diggin advice for a beginner

alright so i got a little stack of records sittin in my room courtesy of the local goodwill thrift and the free section of craigslist. there arent any record stores in my area (westchester, ny) but i am about 40 minutes from nyc and i'm in brooklyn like every other weekend so sh!t is definately available to me when im good on cash.
im sayin...
it would be dope if the vinyl heads on this forum cared to throw some advice on the basics of diggin my way. im not askin for you to put me on to your secret ingredient or anything like that, just some basic shit like if there are any details i should take note of ex: labels, years, musicians etc.

if i'm about to get flammed for this post i already know i should keep it up to personal preference im just sayin advice is always good

Take the records you DO like and ask the record shop owner if he knows any other artists that got that type of vibe. Even if there's a vocal on it, ask him if he got music like that but as instrumentals. Thats what I did when first started diggin'. I would put songs that I liked that were sample worthy, on tape and then let the shopkeeper hear them. Most cases, don't tell the owner that you're gonna sample them, some of them hate Hip Hop and they'll probably won't help at all. Just bring the appreciation side to the table and they'll surely lead you to the illest stuff.

Ill-Green wrote:Take the records you DO like and ask the record shop owner if he knows any other artists that got that type of vibe. Even if there's a vocal on it, ask him if he got music like that but as instrumentals. Thats what I did when first started diggin'. I would put songs that I liked that were sample worthy, on tape and then let the shopkeeper hear them. Most cases, don't tell the owner that you're gonna sample them, some of them hate Hip Hop and they'll probably won't help at all. Just bring the appreciation side to the table and they'll surely lead you to the illest stuff.

+1

Search for hip-hop tracks and artists that you like on The Breaks (http://www.the-breaks.com/) -- and hunt down the originals (either on vinyl or YouTube) to see how they used the samples.

Don't limit yourself to vinyl at first -- do as much listening and research before your trips -- and go out with an open mind -- some of the best samples come from the least likely of places.

As for artists, you can always start with James Brown, I suppose a few artists have sampled him from time to time...

read everything on the records you like -- what instruments are used, who mastered it, what studio it was recorded at, who played on it, where it was recorded, who did the art work, the date, label etc.

then start looking out for those elements. in no time, you'll start getting an idea of what to look for and what you like. but don't neglect the random -- if it's cheap, grab it. try buying bulk lots. are there any crack heads left? they'll take $20 for a big pile of records.

but most importantly, take an allergy tablet and stick your head in every crate you see and look at every record in that crate. you have to be prepared to put in long hours and be thorough. that one record you skipped is the gem that could have changed your life.

Don't skip the rock records! Arguably some of the fattest, choicest drum breaks ever, reside on 'rock' records.

Just my opinion

and dont be self consious if the shop owner gives you a funny look when you buy weird stuff

here is a short video on sample tips for beginners, what to buy, what to listen for etc. :

http://www.youtube.com/v/53cgCXf2Ug0&hl=en_US&fs=1

cool vid Risch