Do you struggle to get your beats to sound like the pros?

With the overwhelming amount of information available online, it's easy to feel lost and unsure of where to start. As an emerging artist or beatmaker, finding clear, actionable advice can make all the difference in honing your craft.

In this guide, we'll cut through the noise and provide you with ten essential beat-making tips to up your game. From mastering your workflow to nailing that perfect groove, these tips are designed to take your beats to the next level.

Let's dive in!

Different Types of Beats

The term "beat" can refer to all kinds of music, not just your standard hip-hop beat. In fact, even within hip-hop itself, there are several sub-genres, each with its own distinct style and characteristics. From the gritty, raw, and urban sound of Boom Bap to the bass-heavy, hi-hat-centric sounds of Trap and the melodic, sample-heavy vibes of Lo-Fi, hip-hop alone offers a diverse range of beats.

Of course, in the beat-making community, several other genres like EDM, house, pop, and even experimental electronic music are just as prominent. These genres have unique elements that define their beats, such as the four-on-the-floor kick drum in house music or the wobble bass in dubstep.

Before you start your next beat, it's important to decide what type of beat you want to make, as it'll guide your choice of tempo, instrumentation, and overall vibe.

The Beat Maker’s Toolkit

To make a high-quality beat, you need a creative spark and the right tools. Having the right equipment can significantly impact your workflow and the quality of your music. Let's take a look at some of the essential tools you need to start making beats.

Computer

Nowadays, hardware isn't nearly as crucial for beat-making as it used to be.

You may remember the days the Akai MPC or Roland TR-808 were "must-haves" for beatmakers, and while they're still legendary pieces of equipment, now, you can do pretty much everything right from your computer.

With today’s tech, your desktop or laptop can handle anything from sequencing and programming to mixing and mastering. It’s all about having the right software, and you’re good to go.

If you're looking for a computer for beat-making, look for a few key things: a fast processor (think i5 or higher), plenty of RAM (at least 8GB, but 16GB is even better), and a good amount of storage (SSD is best for speed). A high-resolution display will also help you see all those tiny details in your DAW.

DAW

Alright, now let's talk about the DAW, or Digital Audio Workstation.

This is the software where all the magic happens, making it one of the most important tools in your beat-making arsenal. Your DAW is where you'll sequence your beats, arrange your tracks, and fine-tune every detail to get your music sounding just right.

There are plenty of fantastic DAWs out there, each with its own strengths for making beats. Here are a few great options to consider:

• Ableton Live: Known for its intuitive interface and powerful looping features, it's a favorite among electronic and hip-hop producers.
• FL Studio: Famous for its easy-to-use step sequencer, it's perfect for beginners and pros alike.
• Logic Pro X : A top choice for Mac users, as it offers a comprehensive suite of tools and sounds.

It's all about choosing the DAW that feels right for you . Spend some time exploring these options, and you'll know when you've found the perfect one.

Samples and Loops

From there, we go into samples and loops, which are essential building blocks for creating beats.

Samples are short snippets of sound - think anything from a drum hit to a vocal phrase. Loops, on the other hand, are longer sections of audio that can be repeated seamlessly.

The right samples and loops can really bring your beats to life and inspire new ideas, helping you craft that perfect sound.

Luckily, you don't have to do any crate-digging to find quality loops and samples like you used to decades ago, as finding high-quality samples and loops is easier than ever.

Here are some of my favorite resources available online:

• Splice : A massive library of royalty-free samples and loops, with new additions every day.
• Loopmasters: Offers a wide variety of genre-specific packs from professional producers.
• Sample Magic : Tons of high-quality sounds and sample packs.
• Native Instruments: Their Expansion packs are great for Maschine and other DAWs.
• Cymatics: Popular for hip-hop and trap producers.

MIDI Controller

While MIDI controllers aren't absolutely necessary for making beats, as you can program things with your computer keyboard and mouse, having one can definitely be a game-changer. A MIDI controller can make the beat-making process more intuitive and hands-on, letting you physically play out your ideas instead of just clicking around with a mouse.

There are several types of MIDI controllers, each with its own unique benefits for beat-making:

• Keyboard Controllers: These come with piano-style keys and are great for playing melodies, chords, and basslines. Most of them also include knobs and sliders for additional control.
• Pad Controllers: These have drum pads that are perfect for tapping out beats and triggering samples. Think of the Akai MPD or Native Instruments Maschine.

The beauty of using a MIDI controller is that you can physically play out drum patterns, melodies, and chords, giving your beats a more human feel. Plus, you can easily manipulate effects and tweak parameters on different plugins and synths in real-time.

Studio Monitors or Headphones

Let's be real - making beats on laptop speakers sucks. They just don't have the clarity or the range to let you hear all the nuances in your music.

