Sometimes it helps to get out of the DAW and mess around with some synths, samplers, and drum machines. Here are our ten favorite affordable pieces of gear.
How Musicians Can Beat the Isolation of Being Quarantined
If you’re stuck at home in self-isolation or a government mandated quarantine, this list of tips as to how to stay musically active will help.
How to Become a Beat Making Machine (in 7 Steps)
Making world-class beats doesn’t just mean having or developing talent. Speed, quantity, and an optimized workflow are common amongst all the greats!
Chopping and Flipping: How to Clear a Music Sample
We caught up with the “Sample Clearance Queen” herself, Deborah Mannis-Gardner, to discuss how to make beats the legal way (and avoid and issues).
Just How Important Is Melody in Hip-Hop Music?
Hip-hop is considered by many to be a “non-musical” genre due to its emphasis on spoken vocals and sampled beats, but that’s why melody is even more key…
Common Approaches to Flipping Vinyl Samples
A deep dive into the history and art of flipping and sampling vinyl records to make new hip-hop beats, for amateur producers and crate-diggers!
2 Ways of Creating Bass Lines in Hip-Hop Beats
In this post, an excerpt of one of the lessons in Soundfly’s Hip-Hop Production course, we go over two ways to use bass lines in hip-hop beats.
A Brief-ish History of the Drum Kit
Got 10 minutes to learn about the history of the drum kit as we know it today? We talk about how individual drums, players, and genres helped the kit evolve.
The Importance of Theme and Variation in Hip-Hop Beat Making
With a minimalist music style such as hip-hop, the slightest change or variation on an established musical theme can have a deep impact. Here’s how.
10 Tips for Making Your First Trap Beat
Practicing your skills as a hip-hop producer? Here’s my best advice for how to start writing trap beats to shop around with vocalists and rappers.