How Do you start your beats?

[Rob-Les]

Just curious on how different producers initially start a beat. Do you drop your bassline first or do you start with the drum loop and build from there. Just another topic to discuss.

Rob-Les

[Streetwize]

melody or sample

[Ques]

Normal with a sample or phat drum kit the plays the melody

[Ghetto Quality]

It all depends on the mood, sometimes the melody will dictate the beat or other times it could be the drums

[Copenhagen]

I start of with the melody/theme/sample first, then drums that hopefully fits the melody/theme/sample...then bass, if its just bottom...will add bass before the drums if I want a melody that goes with the main melody/theme/sample...

It seems easier to start with the theme, instead of laying down the drums and then having to seek the theme. I find it easier because when you have the theme, then when going through your drums...you can automatically hear which drum fits...

[vitaminman]

Hey,

I start with a few chords or melody which I like, record them into Cubase, then start adding/removing stuff along the way. Eventually I try to remove the sounds of the initial chords and replace them with more exciting sounds, or try to not make the chords sound so 'obvious'.

As for the percussion, I usually just sequence something dumb at the beginning to have something to work with, eventually I replace that with a better programmed beat or a sample(s).

Basslines? Usually I do that in tandem with the melody.

The big thing to remember is that there isn't a right or wrong way to do this, the difficult thing is finding a method which works with your style.

Take care,

Nick

[xkwest]

melody and sample with small adjustments as i go....
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i always start with the intro...
then i create the verse part along with change ups... then i work on the hook....//then if i want the 2nd or third verse part different from the 1st... then i adjust accordingly.... then i make the outro...
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i always have an intro and an outro.... shit just seems incomplete without them...

[milLion]

generally -- some sort of melody or sample is a good start for me -- that way i build the remainder around it -- other times -- i may lace a drum track and it's enough inspiration to build the remainder -- then at times -- i may have a bassline going through my head that i get to lay down -- then guess what?? -- the remainder comes of course -- all of this is usually dependent upon my mood at the time too -- it is never consistent -- and by that guideline you never know what sparks can be created!!!

[fame_keyz]

me i just change it up alot to keep the music point of view fresh. Sometimes ill start with drums and then some times i ll rock the melody first or now a days ill just try and make a whole beat with out drums. Just for the fact if you can make a good beat with out drums on it (a keyboard beat or even samples but i dont sample much so i cant say) you got got some good music cause you know a beat is hot when you can mute the drums and people still can rock to the beat. plus that just makes you stronger over all. I feel sometimes just droping the drums first or even the melody first and so on make my beats go in a one direction and i dont want to keep it just going one way but all so i just which up a lot.

[Rob-Les]

Aight aight! I feel ya. I particularly feel like 'milLion' and 'fame_keyz'. I can't put it any better than that. Most of the time I start with the drums and then build around that. Mood is a big key cause it will be reflected on whatever comes out. One!

[DJ Combz]

I too lay down the program the drum track first then go from there to adding the rest in no real order, just do it but there are those time when I am messin around on my keyboard and I make a tight melody/bass etc.... then I will build around it

[fame_keyz]

Rob les is joe buddens for real (the rasheed wallace rumor aint true right) he is the person who really do the rapping the kid name joe buddens thats from jersey city..............

[Rob-Les]

Joe don't really get respect over here. Maybe cause he's not reppin jersey right or whatever.

[MoBlax]

I usuall start with Drum kick and snare then some synth on piano roll


Holla at ya boy

[DJ Excellence]

I either start my beats with the main sample or with a simple Kick/Snare pattern.... but never with the bass ....it has to come gradually ..... but hey that's just my way ...

[Prosper]

whenever i sample....generally I lay it down or whatever and then I add the drums....if Im fuckin wit a keyboard I start of wit my drum loop first then I add the bass then the melody last...1

[dj_enoch_one]

it depends if im working with samples or keyboards.if im working with samples i usually sample first then edit and time stretch if needed.then i work around that.ill either add more samples or more ambient sounds such ass pads or strings.then i do the drums and compliment the beat with the bass.if i play my own melody i usually just lace down my snares at every 2 count to get a feel for the bpm and such.then i play the melody and finish the drums.i usually do the bass last in order to compliment the beat and not swamp it with so much low end.

[HaZwaiOh]

i start with the main melody. sometimes I sample and sometimes I come up with an own idea. then I do the drums and then I add strings, pads and other melodies on top of it. finally i add a bassline. then i split up the track into different patterns (bassline, drums, main melody etc.) and start arranging stuff.
then i won´t listen to that beat for about 5 days and then i´ll give it a second glance and try to improve and expand it, add breaks etc.

[Rob-Les]

I feel yoy HazwaiOh. Sometimes you have to walk away from the beat for a few and come back to it. That works for me really good.

[Thelonius]

Depends, sometimes keys, sometimes drums, sometimes a dope sample. More or less, drums tend to get changed before I'm happy with it.

[inrctyhoodmusic]

I start with the hat drum and snare after that I take that hat out and start with melody bassline or whatever but one thing I noticed that it always ends up on a totally different vibe than it started it's no wrong or right way to start a beat just what you like

[NBeC]

If i have dope sample/melody, then from dat but usually from drums

[sent_inc]

I start with the sample

[Copenhagen]

It was a good question but everything has really been said now. There's only so many ways to start a beat. Thread closed.