which came first: the beat or the melody?

[jkung]

sup yall
i am an artist in china workin on a few demos and have been wonderin how you R&B cats do it....

for hip hop, i try to just get a beat i like and spit on top of it and have a good hook after hearing the beat....

for R&B i usually try to write a good hook and record into my pen recorded before touching anything, even a piano. then after song is 60%, go make a demo. i am talking vocal melody, not guitar hooks or the beat.

how do you think the big dogs in america do it? i am from LA so i hear everyhing but sometimes i wonder when justin was workin with the neps, was it the beat first and then the song or song first then the beat.....

holla back
j

 

[H&R]

In my opinion it can be either or. There doesn't have to be a set way. It's just however it gets done in my opinion. If you got lyrics already formed you have a sort of idea of how your picturing the track to be so have an outline sort of for the track already. But if you hear a beat you like and then you start writing to it you go that way.

To me it's which ever way works for you. As long as you get a hot track I see no reason why it should matter. I doubt anyone actually does it one way and only one way though.

 

[jkung]

sup dog
yeah i am feelin dat. i am just trying to find that perfect mix between the beat and the vocal melody.....its hard bein an artist because i only make very basic beats to get a demo across. i am not a producer yet. so i usually writw songs but sometimes they may be a 2 chord song it a catchy hook but often times i get a beat bakc that is weak and ruins the image i had in my head.....

keep em comin

j

 

[James McFadyen]

I don't think it really matter what the big dogs in America do, all dogs bite lol.

Sorry, anyway, whatever works for you is the best way to go about it.

I do think tho that we should all seek out to find new or different way to go about producing a track. Admittedly, I do a beat first then the bass, perhaps a pad then hooks or whatever, but what would come out musically if I changed the order of this. Of course the only way to test the theory is to try it and see.

There are all sorts of theories about if you do the beat first, you get the groove, etc, etc, but creativity isn't as bland as straight protocol and you should follow your heart rather than your head, of course not going over the top and keep ur feet firmly on the ground

Most of us make music for enjoyment. This is kinda agiven, but if you stop to think what this really means, doors begin to open.

For example, you're doing it on ur own to express yourself with music for your enjoyment and pleasure......so here's the benefits....

1) No set track length

2) No deadlines to meet

3) You can be as creative as you please

4) You can annoy ur neighbours with the constant thumping of your drums as u loop it while u programme.

5) You don't have to pay for studio/producer costs

6) Your the boss of the whole show


With all of the above in mind, it makes it easy to see how you should go about creating a track. Working in ur home studio means u can test things out, see what works and what doesn't. You ask on here how do u do this, how do u do that, try it for yourself, this is very much an experemental idiom.

And, secondly, it would be against the laws of musical creativity and individuality for anyone on here to dictate the exact proceedure for createing a track........here's an even better idea:

Go and experement with different way's, try wacky things if u want, come on here and tell us you're findings.

If all this seems like too much hard work, Ejay is ur best bet. lol lol.