Points of Departure

This is a general way you can get started making beats across different platforms or software.

This is just an example so feel free to experiment along the way to find the workflow that works best for you.

Begin by building you band or creating a template. One example is to simply choose a drum kit or drum rack, keyboard/guitar sound (something that can play chords), and a lead or bass sound. As you get more comfortable with the process you can expand or vary your templates.

• Don’t over analyze for the perfect sound at first. You can often edit/change this later especially if you’re using soft synths or MIDI. This is mostly a way to begin getting musical ideas down.

Next you will start creating patterns, layers, and loops with your sounds.

• • Get a sketch going of a 1, 2, 4, or 8 bar pattern.
    • If live playing is difficult, try using a step sequencer, MIDI roll, or note repeat feature to make a simple beat (drums), a chord progression (keys/guitar), or a bass/lead.
      • Don’t worry about which sound you start with, just rely on your strengths or what comes naturally
  • Layer additional sound elements without thinking too much, just follow your instincts and what sounds interesting to you.
    • After the initial parts are established, try switching between sequencing, MIDI writing, and live playing.
  • Once you have a decent amount of material begin muting and unmuting different sounds (or switching patterns) while the loop is playing, to hear for a possible arrangement, themes, or sections
    • Listen for how certain layers sound together, and what ideas emerge within and across sounds
    • When you start arranging you can duplicate your patterns and loops, and then sculpt out certain parts to build your track.