Playing keys GRRRR SOMONE HELP ME!!!

OK heres the deal...
Ive always been a sample head. Making all my beats with my MPC and a turntable. But recentley i wanted to expand, and i bought a keyboard and a sound module.

But its killing me because i cant seem to come up with any hot melodys. I mean i have alot of ideas, i just can lay them down on the keyboard. And for some reason what i do lay down, always sounds robotic and lack groove...it just doesnt flow...

My question is do you have to know how to play a piano to be able to come up with loops for hip-hop beats?

Also any tips in general for laying down riffs/loops with a keyboard for hip-hop beats would help!

Keep 'em REAL simple at first. No chords or nothin', just single notes. Try only playing them on the "hi-hat" time (eight notes per 4 note bar). I have noticed that most melodies aren't that complicated(IMO), it's more how they ride the drums.

Peace1

Thanks for the advice. I get what you are saying. I was studying some instrumentals of my fav hip-hop synth beats...and did notice that the melody is pretty simple...its just the way it flows with beat that makes it sound hot i guess...cause as i mentioned my melodys always sound a little to "stiff and robotic" and are missing that on beat groove...
any other ideas anyone?
Thanks!

Learn how to play the type of music you like to sample.

Don't think about it as playing a hot hip hop melody. Learn a little jazz/rock/funk keyboard styles. That way you'll be able to use your stuff as a sample...

"And for some reason what i do lay down, always sounds robotic and lack groove...it just doesnt flow... "

You are probably having difficulties counting along with the time signature. I was told that this is the most difficult part for beginers, and it was difficult for me. At first I thought I could simply memorize a peice and just keep the tempo going naturally by just how it sounded as i was playing. This is foolish because when u encounter more difficult peices with 1/8 notes or 1/16 notes mixed with 1/4 notes and what not you have to be extremely precise and the only way i know of how to do this is by counting or "keeping time". Even with a metronome I will still keep my own time.

Here are some tips to make things more rythmic.
1) This may seem impractical but it gets your mind and hands used to counting. Look at the time signature, say 4/4 and clap the quarter note at whatever tempo you will be playing in. Make sure you are just clapping not saying aloud 1, 2 ,3 , 4. You should be keeping time "1 , 2 , 3 ,4 " in your mind however. This gets your hands and your mind accustomed to the tempo for which u will play at.
2) play your scales (the notes of the key) with both hands backwards and forwards for at least two octaves. As you go from one key to the next count in 4/4 time starting with an adagio (slowly) tempo and eventually move up to andante (walking pace)

rokuez wrote:"And for some reason what i do lay down, always sounds robotic and lack groove...it just doesnt flow... "

You are probably having difficulties counting along with the time signature. I was told that this is the most difficult part for beginers, and it was difficult for me. At first I thought I could simply memorize a peice and just keep the tempo going naturally by just how it sounded as i was playing. This is foolish because when u encounter more difficult peices with 1/8 notes or 1/16 notes mixed with 1/4 notes and what not you have to be extremely precise and the only way i know of how to do this is by counting or "keeping time". Even with a metronome I will still keep my own time.

Here are some tips to make things more rythmic.
1) This may seem impractical but it gets your mind and hands used to counting. Look at the time signature, say 4/4 and clap the quarter note at whatever tempo you will be playing in. Make sure you are just clapping not saying aloud 1, 2 ,3 , 4. You should be keeping time "1 , 2 , 3 ,4 " in your mind however. This gets your hands and your mind accustomed to the tempo for which u will play at.
2) play your scales (the notes of the key) with both hands backwards and forwards for at least two octaves. As you go from one key to the next count in 4/4 time starting with an adagio (slowly) tempo and eventually move up to andante (walking pace)

all this while holding your nuts in your right hand

"play your scales (the notes of the key) forwards and backwards"

Yeah good luck.

Another suggestion, find a simple melody you like, and try to figure it out. Once you know it by heart, you are stockpiling "melodic ammunition" that can be used later when you compose your own things.

One technical suggestion would be to use the pentatonic scale---C, Eb, F, G, and Bb. Using notes from this scale, and the same scale in other keys (eg. use A, C, D, E, G sometimes too) you will be able to play much of what you hear.

TheFirstJimBo wrote:

rokuez wrote:"And for some reason what i do lay down, always sounds robotic and lack groove...it just doesnt flow... "

You are probably having difficulties counting along with the time signature. I was told that this is the most difficult part for beginers, and it was difficult for me. At first I thought I could simply memorize a peice and just keep the tempo going naturally by just how it sounded as i was playing. This is foolish because when u encounter more difficult peices with 1/8 notes or 1/16 notes mixed with 1/4 notes and what not you have to be extremely precise and the only way i know of how to do this is by counting or "keeping time". Even with a metronome I will still keep my own time.

Here are some tips to make things more rythmic.
1) This may seem impractical but it gets your mind and hands used to counting. Look at the time signature, say 4/4 and clap the quarter note at whatever tempo you will be playing in. Make sure you are just clapping not saying aloud 1, 2 ,3 , 4. You should be keeping time "1 , 2 , 3 ,4 " in your mind however. This gets your hands and your mind accustomed to the tempo for which u will play at.
2) play your scales (the notes of the key) with both hands backwards and forwards for at least two octaves. As you go from one key to the next count in 4/4 time starting with an adagio (slowly) tempo and eventually move up to andante (walking pace)

all this while holding your nuts in your right hand

HA! that was funny.

yeah. for me its more about the quality/character of the sound, and groove. I go with the idea that each sound asks to be played a certain way. Try focusing on designing one particular sound and it will tell you how it wants to be played. If you are just dialing up presets, eventually they start to sound generic and so will your melodies if you arent that good at playing. If you come up with some crazy sound it will inspire you to play something.

you have the triton le? mess around in combi mode. Switch instruments on each layer. Mess by switchin up the arps. Mess with velocities, etc. Turn off the arps that use drums. Eventually youll find a dope sound and can use it for a track. You dont want to be messing with presets everyone else uses.

A plain piano sound will sound plain unless you are a phenominal player, you cant just hit one note and expect it to sound good. BUt a thick ass crazy synth lead with 8 differant layers will sound good with just one note played! ya know!

peace.

""play your scales (the notes of the key) forwards and backwards"

Yeah good luck."

playing your scales is not difficult you just need to be aware of when you bring your thumb under your middle finger for the right hand, and your ring finger over your thumb for the left hand.

Me my self didn't learn how to play piano but I just played notes with one finger you will progress by hitting keys, by an accident then you will notice melodys will play in your head. Just dont mess with a melody do a harmony as well play some other sounds on record over already played traxs you will get a complex track. Just like a melody I did hear www.soundclick.com/HooD353 Beat30

just keep practicing, you'll get better. i only been playing for about a year and i got way better than i was when i first started. you'll know which keys mix with which and where they are eventually...

I came across this while looking for some other stuff. You can make it out from the pic on the webpage.

Might be useful anyway.

Peace

try this:
www.pianonanny.com

Krux wrote:I came across this while looking for some other stuff. You can make it out from the pic on the webpage.

Might be useful anyway.

Peace

I actually got that poster hanging in my room. purchased the poster from guitar center when i bought my edirol pcr 50