I have been making beats for about a year...the first thing I did was youtube MPC Tutorials...i felt like learning the traditional method of beat making (drum machines) would give me a good foundation to understand the basics of programming drums and chopping samples. that helped me understand some of the terminology moving into software based beat making.
Also...try to identify the type of sound you relate to to define your own sound. The best way to do that is to list 3-5 of your favorite producers and search (on youtube) videos of them in the studio to see their workflow...for me it was the Alchemist, RZA and DJ Muggs...Alchemist has a lot of videos.
Once you have a basic understanding...I would recommend making a bunch of basic, wack beats just to familiarize yourself with the workflow. they don't have to be good at all...just make them short. do an intro a verse and a chorus...then jump to the next one. This will help you learn what works and what doesnt and also help you identify your own unique style.
As far as software...Fruity Loops seems to be the most popular and easy to learn the basics. there are thousands of tutorials on youtube.
to me the basic terms you want to familiarize yourself with first are probably: Chopping, Sampling, Sequencing, and Drum Patterns. personally that's what helped me...but I'm still learning myself. Some of the Coli Vets will have better advice but that's what helped me learn.
QUESTION: Do you have an ipad/phone/pod?
thnx breh
