Arts & Entertainment, Science & Tech, Music
Tim's Influences
Lesson time 07:28 min
Tim pays homage to some of the great producers who came before him and explains what influences helped him shape his own sound.
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Topics include: Study the Greats • Evolve Your Influences
Teaches Producing and Beatmaking
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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I don't think people influenced me. I think people had me interested-- in them, and like how they do that. Dr. Dre is one. Dr. Dre, the way he mix his simplicity, and when you're, he made stuff sound so action packed, so robust, so loud. And the beat was so in your face. And I'm like, mine's don't sound like that. How do you get-- So I was intrigued how he hear music. And how he's-- when you watch "Straight Outta Compton," that's what I did-- lay on the floor, listen to music. It's just all day, to kill out all the ghetto noise. And whatever the problems, it's like, listen to-- (SINGING) Ring my bell, yeah! Boo! I'd just be like, what is that boo, how'd they get that boo? Boo! So he was a person-- he took all the sonics that I-- took all those sonics from those old records and made it hip for that time. Like Ring My Bell, he did-- I'm like, yo. How you flip-- like-- wow! Teddy Riley-- the way he mixed records. It was amazing. I'm like-- [BEAT BOXING]. It'd be in your face. I'm like-- then remember the time, like-- [BEAT BOXING] And I'm like, how did that snare? Like, I can't had this conversation with a snare. I don't about that, I'm just dancing to it. You know what I'm saying? But for me, that's what I'm thinking. I've been more amazed at they craftsmanship. I only look up to God. You know what I'm saying. I look up to people's talent in their craftsmanship, how many hours they put into a mix. Dre will spend days, leave the mix up on the board. That's fascinating to me because every day he walks in the room, he's finds some different with the hi-hat. Simple as the hi-hat. Hi-hat ain't right, we gotta sit on this for a week till we find the right hi-hat. That's what you call producing. Back then, Dre, Teddy Riley, Devante Swing, they know the sonics of analog. They made that analog sound so crisp and so hidden. When you hear the one, two, three-a-to the boom -- regardless if was a sample. You play the original, it don't sound like Dr. Dre's. You know what I'm saying. So he took the time on the board. He did it himself, not a engineer. But he know all those knobs on a SSL. That was his thing. You know, as I have talks, I was more like-- how you get your hi-hats? You know, those are questions, I was more intrigued by his sonics. Me and Pharrell-- Pharrell had a sound. And I was like, how you get that thing to bounce? I always look at the people craftsmanship. How they did something. If I wasn't doing it, that's what I was trying to do. Oh, hold up-- how you do that? Those were the people that I love they craftsmanship-- Pharrel, Dr. Dre, Teddy Riley. Primo, Premier-- that's what people don't know. Rodney Jerkins had a great sounds. And then there's Nas. (SINGING) You can hate me now. It's like, oh, snap. There's another! You know, it was moments. We try to make moments. And that's why I enjoy the craftsmanship of these producers because they make moments tha...
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.
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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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