Hey!
It's me again with another blog post — today we're going to talk about how to choose the right beat.
Yes, I know it's very subjective, but there are a few ground rules for what you need to check before you settle on the right beat for you.
But first, one quick piece of advice: you have to make it a daily habit to listen to new music.
Listen to music outside your particular style — that way you can explore sounds you haven't heard yet and figure out what you actually like. In the end, you'll find your own sound.
So go look for beats every day, and get in the habit of listening through a variety of beats or instrumentals (they don't have to be in your style).
1. Vibe — The beat has to fit the vibe you're going for. It's the vibe that your lyrics need to fit into — it even sets the tone for how you're going to sing on the beat and the flow you'll use. Is the beat dark? Sad? Is it a club banger meant to get heads bobbing and have fun?
2. BPM — In the beginning, listen across a variety of BPMs to figure out what tempo fits your style and your ability to stay on beat, whether you're rapping or singing.
Once you've got a sense of the BPM you like and that works for you, search using both the vibe and the BPM together.
3. Instrumentation — Your voice is one of the instruments in the song, so it's usually better to choose beats that aren't too busy, so there's room for your own instrument — your voice, your flow. Later, during production, if you feel something's missing, you can always add it in after you've recorded your vocals.
4. Structure — Choose beats with a structure you understand. It'll help you stay locked into the flow of the beat.
If you understand the structure, it's easier to build the song around it.
Make sure the beat's structure matches the structure you had in mind while writing your lyrics.
5. Fun — This is the most important point. When you're choosing a beat, if your head starts moving, or you catch yourself listening to the same loop over and over, that means this beat is for you — and you'll enjoy working on it through the whole recording session. That matters, because sometimes you'll need to listen to the same beat again and again until you nail the right take, so it's important to pick a beat you genuinely enjoy hearing on repeat.
Also pay attention to the people around you while you listen (if you're listening with others). If they're nodding along, laughing, feeling the vibe, or moving their bodies, that's a good sign other people will enjoy the song too.
So that's it for this post — these are the points I've found most important when choosing a beat.
Hope this post finds you well and helps you out.
Have a blessed and positive day,
Shaynee
P.S. Please share in the comments any other points that help you, or that you think are important to look for when choosing a beat.