mr.roc said:
what up, i'm new to the game and i was just wondering, what are some of the methods you all use to take the ideas from your head and making a beat? i have plenty of beats popping off in my head, but it's a liitle difficult for me to get the beat from my brain to the computer. I just bought fruity loops last week and i heard a lot of people say it's the easiest program to use, i just can't seem to get started. maybe it's just me, but any help would be appreciated.
Thanks
thats a loaded question there man. i'm pretty new to the game myself but i'll give you a few pointers..
first...i dont know anyone who's been producing for less than a few years and been on their grind with it who can take a beat from their head to the speakers easily. shit even pharell said it best when he said something along the lines of, the hardest part of producing for him is getting the stuff he hears down onto whatever hardware he's using before he forgets it. and that is PHARELL. it just doesn't work like that.
if you just bought fruity loops my recommendation is to build a fundamental base of skill that you can branch off from later, just like any sport or skill. MJ couldn't drive if he couldn't dribble, right? In the same way, you can't make just blaze drums if you don't get timing, rhythm, cadence, and you havent had years of practice. start out making real basic beats man. nobody is expecting you to be hi-tek tomorrow.
the foundation of any beat are the drums and bassline in my opinion. you need to learn how to make all different kinds of drum loops using basic sounds and then learn how to tweak those sounds as you get more experienced. search the forums for lessons on basic hip hop drum patterns and sequencing.
fl has a lot of sounds you can play around with for melody. its not a motif or a triton, but it will get you started.
you also gotta understand the layers of a beat. listen to some of your favorite beats by whoever and begin to stop listening and start analyzing and learning. notice all the different layers to the sound, and make sure to note variations in sequencing. good producers, especially on the mainstream level, are masters at knowing just when to skip a few hits of their hi hat or kick to give the beat an added swing and punch.
on a more general level, everyone does beats differently. i've been in the studio with some crazy ass mainstream cats and they all have their own way. some, like me, just put on some vinyl and get a vibe and then look for a sample to start with. some lay down drums and then synth a sample or bring in one they found earlier. you just gotta find what works best for you.
