Anyone here incorporate live instruments into their tracks?
- Thread starter N.U.G.
- Start date
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Beat This!The next Beat This! Competition is from November 27-28th!
I do all of my own basslines and keys, I also play sax but I haven't recorded it live yet. I don't use alot of samples either, most of the samples I've used have been sounds that I created and looped. I'm trying to focus on being as original as I can.
For those sounds that I just can't reproduce myself, I go to fruity loops or my sampler.
--dac
For those sounds that I just can't reproduce myself, I go to fruity loops or my sampler.
--dac
Actually if you have a good ear and a little coordination it's not that hard. Basslines aren't very complex these days. They can get complicated but if you use the K.I.S.S. rule, you shouldn't have any problem. No I took lessons to learn to play bass, I wanted to be able to read and write music.
vitaminman
IllMuzik Staff
ill o.g.
Battle Points: 1
Hey,
All our music is played in by myself or my colleague: keyboards, bass guitar, electric guitar, and we're learning to play drums...I too play sax, but haven't recorded anything.
Bass isn't too difficult if you want to play simple basslines; for more complex ones with lots of fast notes and slaps/pops, it requires a little more coordination. It helps to understand music a little to know which notes to play where, but if you have good music sensibility you can get by.
Take care,
Nick
All our music is played in by myself or my colleague: keyboards, bass guitar, electric guitar, and we're learning to play drums...I too play sax, but haven't recorded anything.
Bass isn't too difficult if you want to play simple basslines; for more complex ones with lots of fast notes and slaps/pops, it requires a little more coordination. It helps to understand music a little to know which notes to play where, but if you have good music sensibility you can get by.
Take care,
Nick
vitaminman
IllMuzik Staff
ill o.g.
Battle Points: 1
Hey,
The only lessons I took were in the 5th and 6th grades for sax, in middle and high schools I took a lot of music classes and played in show/jazz bands and orchestras. Right now I'm working with a professional tenor sax player to improve my sight reading, music theory and technique.
My senior year in high school I got a bass guitar for Christmas and taught myself by writing out the notes above the music (bass is in a different clef than the sax) and memorizing the basslines...I played bass in one of the school jazz bands, not very good but could hold my own.
Eventually I just listened to bands I liked and tried to figure out their basslines, this was probably the best thing because 1. it was music I liked playing and 2. it was a hell of a lot easier than learning jazz.
As for keyboards, I couldn't 'play' anything to save my life! A few notes here and there, maybe a chord or two. What we do is play out little melodies and harmonies with our index fingers; on more complex tracks we may use three or four fingers at a time. That's the beauty of MIDI, we can record a single melody line into the sequencer, then layer other stuff on it.
What's great about learning music properly is that whatever you learn on one instrument you can apply to another instrument, that way you only have to learn where the notes are, and you're ready to go. You'll notice that a lot of trained musicians can play lots of instruments: sax players can easily convert to flute and clarinet, trumpet players can easily convert to trombone and other horns, and drummers can easily convert to, well, other drums.
You're probably not looking to learn all these instruments, but if you get your foot in the door with the bass, you could quite easily jump to guitar and piano. There are nothing but advantages to having someone sit down with you and show you technique...
It will cost you some money, though! Lessons from professionals can go for $50-$100 an hour. I have an arrangement with the pro sax player: we get together once a week and play together for about 4 hours, and in return I show him how to use Cool Edit and sometime engineer recording sessions with him and his band. I don't know what your skills/gear are, but if you know someone who needs to be recorded, you could offer to let them use your knowledge and services in exchange for a lesson or two.
If you want to start out learning the piano, you could find some online tutorials or softwares which walk you through some of the basics.
Take care,
Nick
The only lessons I took were in the 5th and 6th grades for sax, in middle and high schools I took a lot of music classes and played in show/jazz bands and orchestras. Right now I'm working with a professional tenor sax player to improve my sight reading, music theory and technique.
My senior year in high school I got a bass guitar for Christmas and taught myself by writing out the notes above the music (bass is in a different clef than the sax) and memorizing the basslines...I played bass in one of the school jazz bands, not very good but could hold my own.
Eventually I just listened to bands I liked and tried to figure out their basslines, this was probably the best thing because 1. it was music I liked playing and 2. it was a hell of a lot easier than learning jazz.
As for keyboards, I couldn't 'play' anything to save my life! A few notes here and there, maybe a chord or two. What we do is play out little melodies and harmonies with our index fingers; on more complex tracks we may use three or four fingers at a time. That's the beauty of MIDI, we can record a single melody line into the sequencer, then layer other stuff on it.
What's great about learning music properly is that whatever you learn on one instrument you can apply to another instrument, that way you only have to learn where the notes are, and you're ready to go. You'll notice that a lot of trained musicians can play lots of instruments: sax players can easily convert to flute and clarinet, trumpet players can easily convert to trombone and other horns, and drummers can easily convert to, well, other drums.
You're probably not looking to learn all these instruments, but if you get your foot in the door with the bass, you could quite easily jump to guitar and piano. There are nothing but advantages to having someone sit down with you and show you technique...
It will cost you some money, though! Lessons from professionals can go for $50-$100 an hour. I have an arrangement with the pro sax player: we get together once a week and play together for about 4 hours, and in return I show him how to use Cool Edit and sometime engineer recording sessions with him and his band. I don't know what your skills/gear are, but if you know someone who needs to be recorded, you could offer to let them use your knowledge and services in exchange for a lesson or two.
If you want to start out learning the piano, you could find some online tutorials or softwares which walk you through some of the basics.
Take care,
Nick
K.O.
Watch out 4 the KnockOut
ill o.g.
Battle Points: 5
I play all of the instuments used in my music. Im a pianist and an organist at my church believe it or not. The church thing got me into music and going to school for piano got me playing in church so it all worked out..... I taught my self how to use my ear and now im able to play anything i hear or anything someone hums i put it down.....i do it all now Produce, play piano, and play organ at my church im all twisted up in the game.....
afriquedeluxe
ILLIEN
ive had live instruments in my trkcs often, i aint no jimmy hendrix on da guitar, but i record 1 ting, n layer on otha tings n pitch stuff up n down n keep editin till i hav sumtin good
C
Copenhagen
Guest
We sometimes hoo up with a guitar or bass player. Also, we thought about finding people who play other instruments. It's good, especially with guitar and bass, compared to piano, because it's harder, at least to me, to simulate a guitar on a pc.
Also, I'm thinking about joining a piano/keyboard course just to learn the basics and how to play melodies. After that I might start guitar too...
Also, I'm thinking about joining a piano/keyboard course just to learn the basics and how to play melodies. After that I might start guitar too...
N.U.G.
ILLIEN
ill o.g.
word up Copenhagen. I guess it's a natural progression to use and larn how to play live instruments as we continue to learn and grow as hip-hop producers. I'm glad to hear that you guys are doing it and it inspires me to continue to build my skills in every way possible.
peace
peace