How do <you> program drums/generate new beats?

Try just TWO kicks every four bars, first kick on first beat of bar one, 2nd
kick 3rd (off) beat of the third bar..it gives room for the percussion to breathe, snares on 2nd and fourth, ..simple and funky..I think too many people clog their beats with too many kicks..remember, the space in the music is as important as the sounds..
..but then, it's down to personal taste..
 
Personnaly I find that creating a new style of drumming or a never heard before style of pattern THAT WORKS AND PEOPLE LOVE is the most difficult thing to acheive musically and there's no secret formula..One rule is you got to build around what've been done before because our appreciation of a beat has a lot to do with culture and physics..in other words everything has already been done in someways and if there is no relation between your own pattern and a pattern that already exists be it Induish, African,Caribean ..then it must be a bad one.You got to know the styles you like and build around this knowledge,be creative...from that point.. that's the only secret to it..That's what I've learn from experiments..kind of 'don't be to creative when you make the drums.So if you don't actually play the drums (or exactly know what you want to acheive)you better start from some preset..
 
Bezo said:
I listen to music when getting ready for work, going to work, coming from work, and going to sleep. By the time I sit down to record, I have drum patterns and basslines in my head. It's usually an amalgamation of what I've been listening to all day.

My first step is to tap out the drum pattern on the drum machine and quantize when needed. I don't stop working on drum programming until I have something groovy and inspiring.

Next, I pick up the bass and jam until I get the bassline in my head to lock in with the drums. Again, I don't put down the bass until the rythm makes my face scrunch up.

The songs seem to write themselves after that. I usually reach for the guitar or synth next to lay down some rythm parts.

My best results come when I sit down with an idea already in my head. The times I've gone to record and tried to come up with something on the spot were frustrating.
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Great post ya'll! personally i'm with Bezo 100%. i spend so much time traveling to and from work, i can't help but to just soak in different drums and melodies. so by the time i sit down to lay a pattern, i have so many options, but i don't stop until i'm satisfied, usually once i'm done i don't go back to change it. i build around the drums, not the other way around.
 
I usually create a very basic melody and either build a tune on top of that before programming drums or program drums over the basic two-note foundation.
If nothing's materializing in my head over the music I do a little beatboxing to come up with Ideas. Sometimes I'll figure out just a hi-hat pattern to emulate or just where I think the kick drum would sound best. occasionally I'll keep beatboxing as I program to get more ideas.
 
sometimes i get ideas at work. i'll call my cell and beatbox the idea into voicemail. i do that a few times in a day, then on break i run out to my car, listen to my voicemails, and program the ideas in my qy100.
 
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