2 Secrets for More Creative Drums

In this post I am going to share with you three very important secrets (more like hints) to help you become much more creative with you drum sounds and beat making...

Some of these may seem obvious, and not really like secrets at all, but I urge you to really think about them and try to apply these concepts to your own beat and drum programming!

First, you should always conceptualize your beat pattern using your mind first, and the computer second. What this means is that the computer is your tool for setting down your pattern, and not the other way around. Don't let the computer dictate your creativity. This actually goes back to an idea that I read from Johanne Sebastienne Bach (a classical music master) who forbade his students from creating what he called "pen and paper music" or "keyboard music".

Anyone who is serious about music should seriously consider studying music full-time (berkley school of music) and taking their whole conception of this art to a new level.

So back to the idea at hand, the idea is essentially that you conceive of the pattern in your mind first, before setting it down. You don't create your beat with the computer, but rather with your mind first and then the computer as a tool. Here is an example of how you might implement this: Sit quietly in front of your computer or beat making software, and begin to imagine a beat (hear it in your head) then start beat boxing the beat that you hear in your head. You have just created a beat! Without using the computer. And chances are that this beat will actually be MUCH more creative and looser and freer than if you had tried to just go straight to the beat making software. So now maybe you could record this using your iphone (your voice), and then, once you have the creative pattern down, then and only then, start actually making the beats using your production software or tools.

Second, you should take time to do what I call "concentrated listening" of other peoples beat patterns. People like Dr Dre, Eminem, Kanye West, Jay Z, etc... These are some of the most creative people in the world, and their beats are something to be looked up to and admired, and most importantly, STUDIED! So study the beats of these hip hop production masters, listen to them carefully, and even try to copy or replicate what they are doing. If you do this enough, and you succeed, you will learn all the skills and nuances of creativity that go into making beats like these guys do. And before you know it you will be transferring the skills you've picked up into your own sick sounding totally original beats that are just as creative as these guys.

Here's a great video which explains why you should listen to as much music as possible to expand your beat making, music production, and creative potential...

So here's how you might implement this second hint. Take a track that you really like, I'm going to pretend that we've chosen Eminem & 50cent "Psycho" because I love that track. Now listen to the beat for 5 or 10 seconds. Now stop the track. Try to hear the beat in your head. Now listen to it again if you have to and then start trying to create the same beat on your own by finding similar sounds in your sound back and constructing a similar beat pattern. Try to make it sound as close to the original as possible. You are basically copying it! But don't worry this is for practice only, just like how painters will often practice by copying the great master pieces in order to hone their skills.

So there you have it, those 2 exercises alone can seriously improve your beat making and production skills BIG TIME - so don't brush them off, take them seriously and apply them to your own efforts and you will see huge payoffs in the future.

Until next time... PEACE!