Music is a process where you are always learning, in the short space of time that i have been making music this is what i have learnt.
1. Listening to the levels
I listen to allot of beats - a bit , maybe allot of Netflix but after that its beats on beats from around the world and locally, I group them and rate them play them to other people and sleep to them playing in the back ground. I also like working with beats that sound timeless, well at least to me, I try working with beats that most rappers wouldn’t want to work with because of the beats erratic nature such as #COFO by yours truly. Listen to it below, the beat is no normal, but I love it.
In my experimentation I always ensure that the instrument sounds musical and has a vibe to it. I like sending works in progress to people who aren't fans of my type of music to test if it works for them musically then people in my circle should like it. In essence I enjoy experimenting but within the guidelines of good music.
2. Choosing the right chimes
It doesn’t have to be spiritual but it has to give me an energy and if spiritual then better. When the beat speaks it gives me the chance to answer the story the beat is trying tell and compliment it. When you have a connection to a beat the rest becomes easy.
Furthermore the quality of the beat obviously matters in both clarity and style, so I usually play my beats in a playlist filled with pro made tracks. There shouldn’t be an evident difference when the song switches to your beat, you can test this out with friends around and see their reactions.
3. Mulling over the Melody
So I usually hum over the beat and really feel the melody, the humming also determines the tone of my content. Am I going to be aggressive and if so, then how aggressive am I moving towards are more chilled vibe? this is the moment to figure that out.
4. Clarifying the Content
I write out keywords and the topics I wish to talk about and then I draw connections to each topic. The connections between the topics allow me to create a narrative. This is where I also try to bring in a timeless relevance to the track by using current topics that will affect us in the future as well.
5. Structure the Song
This also usually called the arrangement, this is where I decide whether to start with the verse or the hook and how many time to repeat it. Where I should leave the beat to breathe, allowing the beat maker to shine a bit more and to create swing.
6. Practice the punches
I always pre-record my song using a piece of mobile software called Audio Evolution (this is not an ad), available on android and iOS. I like using this software because it has a mobile app allowing me to use my phone microphone and simply record on separate tracks and adjust volume etc.
I keep rerecording the song until I iron out all the mistakes, export after export I play the song back over and over, during gym and runs so as to make it roll of my tongue and find the places to accentuate.
7. Final Finishes
After the song is drummed into my ears, I can now step up to a professional mic and kill it in one take. All the mistakes that I would have made in studio, which most of the time has a time limit, I have made while recording on my phone.
Please note I don’t claim to be the best ever but I am really good and I love what I do and I like to spread the knowledge.
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