I am an aspiring drum and bass producer, I have the basics down. However, I always seem to start with beats as a foundation, making drum racks and have managed to create some decent pieces of music. But should I always start with drums? I find that playing around with different synths/bass melodies without any beat, that I find something I want to use, but then cant match a beat to do that? I would like some structure, or shall I just go with what feels/sound right? Throw as many ideas in here, I hope some answers could help others too.
I like to produce mainly Drum Bass, and I think its essential IMO to have some sort of beat going when you are making a tune. Your bass should be interacting with the beats in your track, so I think having a kick at least is worth it, the more you can have the better IMO.br
Sometimes I will start with just a sample of a break to work from, something where I like the kick and snare pattern.br
I guess its personal preference, but I hear lots of producers saying they got to have beats to start with.