Please make a beat and come prepared to share it with the class.
I encourage people to download a (free) trial version of Ableton Live. If you prefer to use a different DAW (digital audio workstation), I’m open, but let’s discuss.
Requirements: It should be between two and 16 measures long (longer if you like). Please be prepared to share about 30 seconds of your audio in class. We’ll be curious to hear about your process, and about your observations around learning, improvising, evaluating your different attempts.
You may use a combination of samples, but I encourage working with the MIDI “piano roll” approach described in the first video below in the Resources section.
If you have time, I encourage you to experiment with different kinds of beats and audio sources. Best is to try to make several examples, and then choose your favorite to demo.
Resources
Please start here, so we have some shared knowledge. Afterwards, exploring beyond is fine.
“Making your first beat - Ableton Live for beginners (2020).” YouTube.
Get Started Making Music at Ableton Live. You do not need to do the entire course. Start with drums.
Top 10 Beats for Music Producers, a comparison of different genres and styles. fineArtsMatter.
Optional, for more advanced users
“Made in Ableton Live: Eomac on designing drums and bass from field recordings and more.” YouTube.
