If you want to make beats like a boss you have to have acheived expert level status at it. In order to become an expert, you need to follow the following rules:
- Make beats because you love it. If making beats feels like a job, chances are you will not complete the steps necessary to become an expert.
- Force yourself to do the tough stuff before the easy stuff. If you know you need to learn your music theory, then do that first thing everyday before you just start making new beats and messing around. By doing the harder work early, you will feel more relaxed when it’s time to just have fun.
- Practice your ass off. If you don’t see the value in learning how to play a scale, or how to listen to and emulate any drum beat or learn to play by ear, you will leave your self crippled compared to the other guy who takes time to practice those things.
- Get feedback but don’t overload. Some websites and forums offer you opportunities to get feedback on your beats. Use these resources but don’t over use them. Give yourself time to take the feedback and understand it completely before seeking more feedback. Also go for the best feedback you can get. In my opinion the beat feedback system at Warbeats.com offers the absolute best quality feedback you can get for free. Use it but don’t abuse it.
- Give feedback. A lot of people don’t realize that to become a master at anything you must be able to teach it too. You can learn how to identify and communicate good and bad things by giving out feedback to others.
- Take a break. Sometimes you need to step away from the MPC for a little bit and let your creative batteries recharge. Make sure your life is filled with other non musical activities. Skateboarding or working out. Remember to hang out with friends now and keep it real.
- Don’t take it personal. If someone isn’t feelin your beats thats should not trigger a bruised ego. The sooner you learn this lesson the sooner you can free your mind and energy to constinue growing towards being a beat making master.
- Remember that the tools don’t make the crafstman good but rather the craftsman knows how to get the best from his tools. Don’t tell yourself things like “If only I had SuperMegaVST I could make hot beats!”. Thats defeating yourself. Tell yourself, “I may not have SuperMegaVST, but I can still make a hot beat!”.
- Speaking of tools. Buy your tools. We all know how easy it is to get a cracked version of SuperMegaVST (fake name BTW) but it’s important to understand that real ownership gives you a feeling of pride and a sense of “hell yeah I deserve to make it big”. Stealing your software just gives you an attitude of being a criminal at heart who really doesn’t deserve much out of life.
- Stay humble. Not everyone can get away with being an asshole like say, Kanye West. As a beat maker, you need to handle business deals and communicate to people from the artist to the engineer to lawyers and managers. Stay level headed and honest in your business dealings and you will do allright.
