Beat Making 101: How To Make A Beat From Scratch??? Drums, Bassline, Lead..What Else?

What kind of DAW do you guys use???


  • Total voters
    168

XxTacC

New member
Wad Up FPducers, I'm New Here To The Threads & New To This Thing People Call "Music/Beat Production"

Just started using [FL Studio 8] and I have lil to 0's knowledge on how to make a beat...I've been looking up tutorials & starting to learn the tool of the trades lil by lil, but I get stuck when it comes to laying down a whole song.

I guess the trouble I'm having is...I don't quite know the "structures/layers" of the beat. (if that made any sense)

Like I know the basic aspect, which is the "DrumLine/Precussion" & the "Melody"...but when someone says things like (add a "BassLine", "Lead/SynthLead", "Filler/Transitions", etc..etc) My mind goes blank & I have no clue what to add to the beat.

Could someone point me in the right direction where I could look up & learn all this??? Or Could someone give me some pointers/advice/tips on the Basic Layout on "How To Make A Beat From Scratch???"
 
Some people start with the melody, which I find pretty difficult to do in Fruity Loops at times. My advice to you is just do whatever feels natural. I find starting with the drums usually captures the essence/overall feel of the track, and I usually start out with a nifty drum pattern. Listen to your drums for a while and try to create a melody that fits in with it.

Don't force basslines either. Basslines usually create themselves, going off the rhythm of the melody. As far as wanting to learn structures...listen, listen, listen to beats, dude. Take 10 of your favorite songs and see what they all have in common. Hip Hop you usually have the typical 16 bar verse, 8-12-16(Depends on the tempo sometimes) bar chorus/hook.

Just experiment a lot, and don't be discouraged if your stuff sounds wack at first, it all takes time to get used to.
 
Fellow djs am new in dis production thing and am using fl studio 8....having a lot of difficulties adding pionos and other stuff to da beats i make....any help?
 
I normally start off with the drums, finding one that I really like, then I chop up the samples to match the beat...sometimes it may not match so I change the drums to something else if I have to.

Also try using this structure when you make a beat, it's simple but it works almost every time.
Intro - 4 bars
Verse1 - 16 bars
Hook - 8 bars
Verse2 - 16 bars
Hook - 8 bars
Outro - 4-6 bars

You can have up to 3 verses if you want but I was just demonstrating a simple hip hop structure to start off with.
 
Check out NFX he has some good tutorials to get you started Chaîne de nfxbeats - YouTube also check out warbeats.com. If you sign up (its free) you can go to downloads and search for songs you know of and load them into FL studio and see how the tracks were put together...
 
It's pretty much where ever you wanna start. If you're messing with sounds and hear a melody, start with that. I personally will start with drums 8/10 just because if you create a dope pattern you can kinda hear/imagine the tune.
 
I start with my drums, then if I feel like I wan't the bass line to determine the beats progression ill go drums > bass line > melody but if I want my beat to be really well composed ill start with drums > melody > bass line
 
I usually start with a snare and a metronome, then build my melody... go back in and add my kicks, toms, and percussion around it... but I've made so many beats I can start with no drums and just a piano then build my melody off of that and go back in later for the drums.. I usually save the bass for absolute last... that's just me though.. do it however you see fit... it's all what you're comfortable with. Music has no limitations... no boundaries. If it sounds good then it's good... go with it.
 
I almost ALWAYS complete the drum pattern first, then either the bassline second then the melody last, or vice versa. But drums usually what I focus on the most. After all that, I add Parametric EQ 2 to everything and what not to fatten the sound up.
 
You really have to learn how to play an instrument before you can get serious about creating music. You are not really a musician if you do not learn how to play an instrument.

Once you learn how to play an instrument, you can use drum loops and compose melodies over those. After that, you can hire drummers to recreate authentic rhythm tracks for your songs. It will take you at least 10 years before you get good enough to release any music.

Keep working hard to learn your instrument and to learn music theory. Your music education is what you need to focus on. There really are no shortcuts. Do not let others tell you any different. There are too many people banging on machines and computers calling themselves musicians. Don't be like that. Do it right and you will truly appreciate music.
 
Starting your beats with the drum pattern is always a good idea. It sets a mood, tempo, and template for your melodies. Kick drums offer a pacing for leads, basses, and chord progression while hi hats allow you to set a catchy melody.
Playing the drums live helps to give a more natural feel, even with quantize, due to the volume velocity difference.
Understanding notes, chords, chord progressions, music theory and mixing practices is the best way to start making beats. It allows you to understand what you are doing, and where you are going with each piece your create.
 
Usually I start with the melody. To me, its the easiest part to make, then I change it, add more melody and drums (If I want them), more changing, then I usually end with the bass or low melodies, which is my worst part. It usually comes down to:
(Whatever's easiest)>(less easy parts)>(harder parts)>(your weakest part)
Making a part is WAY easier once you have the other parts there to guide you
 
Last edited:
Bro forget all of the mumbo jumbo you are hearing lol... Just go with the lyrics. You say you are making full songs so go with lyrics. Build the beat up don't try to make it a full song until you have a completely built beat. Then once you build the beat break it down.

For a beginner.... start with Drums, bass, and 3 instruments. Thats it cut yourself off short and learn how to make something out of that. No need to be having 38 instruments in there like the pros layering and all of that if you don't know the basics.

3 instruments, drums, bass, lyrics

Key instruments for beginners

Piano
Orchestra
Flute
Brass

Try anything man for real. Also learn how to play something that is already out there, and learn to play your chords. THose are key tools.

If you need any hands on help hit me up at dirtyscopebeatz.com fam... I got you.

i see Fl Studio runnin this b^&%* too lol

Squalla atcha boi!
 
Last edited:
I know they are many aspiring producers or artist that desire to create their own music easy and effectively without the complication, expensive. time consuming and extensive knowledge required to even begin how to think to start the process. Believe me. I was all of the above with boat loads of musical ideas but limited resources to put my ideas to reality. I heard about programs like Logic pro, reason and FruityLoops and even tried them out. They were god programs but the learning curve ns dynamics involved in it were to complicated for me. Then I ran into this software that pretty much answered all my issues. It really is a program for beginners trying to make beats.
Check it out here DUBturbo - Beat Maker Software. Make Pro Rap, Hiphop, House, Techno + Beats Fast & Easy, 1000's of samples, 16 tracks, pads, keys, fx, Mix & Master/Export Studio Quality All-In-One!

I went ahead and got this program myself and this is what i was able to put together. I impressed myself :-)

check it out
 
Usually for me the beat starts with the chord progression, or sometimes the melody, and what style beat I'm trying to make will dictate my early instrument choices.

After that's done it's somewhat easy because they each kind of give the framework for each other.

That's usually either a 4 bar, or 8 bar pattern, once you do that generally other parts are just about dropping stuff and/or adding stuff.

I doubt that helps much as I'm sort of simplifying, you just need to keep practicing and know it doesn't happen overnight.

When you hear beats that you like you have to know that whoever made that has probably been making music for at least a few years.

It's like seeing some awesome comic book or something and then you try to draw it and come up short, it takes time to develop awareness of certain skills, and then comfort in applying them.
 
Back
Top