Before you actually learn how to make beats, you gotta have the right tools. You can’t start trying to build a house without even having the right tools yet…ya dig…? So ima drop some quick game on the 7 basic tools you need before you try to learn how to actually make the beats.


1. Passion – If you dont really have a passion or feel like this is something you could develop a passion in, You might as well stop reading and just get some one else to do your beats instead. Passion is what’s going to help you put up with beatblock, not being able to understand eq’s, compression, music theory, finding good sounds, developing your own sound etc., It will also allow you to take negative criticism and turn into positive rather than quitting.

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2. Sequencer – A sequencer is essential in your music production. Without this you can’t arrange your beats and that would make your beats very repetitive and boring. We don’t want that now do we. Sequencing is what allows you the feel of a song. So it plays more like a movie rather than a looped .gif file. With sequencing you can add drops, mutes, breakdowns, changeups, bridges, intros, etc. The best way to go would be to buy a software which would be pretty cheap, software such as the following can be used for sequencing.

I’ve used all of the above besides Cubase & Logic , I hear they are great programs though. You can try your hand at any of the other ones listed above. I personally use FL Studio, Sony Acid Pro, and Adobe Audition.

3. Sounds: There’s no point of having a sequencer with no sounds to sequence now is there. This is where alot of up and coming producers/beatmakers slow down there progress. Mainly because of lack of passion, they are not driven enough to go out there and find some GOOD sounds (which is very possible if you look REAL hard on the internet) or just buy some sounds (this would save you alot of time). I suggest that you use external sounds once you get the hang of whichever sequencer you are using.

Some sites to go to for free (legal) sounds are:
sf2midi.com (Lot’s of good soundfont files)
kvraudio.com (Good Vst’s)
ModernBeats.com (Great Drum Sounds)

You can also buy some sounds:

ModernBeats.comalso has alot of great quality sounds you can purchase

zZounds has alot of vst’s and pretty much anything you need that’s music related

4. Beatmachine or soundtrigger/midicontroller – It is a very good idea to get yourself a beatmachine or a soundtrigger if your using software. Basically you need something that when you hit a button/pad or key the selected sound in your sequencer will play. I highly recommend this for you unless you want to use your typing keyboard to begin with (You can use your typing keyboard as a soundtrigger in FL Studio). To start out I would suggest a midi controller that has both keys and drumpads so you can play melodys and bang out beats. The Axiom 25(Shown Below) is great for beginners and its portable which is great if your using a laptop.

5. Slicing Program – This is a very useful tool to have. Any program that can slice up sound files is vital for hip hop/rap production. Mainly because of the main role that samples play in the genre. Even if you don’t sample this is an excellent way to slice up your favorite drum tracks and build up your drum library for cheap. FL Studio comes with a built-in slicing program in its interface. I personally don’t use it I prefer to use ReCycle 2.1(shown below) it gives me more flexibility.

6. Decent Monitors/Headphones – You are definitely going to need a way to listen to your beats and mix them accurately. The best way to do that is with a good pair of headphones. Studio monitors should only be used when you have taken the acoustics (of the room) into account. A good pair of headphones are the Shure Headphones Below and if you really want monitors I recommend these M-Audio AV30 Professional Reference Speakers they are affordable and they sound clean!!

7. External Hard Drive – You don’t need one right away but it’ll save you a headache or two.You dont want to lose all them hot beats! You want to have them backed up on an external hard drive.(Trust me I had to learn the hard way!) Here’s a list of my top external hard drives:

I highly recommend all of these but the ones im currently using right now are #1 and #2. I’ve owned all of these but so far these are the best i’ve had. Check out #3 if you think you wont be needing THAT much space for now.
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Hope this helped you on the road to making beats…BUT…This is only the beginning, to start learning how to make beats it takes years of dedication. If you wanna just save years of your life, thousands of dollars, and skip all the studying and learning, then I suggest buying beats from highly experienced producers. Especially if your focus and passion is in being a writer/artist, your time should be spent becoming great at YOUR craft NOT learning all this technical beatmaking sh*t.

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