Production Are You In A Beat Making Slump?

Making beats is fun. Making beats is special. But making beats can become a chore and many will end up in a beat making slump.

Hitting a roadblock

I've seen it countless times before, members posting in our forums about how they're at a roadblock they can't seem to pass so they get frustrated and need a time-out. Beat makers tend to hit the pads and keys when it's convenient and when there's inspiration, but nobody really takes a step back and realizes that after a while it seems like a routine.

It's like anything that you do; do it enough times and it becomes routine and like a chore. When making beats, it's great to have everything mastered and down to a science:

1. Lay down a drum pattern.
2. Find a sample.
3. Chop it.
4. Add a keyboard riff.
5. Bassline.
6. Done.

This is fine, however when you do it over and over again, then you get into a pattern and begin to form your own style. People will pick up on this, and having your own style is a great thing, just as long as it's not taking away from your creativity.

I'm stuck - what do I do?

If you're stuck with your beats and need a way to get out of this mess, one of the best things to do is - nothing. Yes, do nothing. Like I mentioned earlier, you're making beats constantly and need to give yourself a break, so doing nothing is the best thing. For some, this may not be enough because even though they're taking a break, they might still be focusing on why they're stuck, so in this case they should also seek inspiration.

Get inspired to make beats

There are many ways for a beat maker to get inspiration, but the best seems to be to just listen to music, especially one other than Hip Hop. Hearing a guitar solo from a Heavy Metal song, or the way a Pop song was mixed, may be the best medicine for you.

I'm still in a slump!

At this point if you still haven't managed to get out of your beat making slump, then you could try making other forms of music! When I said that you should listen to other forms of music, it wasn't just so you could listen to something different, it was so you could also get ideas from that music that you can apply to your own. You could try making different forms of music completely, or just throw parts into your own beat. Whichever you do, it will surely give you more inspiration and the drive you need to continue beat making.

Conclusion

I've heard many beat makers with a particular style that they stick with forever, and this I always encourage, but once you get into a slump then it's time to change things up. There's been plenty of people that have stopped making beats for weeks, months, even years, and have come back with a vengeance. So when things get slow, change it up and you will see that your beat making sessions will become much more interesting.

Further Reading Related to Beat Making

• Are you a beat making newbie? Don't worry about it.
• 5 tips you can use to improve your music production
• Lee Stone drops his knowledge about Hip Hop production
• Hip Hop production or CSI beats?

 

[dacalion]

very good advice. dope post!

 

[ApeMade]

Been there before! One of the main reasons why, Ive took a break and almost retired. Something inspired myself to come back though.

 

[ApeMade]

I've heard many beat makers with a particular style that they stick with forever, and this I always encourage, but once you get into a slump then it's time to change things up. There's been plenty of people that have stopped making beats for weeks, months, even years, and have come back with a vengeance. So when things get slow, change it up and you will see that your beat making sessions will become much more interesting.

You are RIGHT ON with this! Honest truth! And Write up. Break is always great, because you will pick up new ideas that will truly make you unique once you are back. For I, those years really shaped me more in skills and knowledge.