Help making music...

My GF surprised me yesterday with a fantastic early xmas present...

She got me an M-Audio USB/Midi 49-Key Keyboard

I've got a Macbook with Garageband (latest version) and the Keyboard comes with Ableton Live Lite 5.

I want to try my hand at making hip hop and drum & bass beats/basslines... I haven't got a clue where to start though.

Anyone got any pointers or links to tutorials or anything?

Do I need more software?

Help Please

Thanks!!

I got an m-audio 61key keyboard today. I have a macbook as well. I installed and fiddled a bit with live and I really prefer garageband. It is much simpler and more intuitive to use. Just add a new software instrument and start recording with your keyboard. You can change your instrument before or after you record. Just mess around with the garageband interface and you're bound to figure something cool out.

Have fun!

Hey - I got the same M-Audio 49e keystation for Christmas! If you want to use Live Lite, you can upgrade to the newest version for free... but I've had fun just using Garageband since it is so easy. You can use the drum loops and alter them to your liking or, like Arichards said, just choose your instrument (double click on the keyboard symbol in the first track to open up your instrument options) and record something from scratch! There are a lot of instruments/sounds to choose from. Have fun!

The Ableton software itself may have a tutorial, I have used Live on occasion and when I first opened the program it prompted me to run through a tutorial right in the program. Check the files that got installed with Live, and see if there is a tutorial included; or, check to see if Live has a help menu that could direct you to the tutorial.

GarageBand Tutorials.

GarageBand Tutorial: Built-in Audio Unit Effects.

GarageBand Manuals.

Etc., all found in Google ---> GarageBand tutorial.

Thanks everyone

I'll post a link to my first tune when I'm happy with it

MrJoshua said:

Thanks everyone

I'll post a link to my first tune when I'm happy with it

Click to expand...

There are a couple of great site out there to give you some info, a place to post your music, etc. Personally, www.macjams.com is my favourite. I've been a member there since I picked up my iMac and started using GarageBand a couple of months ago and I've found everyone there to be VERY helpful.

Good luck!

Try learning some music theory too, though. I know it sounds a bit out of the way, but you can tell someone apart from another person by their garageband tracks, whether they know anything about music basically.

I'd learn about scales and how you can put them to use for different moods, and how it's applied on a piano or keyboard.
Or you could just drag around Garageband loops and see what happens.

Ok, no flaming please, it's my first attempt, and I know it's a bit repetative but:

http://www.tigerstyle.co.uk/music/Lost-in-the-Darkness--MrJoshua.mp3

It's Jungle/Drum & Bass, so if you hate that style of music, don't download it

I've got bandwidth to think about

I love your tune, MrJoshua! I would say you got the hang of GarageBand very quickly. *Thumbsup*

The drumbeat does nothing for it, however i really like the background tune, very atmospheric.