How to use Music Making Software to Create Dance Music

Making beats has never been easier; with a Digital Audio Workstations (DAW), anyone can learn how to use music making software to create dance music. It only requires a few things.

Desktop Computer or Laptop - Music files take up quite a bit of space therefore a hard drive with a minimum of 120 Gigabytes is recommended. For smooth operation, the system should have at least 1 Gig of RAM. A quality sound card is going to give you better playback and sound. A CD burner is necessary if you want to save music on disk. To add personalised vocals to tracks you need a microphone, a cheap one will do to start with. Finally, you must have speakers or a set of headphones to hear sounds.

Music Software or DAW - There are plenty of music making programs to choose from, and most come with help files and tutorials right in the software. Decide what software you will use and either install it from a CD or download it and follow the instructions for installation. Many software companies offer demos of their programs that are functional, some may have limitations, but most allow users the opportunity to try the program.

After installing music software, you will need to set up the sound card and mic to work with the program. This is usually very simple and the software normally guides users through the process.

You are now ready to learn how to use music making software to create dance music. Open the program, choose the instruments and sounds that will be used in the song, set the tempo (bpm), and begin adding tracks.

Drum Tracks - The basic set up for drums in dance music consist of a kick drum, snares, hi-hats and claps or snaps. Software that has a step sequencer makes adding notes easy, but learning to use the piano roll if available is more precise. Put the drum parts on separate tracks so effects and EQ settings will be independent.

Bass & Guitar - Most music has bass, on a new track create a bass line or riff. The guitar should be on its own track, guitars are used to create melodies from scales.

This is a foundation; build the dance music into a song by adding keys, strings, and other sounds. A common beat arrangement has an intro, verse, chorus (hook), bridge, and an out-ro. When using music making software to create dance music you can try different tempos, instruments, sounds and arrangements.