Investing in a pair of quality studio monitors or headphones is one of the best moves you can make as a beatmaker. For starters, they're designed to deliver a flat, accurate representation of your music, giving you all the detail you need to make better mixing decisions. They also reveal the full frequency range of your beats, so you can mix them in a way that'll help them sound great on any system.

How to Make a Beat

When it comes to making beats, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach.

Every beatmaker has their own unique process, and that’s part of what makes this art form so exciting. Some producers might start by laying down a catchy melody on their keyboard with one of their favorite synth VSTs, while others might kick things off with a solid drum loop.

You might even begin by chopping up a sample or creating a bassline that sets the groove.

No matter how you choose to start, the following steps will guide you through the process of making a beat.

Setting the Stage for Your Beat with Tempo and Vibe

The first thing you'll want to do when making your beat is decide on the overall vibe and tempo of your track, as it'll set the foundation and mood for everything that follows. To help you figure this out, ask yourself a few key questions:

• What emotion do I want to convey? For example, do you want your beat to feel energetic and upbeat or smooth and laid-back?
• What genre am I aiming for? Different genres often have characteristic tempos. Drum and bass is much faster, for example, than chillhop.
• What’s the context for this beat? Is it for a dance floor banger, a soulful rap track, or an ambient background piece?

For a high-energy dance track, you might set the tempo around 120-130 BPM . Think Avicii or David Guetta. On the other hand, you can aim for a slower tempo, between 70-100 BPM for a chill hip-hop beat.

Think "Nuthin' But a G Thang" by Dr. Dre, which sits at 95 BPM.

Of course, if you really want to slow things down and go for an ambient electronic vibe, you might choose a tempo around 60-80 BPM.

Marconi Union's "Weightless" is one of my favorite ambient tracks. It sits around 60 BPM, which is roughly the average resting heart rate of a human, making it incredibly relaxing to listen to.

The idea here is that setting the right tempo and vibe at the beginning helps guide your creative decisions, so take a moment to vibe out before you dive in.

Laying Down the Groove

Once you’ve set the tempo and vibe, it’s time to get a drum pattern going. The drum groove will act as the backbone of your beat. There are endless tools and techniques you can use to create a solid drum pattern, so I'll quickly go through some of the most popular ones:

Beat-Making Tools

• Drum Machines: Classic hardware like the Roland TR-808 or software emulations are great for iconic drum sounds, though it's also worth noting that most DAWs come with built-in drum kits and samples that you can sequence directly in the software.
• MIDI Controllers : I'm a big fan of using pad controllers to tap out beats manually for a more human feel. Just load up your favorite drum samples, map them to your controller, and let it rip!
• Drum VSTs: There are also third-party plugins like Addictive Drums or Superior Drummer, which offer highly detailed and realistic drum sounds.
• Loops and Samples: Start with a drum loop or two to get some inspiration going.

Beat-Making Techniques

• Step Sequencing: Inputting drum hits step-by-step in your DAW’s sequencer is an easy way to build ultra-precise drum patterns.
• Live Recording: If you have the capabilities, play and record your drum parts in real-time using a live kit, an electronic kit, or a pad controller.
• Layering: Combining different drum sounds, such as layering a punchy kick with a deep 808 or a clap with a snare drum, is a great way to add complexity and depth to your beats.
• Feel: You can either adjust the timing of your drum hits to snap them perfectly in place with heavy quantization or create a more natural, off-grid feel with some swing.

Adding Melodic Elements

Now it’s time to add some melodic elements to your beat, which can really transform the vibe and bring your track to life. I can't give you exact techniques here, as this step will vary based on the overall feel you're aiming for.

For example, you might choose to use:

• Loops: Using pre-made loops is a quick and easy way to add melodic layers to your beats. You can either source these from sample packs or splice them from actual songs if you have permission to do so.
• Samples: Similarly, you can chop and flip samples from existing tracks to give your beat a unique and nostalgic feel. This is great for genres like hip-hop and lo-fi.
• VSTs or Live instruments: The possibilities are endless here. Whether you’re using a piano, guitar, or synth VST, you can craft the exact sound you’re looking for.

Sometimes, I like to start with chord progressions. It could be as simple as three or four chords that cycle throughout the beat and create a sense of movement.

From there, you can add lead melodies, such as single-note lines or riffs, that sit on top of your chord progressions and drum pattern, giving the listener something catchy to latch on to.

10 Beat-Making Tips to Level Up Your Game

Once you have a solid idea or foundation for your beat, it's time to take things to the next level. Here are 10 pro tips I like to incorporate in each one of my beats to give them a pro sound.

Layer Your Drums

Sometimes, drum samples and loops sound good on their own. However, most of the time, I find that layering drums adds the kind of depth and texture we want to help our beats stand out.

