afro sample kits full of hand percussion are the fastest way to get authentic sounds.

How do you build the Afro-Rave drum groove?

Start with a steady kick on the main pulse, nothing fancy, just a solid foundation that plays all through. Then layer toms and congas around it, because the tom and conga rolls are what give Rema beats that rolling, danceable bounce.

Add swing. A little shuffle on the percussion, roughly in the ten to twenty percent range, is what separates a stiff grid pattern from a groove that makes you want to move. Shift some hits slightly off the grid by hand so it feels played rather than programmed.

Top it with shakers for constant movement and sprinkle rim shots and quick percussion fills between the main hits. Keep the different layers at different volumes, loud for the lead percussion and quiet for the background, so the groove has depth instead of turning into a wall.

How do you write the chords and guitar?

Set your scale first, usually minor, and build a simple loop of two to four chords. Many of these beats use just a couple of minor chords moving back and forth, which gives that bittersweet Afro-rave feeling without any complicated harmony.

Play the guitar by hand over the chords. Count your chord shapes, strum them, then add a short lead line that accents the main notes of the melody. Randomize the velocity and move a few notes off the grid so the guitar sounds strummed and human rather than quantized.

Layer lightly if you want more depth. A pad underneath the guitar, a second guitar an octave up, or a soft keys layer all thicken the sound, but take notes out rather than piling them on. In this style, space is part of the groove.

How do you arrange a rema type beat?

Keep the drums fairly constant and let the melody tell the story. A common move is to run the full groove most of the way through, then pull the strings or a guitar layer out for a moment and bring them back to lift the next section.

Use strings for tension. A staccato string stab or a swell of violins dropped in at the right point adds the cinematic, moody edge that Rema likes, then take it out again so it stays special.

Build energy by adding and removing percussion, not by rewriting parts. Strip down to kick and shaker for a quieter section, then bring the toms, congas and the full guitar back in for the hook so it hits.

Using the free loops from NDA Company

Every loop here is played by hand, no AI, and free as an mp3 at ndacompany.de. Pull one in, take the key off it, and the hardest part, a guitar line that already sits in the Afro-rave pocket, is done, so you can go straight to the drums and the bass.

A free account is optional and just lets you save the loops you like and get the new ones first. No subscription, no catch, the mp3 stays free either way.