Hey,

So I have been playing with the 404 for about a week and I can make some basic beats and am getting the basics down. Now Id like to just ask everyone what their process is for actually making a full song. Making a 4 bar looping beat is one thing, making a Intro, Verse, Bridge and Chorus and Outro would be another.

Does anyone have any suggestions or could tell me about your process for making a complete song??

Thanks!

Kyle

It's different for everyone. You need to find a method that works for you.

Now, that's about ZERO help, isn't it?

What I do is start with either a beat or a bassline and keep adding sounds until I get a nice 8-bar groove. I try to get everything balanced with as much sound playing as possible (ie the 'chorus' [or 'drop' in dance music terms]).

Then it's just a matter of stripping away and/or changing layers to create light and shade, question and answer etc...

But I make dance music, so I don't count

so now you have a 4 bar loop of a drum beat, your pattern is now on a pad, let's say it's on PAD 1

make the same pattern but this time with the sample over the drum beat, now you have a drum beat w/ sample over it, this will be PAD 2

now try this, press pattern select, you sould see PAD 1 & PAD 2 blinking

press PAD 1 & your drum beat will play

now when you want to switch up, press PAD 2 and it will switch over at the end of the 8th note of your 4 bar loop...

and so fourth...

but like what 606man said, ''it's different for everyone, you need to find what method works for you."

this is just one way of doin' it, others may differ...

but yeah you can make a complete song on the 404

anybody else on here want to shine in & help this cat?

I usually make about 4-8 different patterns that will be different parts like the different verses, hooks, bridges, intro, outro etc... For example. Pad one will be the intro. I will sequence some chopped up guitars over some real sparse drums for an intro and will probably filter the drums. This will probably be a 4 bar loop that I will let repeat once or twice. Then pad 2 has the main verse. 4 bars. I probably come heavier with the drums and add a bassline. Maybe the same guitar part but with some strings in the background or something. I will repeat this twice. Then Ill throw a switch in the verse which will more than likely be a different arrangement of the cut up guitar and strings samples and maybe also the drums and bass. 4 bars no repeats. Then Ill come back with the main verse part again...lets it play out once and then from there go into the hook. Which will be 8 bars or 4 bars repeated once. I will probably come a little heavier on the drums and add some crashes and things. Everything picks up...and ill probably add something to drive it home like some horns or something. Then repeat the verse cycle again but maybe not in the same order...then back to the hook then possibly a bridge of some sort and then another verse and then hook and then outro. Which is usually the verse ending with the drums being muted or something. Thats what I usually do.

606, blast and Frantic have poured gold in your hands. V generous of them.

Print it out and stick it over your bench before you start anything.

If that's not working, for instant hip-hop sensation try -

http://www.tweakheadz.com/hip_hop_beat_construction.htm

it will show pretty pictures of what these guys have said.

Mileage may vary. The keys to the kingdom are yours.

for me is mostly a JAm session , in after i create

you can hear your favorite music , and sing another thing on it ,
that should help to find something good

if you are a techno lover , just try to follow the beat with your drum machine on it ,,, it s funny and creative ,,,

be not afraid to record your jam seesion , you gonna have surprise ....

i'm kinda new at it, but i jam session until i get at a good point with some 1,2,4 bar type shit. i get it timed right with start/end point (and i always enter in multiples of four). then i'll do quite a few patterns until i get one i really like then kill the boring ones.

then i just pattern swap!

I just wanted to thank everyone for their input! Very helpful! I come from a background of writing on a guitar so there has been a bit of learning curve with the SP 404.

Thanks all!

Respect

Kyle