When I say "layering", I mean combining multiple drum samples to create a single, fuller sound. You can essentially take advantage of the strengths of different drum sounds and blend them into a cohesive whole.

To start, consider the characteristics of the drum sounds you want to layer.

For example, you might have one kick drum sample that has a lot of low-end thump and another that has a sharp, punchy attack. By layering these two samples, you can create a kick drum sound that has both the deep bass you need and the punch to cut through the mix. We might use a transient shaper to dial back the sustain of the sharp sample so that the sustain doesn't overlap the lower, beefier sample.

The same approach can be applied to snares, hi-hats, and other percussion elements.

The most important thing to pay attention to is phase alignment .

Misaligned phases can cause certain frequencies to cancel out, resulting in a weaker sound. It's easy to think that by stacking two heavy kick drums, you'd get an even heavier one, though that's rarely the case. Luckily, most DAWs have tools that allow you to adjust the phase of your samples to ensure they work together.

Some layers, however, can benefit from slight variations in velocity and timing . This can add a more human feel to your drums. For instance, slightly delaying one of the snare layers can give you a flam effect, similar to what a real drummer might sound like.

You might also consider using different processing techniques on each layer. For example, you could keep one snare layer dry and upfront to maintain initial punch, while sending the less important sample into a reverb to give it space.

Of course, don't be afraid to experiment with unconventional sounds , such as foley samples, clicks, or even little melodic snippets. Doing so is a great way to make your drums sound more interesting and set you apart from other music producers.

Experiment with Swing

There's no better way to add a more humanistic feel to your beats than with a little swing!

But what exactly is swing?

In short, swing introduces slight timing delays, taking some of the notes off the metronomic grid to give your drums syncopation. It's an excellent way to keep your drums from sounding robotic.

While some genres may benefit from that straightforward sound, others like hip-hop, jazz, and funk, pair well with a more relaxed, groovy rhythm.

J Dilla was the master of swing, and his classic boom-bap hip-hop beats spawned an entire generation of beat-making. Listen to his drum production on the Pharcyde's "Runnin" for a prime example of swing on a drum kit:

While swing can be applied to just about any element of your beat, it’s most commonly used on hi-hats, snares, and percussion. Your DAW most likely has a swing or shuffle function on the piano roll or sequencer. Most modern DAWs, like Ableton Live, FL Studio, and Logic Pro, have built-in swing settings that allow you to adjust the amount of swing applied to your drum patterns.

When you apply swing, you’re essentially shifting the timing of the off-beat notes. For example, in a standard 4/4 beat, if you apply swing, the second and fourth beats of each bar might be pushed slightly later, creating that laid-back feel. The amount of swing you apply can vary. Sometimes, a subtle swing is more than enough to make a drum loop more interesting, while other times, pushing things further back to get a more pronounced shuffle is the move.

Vary the Velocity

Another great way to add a human feel to your beats is by varying the velocity of your notes.

Velocity refers to the intensity with which a note is played . When you play an instrument live, you get natural velocity from note to note. However, when you program sounds, whether drums, synths, keys, etc., the velocity is often the same unless you make it a point to adjust it. When every note is played at the same velocity, the music can feel flat and lifeless.

Think of playing an eighth-note hi-hat pattern. You wouldn't hit every note with the same emphasis unless you were going for some sort of industrial techno sound.

Luckily, one of the easiest ways to start varying velocity is with your drum patterns. Make some hits softer and some more pronounced using the velocity controls in your piano roll. For example, you might make the main snare hits stronger while the ghost notes are softer.

If you’re programming a basic hi-hat pattern, you could have the off-beats (the ‘ands’ in a 1-and-2-and-3-and-4-and pattern) hit at a lower velocity than the downbeats. Even the most subtle change can make your hi-hat pattern sound much more natural.

If you're unsure which notes to make softer and harder, record yourself tapping out the groove with your fingers, import the audio into your DAW, and match the velocity of your samples to the velocity of each of your finger taps.

Automate Your Effects

While most beginner producers throw effects like reverb, delay, or filters on their mixes and call it a day, I like to think of these otherwise static mix elements as instruments too. Just like your instruments, they should evolve over time to make your beats more dynamic.

There are infinite ways to approach this, though one of my favorite techniques is using automation to create build-ups and breakdowns. For example, you can automate a filter cutoff to gradually open up during a build-up. You'll often hear this in EDM and hip-hop, as it creates tension before a drop or chorus.

Reverb and delay are also prime candidates for automation. You might start with a dry snare signal and gradually increase the reverb during the chorus to open it up. Or, you could automate delay feedback on a vocal chop to turn a simple, single delay into a swirling, cavernous echo.

Add Transitional Elements

The best beats have defined sections, just like pop songs. You want one section to hook the listener, giving them something to wait for as the song progresses. And while structuring a beat in such a way that it has defined sections is great, the thing that separates the pros from the amateurs is the way those sections transition into one another.

