Drums first?

[S.Rexx]

whaddup y'all,

it hasn't been too long since i seriously started divin' into the whole production scene and thus far, things are going pretty steady for the most part. slow, but steady. seems like the only thing i think about at work is gettin' back in front of the keyboard and computer. it's like when you first get with a girl and the only thing on your mind all day is her. guess it's the same with this.... hope i don't lose that passion/mentality though.

just out of curiosity, what is the preferred/efficient method for laying down a track? is it best to start with the drums and build onto of that or is it better to develop a melody first, then add drums, etc.? or does is really matter?

turn ya speakers up,
S. Rexx

 

[adomav17]

in my experience...

it doesent matter... i just do whatever i feeel like... sometimes ill lay down drums first cuz i found some nice drum sounds or something.... or sometimes ill lay down the melody because i have a good melody in my head.... just do what you feel like and it'll turn out okay

 

[Slamdino]

no set method but for some reason i always start with some sort of drums to get the vibe. A lot of times i go back and change or add to the drums after i have a good melody going. sometimes i play something first though or come across a good sample i want to build around but thats rare since i dont sample much

 

[diskrete]

ive been told by a lot of people that its better to start out with drums, but i dont think it matters - i just do what i feel

 

[deStructuralize]

Do what works best for you. Experiment.

I personally am more comfortable with chopping up a sample and putting down a basic arrangement before I pick out drum sounds and start laying them out.

 

[Gene Flo]

For me its best to get a drum and bass down both so u get that vibe u want then u throw down what u feelin ya feel me??? then it all molds together


i learned that starting out with drum and bass will help alot cuz then everything kinda just molds out of ya....

 

[wrightboy]

just do you. like everyone else said, it really doesn't matter. personally, i start with drums. i usually lay down some drums so that i can hurry up and turn off that damn metronome. and just ride out from there.

 

[trebeatz]

i use FL studio alogn with other plugins, and it allows a pretty nice customizable template you can start wtih, so i customized my template with a generic kick, a generic snare, and a generic hi hat, all mixed correctly, so then i cna just work on my melody and i use the drums to get the feeling of the melody better, then when I start to really shape the melody (both sampling and composing) i will decide what kind of drums would fit the vibe of my track, and i will swap out my generic sounds, i add to the drum pattern usually after that. i do this because no matter how hot your drums are, if you got a shitty melody it dont matter, whereas if u have a bangin melody some so-so drums wont drag it down too much or whatever, so my first priority is my melody, when im done making the basis of a dope melody, i will sculpt my drum track around that, based on how the vibe of the melody is makin me feel

 

[bigdmakintrax]

my favorite is a crazy drum pattern then a lil melody, but the key to a dope song is a good melody and sometimes its easy to play out a melody first then lace it...its all on you, no rules....

 

[Hypnotist]

I usually start with the lips, then move down to the nipples.

But like everyone else said... it's all about how you FEEL it.

 

[Artistix]

There really is no better way to start a beat. It's really just what you get your vibe off of. It can be drums, or a melody, a sample or just a song you heard on the radio that inspired you. How you start is not really important it's how you finish that counts. Another thing a good way to not to stress yourself is to just listen to a music before you make a beat, any kind of music that will inspire you and I guarentee that you will have no problem starting a beat.

 

[LEJENDERY]

everyone hit it on the nose, it doesn't really matter... I think it's totally up to you - if you come w/ a nice melody, lay it down then build around it... or vice versa.. u should try making a track for either way, then you'll see..

 

[Reyne]

i tend to agree, it doesnt matter what order you do things.
i start with a simple drum pattern kick on 1 and 3 snare on 2 and 4, 1/8th note hats
then build my melody. this way i can hear what the melody is gunna sound like with drums but the pattern wont affect the groove of the melody im creating.
The important thing is when you have some sort of melody happening to come back and rite a drum pattern that fits the groove of the melody. i find people that rite drums before the melody often dont have a drum part that fits with the track.

 

[P-SKILZ]

im new to producing also, and i also agree with just do what u feel, and build from there,

 

[SlickVikNewman]

Sounds like your on your way then. The only thing I have to say though is, dont come up with a good melody and then get lazy on the drums. Thats gonna be suicide to that melody for real.

 

[nonie]

I just go with what I'm feeling at the moment. If I have a certain mood in mind for a beat then sometimes I'll lay down the drums first to capture myself into the mood I'm trying to portray or vice verse with the melody. But if I don't have a certain mood in mind, I'll definetely start with the melody first and then have the drums flow with it. Both have an equal amount of importance IMO. If you don't have nice drums but a hot melody, people'll say that you wasted a melody and vice versa.

 

[Double8]

I lay out the melody first its easir for me.. because once I lay out the drums everythin is over and ive screwed up.. sort of. For me drums r just a bangin blanket over melodies. If I juss make a track without drums it isnt hiphop. So near the end I got one easy step to make it hiphop... which is add drums. =)

 

[sYgMa]

I'll repeat what most people said...

It depends on the type of beat you're doing and what's your inspiration of the moment. For my part, I usually start with the drums, but that's because I'm a drummer... and even then I'll lay down the basic melody (bass or soemthing else...) I have in my head and then lay the drums to have the feel I'm looking for, after, I add the rest...