Launch your digital recording software. If you do not already own a program like Pro Tools, Cubase, Reason, GarageBand or Mixcraft, purchase one from an electronics store or music supply store, or simply download one from the Internet. You can even choose a free recording program to get the job done (see Resources). Just make sure that the software includes “multi-tracking” among its specifications.
When the program launches, one of two things will happen. A new or previously unfinished project will appear on your screen, or a dialogue box will appear asking you to set up a new project. If an empty project window appears, you can get right to work. If an unfinished project appears, create a new project by clicking “File” on the menu bar and then “New” on the drop-down menu. If a dialogue box appears, enter a name for your song and fill out out the remaining fields to get started.
Set your tempo, which refers to the speed of your song. Your “Tempo” box should appear on your main window, indicated by a number. A common default tempo is 120 beats per minute, so look for the number 120 on your screen if the word “Tempo” does not appear. Click inside the box and enter a new number to reflect the desired speed of your beat. For slow jams, try using a tempo between 80 and 105 beats per minute.
Connect any available musical equipment to your computer. MIDI keyboards make excellent components for computer-based music because they are inexpensive and allow you to control digital software instruments included with your music program, giving you a wealth of musical possibilities. To plug in a MIDI keyboard, use a MIDI cable and a MIDI USB interface to feed the signal through your USB port. For traditional instruments like keyboards and guitars, you can connect to your computer through the Line-In port (you will need a 1/4” to 1/8” instrument cable). If you have no instruments, check your “Tools” or “Effects” panel and see if your software includes a musical typing feature, which allows you to use your computer keyboard as a digital music keyboard. You can also download plug-ins that perform this operation.
Press “Record.” On most digital music software, the “Record” button looks just like the “Record” button on a television remote or tape player, indicated by a small red circle. When you press it, the metronome will begin to tick, like the sound of a clock, at the tempo you selected. Use the metronome as your guide when recording your beat.
Play slowly. It may sound self-explanatory, but you can ruin the feeling of a slow jam by playing too many notes between each beat. For example, if you set your tempo at 90 beats per minute, but you play a sequence of four notes or chords between each tick of the metronome, your song will actually end up sounding like 180 beats per minute. Try to stay between one and two notes for each beat.
Layer music loops to create a custom slow beat. If you have absolutely no musical equipment, and your software does not include a musical typing feature, you can still make your own beats using pre-recorded samples that others have created and distributed royalty-free on the Internet (see Resources). Select a variety of slow bass lines, keyboard sequences or any other instrumentation you see fit, download the files and place them into your project by stacking them on top of one another along the main track browser. Choose samples with the correct tempo by reading the specifications on each download page.