Transitional elements can help guide the listener from one part of the track to the next while maintaining flow. Without them, it's easy for a beat to feel disjointed.

There are tons of different transitional elements to choose from, though some of my most commonly used include:

• Risers: Excellent before a drop or chorus to create anticipation. You can create risers using synths, noise sweeps, or even sampled sound effects.
• Sweeps: Similar to risers, sweeps typically involve a filter sweep that moves from low to high frequencies or vice versa.
• Drum Fills : If your beat isn't taking well to obvious sweeps or risers, you can simply transition between sections with a drum fill.
• Reverse Effects: Take a sound that you already have in your mix and reverse it to use as a transition. This can be anything from a cymbal crash to a verby vocal sample.
• Impact Hits: Powerful, percussive impacts are great tools for marking the beginning of a new section. I'll often mix them really low, so they're not glaringly obvious, though are felt by the listener, indicating a move to something different.

Add Background Textures

In just about every beat I make, I love to add subtle background layers to fill in the empty space. It's a wonderful way to create a more immersive listening experience without overpowering the main elements of your track.

Background textures can be anything from ambient sounds and field recordings to soft synth pads and atmospheric effects. The key is finding interesting sounds that add three-dimensional depth that your beat might otherwise be lacking.

Because I like organic music, I often gravitate toward nature sounds like rain, wind, or birdsong. Depending on your vibe as a music producer, you can also add urban sounds like city traffic or party chatter. If the music production process calls for it, head out with a recorder to capture some real-world sounds and incorporate them into your beats to add your own unique flavor.

I once recorded the sound of the A/C in my studio and sidechained it to the kick to give my beat some literal air. The possibilities are endless!

Sample Unusual Sources

I can't emphasize the importance of experimenting enough. There are millions of producers making beats using the same samples, virtual instruments, and effects. To stand out from the crowd, you have to find ways to add originality to your beats.

By stepping outside the typical realm of traditional drum kits and synth presets, you can find sounds that set your tracks apart. Field recordings are a great place to start, though you can also use dialogues, sound effects, and background noises from films and TV shows, as long as you clear the right to use them.

Think of producers like DJ Shadow. His album "Endtroducing....." features an eclectic mix of samples from old records, obscure films, and random field recordings. It set the stage for a groundbreaking sound that still resonates with listeners today.

If you like recording, try and scour your local classified or online shops for non-traditional instruments, like toy pianos, kalimbas, or even improvised objects like pots and pans.

One of my favorite beat-makers right now is Kount Koal. He has tons of unusual instruments and processing techniques that he uses when creating beats, which gives him his own sound.

Use Saturation and Distortion

From adding grit or vintage vibes to making all of the elements of your beats sound cohesive, saturation and distortion are powerful tools that I highly recommend you start using if you're not already.

Saturation mimics the natural compression and harmonic characteristics of analog tape and hardware, giving you that pleasing warmth you hear on older records, while distortion can give you a rougher, edgier quality.

There are plenty of different types of saturation, including:

• Tape Saturation
• Tube Saturation
• Overdrive
• Fuzz
• Bit-crushing

I recommend getting your hands on a few plugins in each category and experimenting with adding them to your individual beat sounds or your entire beat.

Play with Chord Inversions

Playing with chord inversions is a fantastic way to add variety to your beats. Simply change the order of the notes in the chord that you're playing so the tonic of the chord isn't always in the bass.

Not only can it make your basic chord progressions sound more interesting, but it can also help with smoother transitions and voice-leading. For example, if you’re playing a C major chord progression (C - G - Am - F), try using the first inversion of G (B - D - G) to have your bass note in C take one step down instead of leaping up a fifth.

Reference Other Producers

My last and most important tip is to reference other producers.

By analyzing and learning from the work of established producers, you can gain insights into different techniques, styles, and trends that can inspire and inform your own creative process. Critical listening is a great way to improve your mixes, gain inspiration for arrangements, and learn more about sound design.

Many top producers openly reference and study the work of others.

For example, Dr. Dre has spoken about his admiration for Quincy Jones and the way he references Quincy’s work to inform his own production style. It's likely one of the things that helped him become one of the most influential producers in hip-hop.

The Next Steps in Your Beat-Making Journey

As you continue on your beat-making journey, remember that mastering music production is both an art and a science. By applying the tips and techniques discussed, you’ll be well on your way to creating professional-quality beats that stand out in the music industry.

Crafting your own beats is just a matter of experimenting, learning, and refining your skills.

From layering drums and experimenting with swing to adding unique texture with unusual sampling techniques, each step brings you closer to your final beat. Don’t forget to reference other producers to continually improve and stay inspired. Keep pushing your boundaries, and soon, you'll be producing beats that can compete with the best!