How to Build a Brent Faiyaz Type Beat That Actually Sounds Like Sonder

Video: BRENT FAIYAZ TYPE BEAT "NO CALLS" / SONDER TYPE BEAT

Oct 24, 2026 · based on the channel prodbyoluwi

A Brent Faiyaz type beat is a moody, minor-key R&B instrumental built around sparse drums, warm keys or guitar loops, and a lot of negative space for a soft, half-sung vocal. The reference point is the Sonder sound: slow-burning, low-pass filtered, slightly lo-fi, and never crowded. A solid recent example is prodbyoluwi's "No Calls," a Brent Faiyaz type beat at 118 BPM in C minor, available through prodbyoluwi's BeatStars store alongside the rest of the catalog.

What defines the Brent Faiyaz type beat sound

The Brent Faiyaz type beat sound is defined less by tempo than by restraint: few elements, wide gaps, and textures that feel slightly degraded. Faiyaz's work with Sonder and his solo catalog share a handful of production habits that producers can copy directly.

1. Minor-key harmony. Most tracks lean on minor 7th, minor 9th and suspended chords rather than bright major triads. C minor, F minor and G minor are common homes for this style.
2. Sparse, dusty drums. Kicks are soft and rounded, snares are often layered claps or rimshots, and hi-hats sit low in the mix. Trap-influenced patterns appear, but at reduced density.
3. One strong melodic loop. A clean or slightly chorused electric guitar, a Rhodes or Wurlitzer, or a filtered vocal chop carries the whole track.
4. Heavy low-pass filtering. Verses often sound like they are playing through a wall; the filter opens on hooks for contrast.
5. Space for the voice. The instrumental should feel unfinished without a vocal — that gap is the point.

Tempo, key and the "No Calls" blueprint

118 BPM in C minor is a practical starting point because it sits in the pocket where R&B vocals can be sung straight or doubled with a half-time feel. "No Calls" uses exactly those settings, and the arrangement is labeled rather than conventionally structured: the beat moves through alternating sections marked B, A and D instead of a simple intro–verse–hook loop.

That labeling matters for anyone writing to the beat. Alternating short sections gives a vocalist natural entry points and keeps a three-minute track from feeling repetitive without adding new instruments. If you are producing your own version, try this order:

• Open with a filtered 8-bar loop (no drums).
• Drop a soft kick and snare pattern for 16 bars.
• Return to the filtered loop for 8 bars as a pre-hook.
• Open the filter fully on the hook and add one counter-melody.

Building the instrumental step by step

Start with the chord progression, not the drums, because the harmony dictates the mood in this genre. A four-chord loop using Cm9, Abmaj7, Bb and Gm7 will already sound like the reference lane before a single drum is placed.

1. Choose a guitar or keys loop. An electric guitar with light chorus and reverb, or a Rhodes patch with tape saturation, works best. Keep the performance slightly loose — quantize to 60–70%.
2. Add a sub bass that follows the root notes. Keep it simple: whole notes or half notes, no slides unless the section is a hook.
3. Program drums at half-time feel. Place the snare on beat 3, keep the kick pattern to three or four hits per bar, and use closed hats sparingly with occasional rolls.
4. Layer texture. Vinyl noise, room reverb on the snare, and a subtle tape emulation on the master bus do most of the atmospheric work.
5. Arrange with filters. Automate a low-pass filter across sections so the track breathes between verses and hooks.

Mixing and vocal-ready choices

A Brent Faiyaz type beat has to leave room for a stacked, breathy vocal, which means the midrange belongs to the singer. Carve a dip around 1–3 kHz in the guitar and keys so the vocal sits without fighting. Keep the kick centered and short, and avoid wide stereo bass. Reverb should be shared: one plate or room send for drums, one longer hall for melodic elements, both fairly dark.

Loudness matters too. These beats are usually mastered conservatively, leaving headroom so an engineer can add vocal compression later. If you are selling the beat, bounce a version with the filter automation intact and one clean instrumental.

Using type beats as an artist or producer

Type beats exist to help artists find a lane quickly and to help producers get discovered. If you are writing to a Brent Faiyaz type beat, pick one that leaves obvious gaps — a beat with a busy top line will force you into a rap flow instead of the melodic, conversational delivery the style demands. If you are producing, tag the beat consistently, keep the BPM and key in the title (as "No Calls" does with 118 BPM and C minor), and offer clear licensing tiers.

Where to get the beat and the tools

prodbyoluwi distributes beats through BeatStars, including "No Calls" and the wider Brent Faiyaz type beat catalog. Purchases and licensing go through Instagram DM (@oluwi.prod) while the BeatStars storefront fills out, and there is a standing buy-two-get-one-free deal on beats.

• Beats and licensing: https://oluwi.beatstars.com
• Free 20 Analog Lab presets for producers: https://wav.id/oluwi
• Sample packs: https://wavs.com/oluwibeats
• Contact: oluwiprod@gmail.com

Final thoughts on the Brent Faiyaz type beat

The Brent Faiyaz type beat is a discipline in subtraction: minor-key harmony, one memorable loop, soft drums, and enough empty space for a vocal to breathe. "No Calls" demonstrates the formula cleanly at 118 BPM in C minor, with an alternating section structure that keeps a slow R&B track moving. The video breakdown comes from the channel prodbyoluwi, and the full beat catalog, including licensing options and bundle deals, is available at oluwi.beatstars.com.

Source: BRENT FAIYAZ TYPE BEAT "NO CALLS" / SONDER TYPE BEAT · Markdown version