give me some tips on making nice grooves
 

righto. So I use step sequencing software for my drums, most notably FL studio.
And altough I have no problems tweaking everything to make it sound "real" versus sounding like computer drums.

But since I'm no drummer, I'm having a hard time making nice groovy patterns, so I wonder if anyone can give me some global tips to make things sound nice and intresting. :beer:

Check out some songs and videos to get ideas.

Watch this

Look for online drumming lessons (building up from the basics) that use scores: you'll get an insight in how drumpatterns are built up, you can read some of the more advanced ones to try out for yourself, and you'll probably have a less difficult time of tabbing out something on score you've got playing in your mind as well.

Good luck! :)

Air drum. I know most people would tell you to start songwriting with drums, but try writing something, then losing yourself in it and air drumming. Listen to MIDI tabs (Guitar Pro for example) of artists you like and isolate the drums. One thing that makes anything groovier is syncopation, and simple polyrhythms can sound surprisingly good. Pay close attention to what tension level you're trying to achieve in each section of a song and vary the drums accordingly.

thanks for the tips :beer:

plan out the song before you start making it on FL. I usually have an opening, regular and closing pattern for each beat. Basically your opening one has... say... a cymbal at the start to initiate the opening of the pattern. For your regular pattern will just be the beat with no fills. The closing will have a roll leading out maybe.

Put the three together in your playlist in this pattern for example
Opening-Regular-Regular-Regular-Opening-Regular-Regular-Closing

That would normally equal two full runs of a 4/4 beat (if your not changing the pattern lenth) I could keep going but its hard to explain in words.

edit: oh and maybe i skipped the step on how to make a beat in the first place. A standard beat is just

S-----X----
B-X--------
H-X-X-X-X-

S-snare B-bass H-hihat