All too often, I take notice of beginner musicians giving up on their dreams of being able to make beats and songs, simply because their creations don't sound like those that are heard on the radio, maybe they're having a hard time learning a particular technique or aspect involved within music production, or they simply cannot afford the necessary gear.

All of these are not reasons enough to give on your dreams of becoming a successful music producer, becuse hey, Timbaland didn't becom Timbaland over night, and neither did Kanye West, and neither did Phil Collins even; so therefore you will not reach greatness overnight either.

But in time grasshopper, you will be able to realize your dreams and reach those goals. You will be able to touch the sky. Word to Kanye.

Learning to make beats and songs consists of a few key points:

Learning Music Theory

Learning How to Sample and Sequence

Learning How to Mix Your Music Productions

If you attack these three elements on an individual basis, meaning that you start learning one technique, stick to it, and then progress to the next, you'll be able to accomplish more quicker. I say that because your attention and focus will be dedicated to the one particular aspect of music production, and you won't have any additional distractions. Also, you will be able to stick to the script, and thus your progress will show more quickly. The champagne and women are awaiting you, so why delay any further? Get to learning those techniques, and conquer the world with your beats.

A good book on learning music theory is Mark Harrison's "All About Music Theory". It covers everything that you need to know concerning music theory, starting at the very beginning with learning your notes and progressing in a gradual manner, which in my opinion is the best way to go. Try balancing music theory and girlfriend(s) and school work and partying. Somethings gonna lack. Must be the music theory right? The good thing about Mark Harrison's is that he keeps you entertained, and it's easy to follow along. Trust me, it was my music theory savior.

Learning how to sample music properly and sequence tracks are best learned by watching Youtube videos. It's how I learned how to flip them dope samples using my MPC, and that knowledge transferred well to the software beat making world. Also, peep the videos from your favorite producers; they all have videos uploaded to Youtube showing how they created some of your favorite tracks even. It's cool to follow along and try to re-create those tracks, that's how you're gonna get good at making those beats.

I learned how to mix audio using two things:

My Ears (of course)

And Mike Senior's "Mixing Secrets For The Small Studio".

That book is a goldmine. you will learn how to mix audio effectively, you even learn what to buy and what not to buy to get your audio mixing setup right; for instance, I loved how he recommended that one should look into purchasing the best headphones you could afford vs. trying to setup a room with acoustic treatments and investing in a ridiculously expensive monitoring system. Tips like these will set you apart from the amateur home producer, and set you well on your way to producing pro level tracks. Use those ears, and apply what you learn through the book.

Don't give up on your dreams of learning how to make beats and songs, it's gonna take a little time, but baby, oh baby, when you get there, it'll be the sweetest thing you will have ever known. Praise Lauryn Hill for that song! Chuuch! Tabernacle! Preach! And I'm out. Better Beats Ahead.