Playing an MPC

Where and how does everyone place their fingers on 4X4 grid when playing the MP's? Single fingers on each pad? 2 fingers on each?

I'm trying to figure out the most productive playing style.

thanks...

Lay out your drums into the most comfortable system for you. For example play a pattern on your desk or some books and decided which hand you are comfortable playing kicks, snares, hi-hats and so on. On your thigh for that matter til you got your sense of rhythm. Now lay out your drums using the pad assign to the same way you play. If you want different eqed and effected drums lay out one above other. It is just like djing, writing, and anything else adjust for a simple layout that fits you!!!!

I have tried quite a variety of styles, both one hand and two, two fingers together and singles. How do you play Haze?

Its just hard to figure out which is best practice in the longterm.

If I were you, I would get a doumbek or bongo or other "finger" drum and take lessons for a month. Learn how to make a groove with your fingers at the lessons, and then apply your new skills on the mpc.

djredhead wrote:If I were you, I would get a doumbek or bongo or other "finger" drum and take lessons for a month. Learn how to make a groove with your fingers at the lessons, and then apply your new skills on the mpc.

Co-sign... I'ma be taking percussion classes soon... I know my game is gonna step up as far drums go cause I won't need to quantize anymore... I'm psyched...

yeh but you cant slap your fingers on the pads like a drum, you gotta use the point of your finger yeah????? well I guess you dont gots to do anything... Anyone seen cut chemist play his 2k like a bongo??? that shts cool....
Pez.

kiwi wrote:I have tried quite a variety of styles, both one hand and two, two fingers together and singles. How do you play Haze?

Its just hard to figure out which is best practice in the longterm.

The old school ghetto way of learning rhythm where I`m from is listening to your favorite song and beating on the kitchen table, the hood of your friend`s car, or getting that old plastic bucket and beating the shit out of it. Anytime you got free time beat out with your hands and tips of your fingers that tune on the radio, in your head or whatever is playing on MTV!!!! Shit I`m tapping out a beat on these keys as I write to you and you can too. As far as the pads a simple suggestion is to put the kick on A4, hats on A6, and snare on A1 so it is a arms length apart and play. If your timing is off, play the kick or hats in first for two or four bars, and next play the snare on the notes of 2, 4, 6, and 8 notes. Once you can play set the T/C at different values so that you can enter more notes between the quarter notes. Have a go it with take time to get your rhythm and timing right. It is like riding a bike you will fall many times, but one day you will be like wow I got it and you will never forget it becomes a part of you. Now one other thing read, study, learn, and master step edit/seq edit and it wont matter how bad you are now you can correct your notes in the sequence. It is a machine which does what you tell it to do that`s the beauty a sequencer.

Thanks for the replies everybody. I'll take it all on board.

Peace from New Zealand

Dane

Last thing one day after you got the bass, keys, and vocal lined up with T/c and whatnot. Turn off the T/C for your drums and play as you like without the training wheels keeping the kick in time with the bass and snare as lazy and shifty as you want. Maybe keep the hihats quantize for that southern sped up style but anythings goes. Once you understand it you have learned it. PS. move your body with the beat so you got some groove with while you are making it up.

Anymore tips floating around out there for MP playing styles?

Get off the computer and practice til you got it.