How To Create Your Own Beats For Beginners

Hey guys, today I'm going to look at how to create your own beats for beginner music producers. Whether you've already started on your music production journey, you will find some useful tips and advice in this guide that will help you.

The most important things you need to know when first getting into music production are:

• Which software you should be using. Software is needed to put your beats together, so we'll look at some of the best options available below.
• How to structure your songs so they sound as good as the professionals. We give you some top tips for learning how to properly structure your songs.
• The two ways you can get your beats standing out from the crowd. Sounding like everyone else is a big no-no, and will make it harder for you to get your beats out there.

We look at all these things and more in this guide, so be sure to read on till the end to learn how to create your first beat. By the way, I've also written this top guide on how to produce music, so have a look at that too.

Create Your Own Beats Using The Right Software

Okay, so the first thing you need to do when producing your own music is getting the right software to make your beats on. All music producers use beat making software of some sort, as that's how they make their songs.

These software packages do a number of things. First of all, they supply you with a load of sounds you can use in your songs. They're often preloaded with virtual musical instruments, drums and snares, bass effects, and samples; all the things you need to make a good beat of your own.

So, now that you know you need beat making software to get you started with creating your own backing tracks, which software should you buy? Well, it depends on whether you've produced music before. You see, the software a beginner producer should buy and the software an experienced producer should buy are two completely different things.

Someone new to music production who wants to learn the ropes as easily as possible should opt for cheaper software at the beginning, as these are generally easier to learn because they only include the more necessary features to get you started. Furthermore, you can try things out and see if music production is right for you without investing too much of your savings into a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW).

A good piece of software I recommend for beginner producers is this one, which is very cheap at under $50. That said, they still provide everything you need to get producing good quality beats, which you can sell or give to musicians to lay vocals over. They have a full set of video training tutorials, which will guide you through how to use their software properly, so it won't be long before you start putting your first beat together.

Not only will you save hundreds of dollars by going with Dubturbo over the more advanced software, but you'll also start creating good quality beats a lot faster than with alternatives.

If, however, you've already used a beginner production tool, have got the hang of everything and have a few hundred dollars to spend on some more advanced software, then a good choice would be Cubase. Definitely not what you'd want to use when starting out due to the steeper learning curve and much higher price tag (usually more than $500 for the latest version), but something to think about in the future if you become an expert with Dubturbo and want to go into making backing tracks professionally.

Both Cubase and other DAWs are great whether you've set up a home recording studio, or you've access to a professional studio. There is a learning curve, but once you learn it, you won't ever really need to upgrade. That's not to say you won't work with other DAWs, but Cubase has all the power you'll need.

Okay, so now you know what you need to create your own beats and have hopefully picked up the right beat making software for you. Next, let's look at what else you need to learn to create your own instrumentals.

*As I highly recommend Dubturbo, I've become an affiliate for the product. This means that if you purchase it via my recommendation (Link), I will get some money from the maker of the software for this. This will not cost you anything, and in no way influences my recommendation. I first used the software even before I became an affiliate.

Learn How To Structure Your Songs

So, I'm guessing you know what genre of music you want to make already, as it's probably what inspired you to want to make beats in the first place. That said, knowing you want to make a certain type of music and actually making that style of music are two completely different things. Let me explain.

As with most things in life, there is a learning process you need to get the hang of. Your ear can tell if someone else's song is in the genre you enjoy, but creating a beat in the same genre from scratch without the proper training is a lot more difficult.

It's because of this that many beginner music producers often end up making songs that don't sound like they come from the genre they were aiming for even when they've been given good advice. It's also the reason many of the early beats people create aren't as good as the ones they make once they learn the important trick I'm about to share with you next.

So, how do you make sure your first few beats are structured properly with correct song structure and reflect the kind of song you want to make? Simple, create your own beats using this next tip and you'll start making good quality songs a lot sooner than you would have otherwise:

Analyzes other people's songs!!

That's right; if you want your songs to sound like they belong to a specific genre, this is what you need to do.

Now, I don't mean just listening to other songs you like. That's not thorough enough. Instead, you need to really look in depth at at least five songs (probably a lot more), and figure out what make them tick.

Here are some things you will want to look at and think about. You may want to take a note of your findings for each song:

• Do all the songs use a specific kind of instrument or sound?
• How many layers of instruments and sounds are there?
• How are those sounds used to work together?
• Is there usually more or less tracks used in the chorus?
• At what speed are the beats? (Measured in BPM, which stands for “Beats Per Minute”).
• Does the song sound like it's moving fast or slow? (The tempo).
• How long does the song go on for?
• What kind of feeling do you get when listening to these songs?

These are some of the questions you should ask yourself when working out what goes into making the beats you like. Once you have the answers to these questions and have a better idea of what goes into making a good beat, you can get started putting your own beats together.

Whatever beat making software you buy will have training videos and/or supporting documentation teaching you how to technically use the software to make beats, but this stage of things is just as important. After all, there's no point being able to “technically” make a beat if the beat you make isn't what anyone wants to hear.

Learn how to structure your songs by seeing how other top producers structure theirs, but also be sure to:

Put Your Own Spin On Things

When starting out, taking the above step of looking at other people's songs is all important. That said, when it comes to making your own beats, you don't want to fall into the trap of making your beats sound like everyone else's!

When it comes to making your own beats, originality is key. You either want to:

1. Create a style that is uniquely your own, or…
2. Make beats typical to your genre but at a high level.

Both of these things will help you stand out from the crowd, and help you build up your name in the long run.

Of course, you don't have to worry about learning how to sell your beats and connecting with musicians to use your backing tracks just yet. That said, you want to get into good habits now (and by that I mean making music that stands out from the crowd), so when you are ready to take things to the next level, it'll be much easier for you.

Get To Work On Your First Beat

We've talked about finding the right software for the job. We've talked about learning how to structure your songs (a must if you want to make music that hits big). We've talked about putting your own spin on the music you create (also key if you want to stay ahead of the curve).

What's next?

The only thing left to do now is gain experience as a music producer. The more you experiment and try different things, the better you will become over time.

I can't tell you step-by-step how to do this (i.e. every mouse click or key stroke), as it will vary depending on the software you're using, but I can give you a solid overview of how it works. Here we go:

1. Write your song. You can have your entire beat (or at least the basic structure) worked out before you even open your DAW software.
2. Open your DAW. You can't begin work without starting your beat making application. So, fire it up!
3. Set the tempo. Again, if you already have a good idea how the song is going to go, you should know approximately what value to set the tempo at. If you're not sure yet, however, don't worry. You should be able to change this later.
4. Make the drum beat. A good place to start with your beat is with the drums. Use the software's built-in virtual instruments and begin building the framework for your song.
5. Write the bass line. The bass line should sit tight with the drums, so it's a logical next step in the beat making process.
6. Add other virtual instruments. Whether it's piano, organ, synth, or otherwise, now you can begin layering riffs and chords on top of the drum beat and bass line.
7. Add other samples or sound effects. If you know you're going to be adding anything special to your track, now's the time to do it.

There's a simple seven-step process you can use for all your beat making efforts. If you're stuck on anything, refer to online tutorials and you should be fine.

How To Create Your Own Beats For Beginners, Conclusion

So, there you have it; how to get started and creating your own beats for beginners. You should now know that you need software to start producing music, and have a better idea of which software you're going to go with. You should also know what things you should look at when analyzing a song, and why looking at other songs in your genre can help you become a better producer much faster.

Finally, you should know the importance of producing original music, and bucking a trend or two here and there.

I hope this guide has been useful for you. If so, please share it via the social networking buttons below, and with anyone you feel may find it useful. Thanks.