To make a catchy Trap beat, here are some steps you can follow (no matter what DAW do you use):

Start with a solid drum beat: Trap music is characterized by its heavy use of drums, so begin by creating a drum pattern that will serve as the foundation of your beat. Use a drum machine or a software instrument to create a trap-style kick, snare, and hi-hat pattern.
Add melodic elements: Once you have your drum pattern, add melodic elements to your beat. Trap music often features dark, atmospheric melodies, so try using synthesizers or samples to create haunting chords or melodies.
Use 808 bass: 808 bass is a hallmark of trap music, so be sure to use it in your beat. Experiment with different 808 patterns to find one that complements your drum and melody parts.
Add effects: Trap music often makes use of various effects such as reverb, delay, and distortion. Use these effects to enhance your sound and add depth to your beat.
Keep it simple: One of the key features of trap music is its simplicity. Avoid cluttering your beat with too many elements, and instead, focus on creating a few key parts that work well together.
Experiment with tempo: Trap music typically has a slow to the mid-tempo range, so try experimenting with different tempos to find the right groove for your beat.
Pay attention to the arrangement: Finally, pay attention to the arrangement of your beat. Build up to the chorus or drop by gradually adding and removing elements, and keep the listener engaged by changing things up throughout the track.

By following these steps, you can create a catchy Trap beat that will get people moving. Remember, the key is to experiment and have fun with your music.

Setting Up Your Basic Beat Sequencer Settings In FL Studio

The first thing to do before you begin making a Trap beat in FL Studio is to set up the basic beat sequencer settings in the FL Studio beat sequencer window. And for this Trap beat, I chose to set the bar length to 16 beats/bar and set the tempo to 140 BPM. However, of course, the tempo can be changed at any time during the beat-making process to your suit the style of beat you are making.

Also in terms of swing, you generally do not want to set it to more than 15%, which is what I set the swing to on this track to make the beat sound less robotic. For this beat, I left the ‘swing’ at 0.

Making a Proper Beat Intro in FL Studio

In terms of the drums for the intro of this Trap beat, I chose to just use some Trap one-shot samples from the Burn To Trap sample pack by Double Bang Music. 808 samples are a fundamental element of Trap beats. The 808 bass is a staple of the genre and is used in almost every Trap beat. The 808 sample is a low-frequency drum sound that can be used to create a deep, powerful bassline that underpins the entire beat.

In addition to the bassline, the 808 samples can also be used to create other drum parts, such as kicks, snares, and hi-hats, which are commonly used in Trap music. These drum parts can be manipulated and processed to create a unique sound for each beat.

In summary, almost all Trap beats use 808 samples, either for the bassline, drum parts, or both. By experimenting with different 808 patterns, effects, and processing techniques, you can create a wide variety of unique and catchy Trap beats.

Making the String Line

The next step was to make a string line, and for that, I used the Morphine synth with the PAD Analog String FG preset.

How To Make Catchy and Unique Trap Hi-Hat Patterns

Another extremely important part of making a catchy EDM/Trap Club beat is to make a slick and interesting hi-hat sequence. And for this beat, I used one hi-hat sample and do the highs track.

In particular, I used a bunch of 1/8 notes mixed with full-length beat notes for the first hi-hat pattern, and then for the second hi-hat pattern, I just used ¼ notes for the whole 16-bar verse beat patterns. Thus giving the main verses a unique-sounding hi-hat sequence, which can be seen below.

How to Make Unique and Catchy Snare Roll Patterns

Another crucial ingredient for producing a Trap/EDM Club beat is making a catchy and unique snare roll pattern.

How to Make a Catchy Trap/EDM Club Chorus

For the chorus, I just copied and pasted the 808 drum sequence from the main verses into the 808 drum pattern piano roll and duplicated this 4 bar drum pattern in the playlist editor window.

Next, I added in a fairly simple, but catchy synth FX melody using the Massive Party Siren preset (same melody as the verses).

And then finally I added in a Hit-Boy vocal sample and some very crisp reverbed claps to give it some extra energy and thus, make it more memorable.

How to Make a Dramatic Outro in FL Studio

For the outro for this track, I layered a Motif Concert Piano with Marcato (dark) Strings and a String Ensemble to give it a very dramatic-sounding finish. And in order to achieve this, I just copied and pasted the same main verse melody into the different Soundfont sample piano rolls and then added in a few extra String Ensemble notes onto the end to give it a very dramatic sounding ending with a gradual fade-out.

In terms of the beat, all I used was the same 808 beat sequence for three bars with it going into the string ensemble section for the last bar or so.

Some Things To Keep In Mind When Mixing Your Beat in FL Studio

Finally, you will need to mix, arrange and master your beat in FL Studio or any other program that you use for these purposes. In particular, it is a good industry habit to make to properly mix your beats in FL Studio before you go and master them in another program such as Pro Tools, because it saves a lot of time going back and forth between programs and thus, money if you are selling beats or if you work at or own a music production studio.

Also, one of the main things to do when mixing your beats in FL Studio is to make sure your 808s and kicks don’t clash and are not running too high or you will definitely have to re-mix and re-record the beat again.

Another crucial step to take when mixing your beats in FL Studio prior to mastering them is to make sure that your main master volume is not set too high or you will just land up having to re-mix and re-record your beat in FL Studio again before mastering your track.

Also see: Free Trap Sample Packs

Lastly, make sure you master your beat properly, in whichever program you use for mastering, (i.e. FL Studio, Adobe Audition, Pro Tools, etc.) because audio mixing and mastering a record can make or break a record. Listen below to the final track created following the steps and techniques presented above:

If you have any questions about this tutorial please feel free to leave your comment below. So until next time, “Stay Hungry, Stay Humble, and Stay Creative”.

If you need Trap loops and sounds I recommend you to give a look at the Trap MIDI Loops Bundle.

Also read: How To Make EDM Music

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