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I used to make terrible beats.

Every time I sat down and opened up FL Studio, I’d make a monstrosity that was barely listenable.

It’d almost always have FL Keys and Lex Luger drums that didn’t match each other.

The 808 wouldn’t be tuned, let alone move from one note.

They used to take forever to make. I’d spend hours on each element of the beat and at the end of day, even though I was proud of my ugly ass beat, it was still an ugly ass beat.

I started learning a little bit of music theory and it helped a little bit.

I started using scales and chords and learning about chord progressions.

My 808s were finally in tune and they followed along with the chord progression.

Yay, right?

Uh, no.

They were still awful.

I’d watch Lex Luger, Southside, and every bedroom producer with a screen recorder for hours a day on YouTube. Hopefully I’d adsorb some sauce from these guys.

I’d usually watch these videos during class. Making beats was more important than learning Spanish to me.

(This should go without saying, but to any youngins out there, please pay attention in class.)

I started noticing a trend among trap producers big and small. It seems like every other video I watched followed this trend.

Extreme time constraints.

The idea was that the producer would make a beat in a short amount of time. Usually 5 or 10 minutes. A quick YouTube search of “5 minute beat” will help you get a good idea.

At first, I brushed it off, saying “Of course they can make a beat in 5 minutes, they’re really good at making beats.”

However, after a few weeks of these videos constantly being in front of me, I decided to turn on a timer and give it a go.

I started a timer for 5 minutes, and felt a rush of energy.

Parkinson’s Law in effect, baby boy.

I didn’t dig forever to find the “perfect” drums, I just picked ones I knew liked and would be good enough.

All my terrible beats before had FL Keys, so sure, why not keep the tradition going?

It felt I did no thinking whatsoever. Every decision I made felt like it was predetermined.

I’ve never been “in the zone” before. This must be how it feels.

At the end, even though the 5 minutes flew by like nothing, I had a finished loop.

A finished loop that sounded better than any beat I’ve ever made before.

This created a monster.

Immediately I started the timer again and made another.

And another.

And another.

My beats, although they weren’t anywhere near industry level, were finally listenable.

They started getting better day by day.

I still watched a lot of videos. Tutorials, cook ups, motivation. All of them.

I’d fall off of my habit, use these new things I’d learn, and then remind myself to turn on that timer and crank out some beats.

Every time I make beats with a timer, I break through a plateau.

If I wanted to make a lot of loops, 5 minutes was my go to.

I’d set the timer for 10 minutes if I wanted to arrange and do a rough mix as well.

I have a few ideas of why this works.

On one hand, you don’t think too hard. You almost instinctively do what you know works. The lack of experimentation may turn people away but that comes with my other theory.

When you do experiment using this method of working quickly, you get immediate feedback on whether it not it works.

This then gets filed in your mental bank of things that work.

Next time you make a beat, you now have something new up your sleeve.

In conclusion, I’d recommend this method to anyone who wants to make beats.

Scratch that, anyone making any type of art.

Turn on a timer, set it for a time that you believe is way too short and surprise yourself on how well the result is.

P.S.

I want to start writing more often, and talk more about production. If anyone has any suggestions for future posts, please let me know. I’d love to help people out.

P.P.S.

Also, if you want to hear more from me, sign up for my mailing list. It’ll come with a free MIDI pack of chord progressions that you can use, deconstruct and rearrange. I’ll also let you know when I make a new post, and hook you up with more freebies down the line. :)

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