Lots of people want to know how to make hip hop beats because it’s one of the most dominant forms of music nowadays. Hip Hop has been going strong now for nearly 40 years. It really has come of age and changed but it still has the same basic feel it’s always had. That means there’s still a loud pumping kick bass on it’s foreground with rhythmically accented poetry (RAP) that’s found in most verses. If you’re here to learn how to make your own beats for a hip hop feel, then keep reading.
Feeling the Groove
The first thing you need to do is to get a feel for the groove. Our recommendation is that you start listening to heaps of hip hop and discover what you like before you get into making it. That’s the first part of learning how to make your own hip hop beats and it so happens that it’s a very important one. After that, rest your ears for a bit and even nap on it (or get out of your house for awhile). You will probably know when you’re ready to roll because you are going to be full of ideas and itching to make a start on them. Just make sure that you learn to rest your ears.
Drum-Tracks
Assuming that you already have the right equipment (a computer with good beat making software is recommended), lay down your first track. The first track should be the drums. A great tempo or Beats per minute (BPM) for most hip hop is likely to be between 75 and 95 but there is no reason why you can’t raise it to 125 or above depending on how fast you want it to be. Learning how to make hip hop beats in this manner is the same process that’s used by all professional studios. That means that they usually record the drum parts first so as to lay down the groundwork and the metronome speed of the song. Make your first drum a 4/4 measure and include an alternative kick, Hi hat and snare.
Musical Element
Everybody knows that a beat has to have the basic musical elements so as to make it sound catchier. Though some beats are only dependent on the drum tracks and bass, you should know that these aren’t on a par with the ones used by professional beat makers like Timbaland or Kanye West. This usually means that you have to have knowledge of basic music theory if you really want to know how to make your own hip hop beats.
Recommendations
Consider learning an instrument before you go into the task of laying down additional musical tracks such as the bass, piano, guitar, or other instrumental sound you can think of. However, if you don’t have the time, just buy a professional beat making software that’ll help you out in picking the right notes and scales for you. Although you’ll have a hard time in picking the chords and bass-lines if you don’t have the musical ear for it, at least you’ll be experimenting with it through trial and error. The music will still come to you if you just let it happen and as long as you don’t strain your ears so much.
As a conclusion: no matter what kind of music you’re going for, never force beat-making or you’ll only end up getting frustrated. Learning how to make hip hop beats should always be an enjoyable one.
