Arts & Entertainment, Music, Science & Tech
Making a Beat: Adding a Topline
Lesson time 22:12 min
With help from New City vocalist Adrian Mitchell, Tim shows you the most important step in making a chart-topping hit— creating the vocal melody or “topline”— and shares his philosophy on lyrics.
Students give MasterClass an average rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars
Topics include: Record However You Can
Preview
Okay, so now, I have Adrian, a songwriter, the group of New City, one of my new acts. I got him here. I did a track, yes, well a day ago. And I want to play it for him and show you how we process music, how we go to the next level with something that we already started. So Adrian, what's up, my G? - What's up? - So I'm going to play you what the crew, what we all did. - For sure. - And let this vibe do it. - Yeah, let's let the speakers speak, man. - See, we don't really talk about it. We just let the speakers speak. So with that being said, Chris. [MUSIC PLAYING] [DISTORTED VOICE] Oo. Yeah. And as you see, the speaker was talking to it, as it's talking to you. Break it down now. When you get in the room with the artist, it's all about just conversation, just-- you know, just talking. And you're doing music. There's no thought process. It's all about having fun. And the music come out. Then when you first-- get the first-- oo, didn't . You know what we should do? And everybody is throwing the ideas. You know, once the track is-- like, everybody is just throwing, bouncing out. It's the energy, you know, having a drink, laughing, going in the booth. It's all about making this part fun. Because after this is work. Just be who you are. You're a musical genius. Your gift, your gift to sound, you're presenting sounds to hear his lovely voice, or her voice, serenade across your lovely instruments and your well-thought-out, put-together track. You ready? - I'm ready. Yeah, let's do it. - Come on. Basically, now, he's going to go in. But I know you heard the track before. It had a lot of instruments. But we emptied out some of the instruments to create space. Right, guys? - Yeah. - So now that we emptied out some of the instruments, so Adrian can go in there and layer-- or do what he do, do what he do best, see what-- see what the speakers tell him what to do. That being said, Adrian, you ready? - Yeah, all good. - Let's go. [MUSIC PLAYING] - (SINGING) Trying to talk about it. Maybe fight about it. All them games, I don't want to fight about it. Risk my life with dodging. I put my life on doubt for everything. I can't bring me to you. Tell me when I gotta go. Tell me you want to take it there. Tell me if I'm on a roll 'cause I can be the one . You gotta let me know it. I'm taking you . I'm picking up the focus. Hey, yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm talking about your mornings. Can't get you out of focus. Baby, I know, yeah. Working around for the half of my life, thinking of where I-- no, no, no. The shot is-- - [HUMS MELODY] - (SINGING) I wanna know if you've been talking about us, no, yeah. You've been looking for me, trying to make . Yeah. Yeah. - That's a dope real part. - (SINGING) Working up my focus, trying to make the . Yeah, yeah. TIMBALAND: Pause it. - (SINGING) Yeah, yeah. ...
About the Instructor
Grammy-winning music producer Timbaland takes you behind the boards to teach you his process for creating iconic tracks with artists like Jay-Z, Missy Elliott, Justin Timberlake, Beyoncé, and Aaliyah. In his first-ever online class, learn how to collaborate with vocalists, layer new tracks, and create hooks that stick. Step into Timbaland’s studio and learn from one of the industry’s most innovative hit makers.
Featured MasterClass Instructor
Timbaland
Step inside the production studio with Timbaland. In his first-ever online class, Tim teaches his process for creating infectious beats and making sonic magic.
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