How do you develop your ear so you can find good samples?

I've been making beats with samples for about 7 years now and its all trial and error for me. I have learned how to dig better so that i buy less garbage but for the most part there is still a big trial and error factor to digging.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=


check vids of dudes flipping beats and u'll get an idea of what samples, r being flipped into what kinda beats

its gets easier finding samples wen u think outside the box. a really good sample is one that is unique, sounds that your ear hasnt heard a thousand times already are mor apealing. Other good samples are chords or single notes that can start your pattern off smoothly. If your having no luck just take a sample.. any sample and tweak it however u like maybe filter, res, or tune.

Obviously you get better with time and sometimes it helps to not have an idea of what your looking for because then your mind opens up to other possibilities. Go into sampling with a clear n blank mind and just listen to the music and let mind catch something.

TreCipher617 wrote:If your having no luck just take a sample.. any sample and tweak it however u like maybe filter, res, or tune.

Thats what I sometimes do too. set the sampletime to 2 seconds (sometimes just 1 second) take any record and needledrop to diffent parts of the record without listening to what I sampleEnding up with something like 8 or 16 crazy samples. Can be very intersting to try to fit them together to one song

peace

Trial and error.

Sometimes a sample sounds dope you know. The atmosphere, the insturments in the sample, the way it has been recorded....But I can't do shit with the melody, except for looping it or making it a simple 4bar loop.

I picked up a book about playing keyboard. Still can't play shit, but I have a better understanding for melodies. That really improved my sample picking game. Now when I hear a sample, and it sounds kinda dope, I can now also hear a little bit if this sample is also any good melody-wise.

One of the things I started with was breaking down songs. What did the producer do with the sample? How did he flip it? What did he do it to make it work as a beat?
And like somebody else said already, those youtube vids where everybody is showing how they flip it or what kind of techniques they use

I've had my MPC for about a year and a half. I've been a fan of all genres of music (except country) for the last 30 years, I'm 33 now. Through the years I'd listen to any piece of random music and think to myself "that right there, I wanna hear that over and over". Only recently have I had the ability to actually do it. My suggestion is to listen to a lot of music, and genres you wouldn't normally listen too. I have a 160GB ipod filled to capacity with random as s music (music I wouldn't normally be listening to, or bumpin) and everytime I hear something I might wanna sample I "star" it. I now have probably a few hundred samples to run through the workflow, the hard part for me is getting the free time with work and kids.

I can also concur that a lot of times what I thought I was going to do with a sample is nowhere near what I actually end up doing with it.

I think its jus something that u develop over time. I mean as your skills get better you are able to sample stuff that when u first started you maybe passed up on, this has happened to me before. When I first started diggin for production I would actively look for samples. I think its cos its easier to make a beat using samples from the same source. Now tho I look for what I consider dope sound whether that's a loop or jus sounds. I'm less concerned with a killer sample now and happy to take multiple snippets from different records. This is cos as my skills grew I'm able to piece things together better.
Sometimes tho I hear a sample an to be honest I don't find that bit of music that attractive but I imagine how I could manipulate it. for example ive taken very short chops from disco records an stretched them.
Bottom line I guess I'm sayin its jus about understandin what YOU are capable of doin so u don't miss any potential gems. One of my favourite flips are planet asias pure coke. I thought the sample was pretty medicore then I heard pure coke. Real eye opener for me.
Also check you tube for the louis den xmas beat battle where four guys all flip paul mccartneys wonderful xmas time song. Crazy inspiration different to most videos cos your favourite beat maker allways chops dope shit but these guys made some crazy nice stuff with what I wouldn't wipe my ass with lol makes you really think.

How do you develop your ear so you can find good samples?

buy records (all genres, son)

smoke trees and listen to said records

sample at will

that is all

buddy maxwell wrote:buy records (all genres, son)

smoke trees and listen to said records

sample at will

that is all

Ill-Green wrote:Its just something that hits your ear and if it connects with the soul, then I sample it.

This sums up my way of sampling.

Thanks for the feedbcak. I've still no luck. It gets me real depressed and shit not being able to find shit. I can't stop listening and looking at the moment. It's like nothing catches my ear.

jnorth wrote:Thanks for the feedbcak. I've still no luck. It gets me real depressed and **** not being able to find ****. I can't stop listening and looking at the moment. It's like nothing catches my ear.

Smoke more trees

RdoubleL wrote:

jnorth wrote:Thanks for the feedbcak. I've still no luck. It gets me real depressed and **** not being able to find ****. I can't stop listening and looking at the moment. It's like nothing catches my ear.

Smoke more trees

Whats with the smoke trees shit. I don't smoke.

Would probably help your ear and depression but to each his own.

RdoubleL wrote:Would probably help your ear and depression but to each his own.

Depression + Weed = no good on the long run (my experience)

peace

jnorth wrote:

RdoubleL wrote:

jnorth wrote:Thanks for the feedbcak. I've still no luck. It gets me real depressed and **** not being able to find ****. I can't stop listening and looking at the moment. It's like nothing catches my ear.

Smoke more trees

Whats with the smoke trees shit. I don't smoke.

Weed enhances your hearing, you can even hear the grass grow from your neighbor's yard. You'll hear things in music that you didn't noticed when sober. And the cool thing is waking up the next morning and listening to it sober and the beat is some shit you'll never think of.