Homeschool Beats Academy · Complete First Beat Kit

The Soundtrap Mini-Course

Your step-by-step guide to making your first beat.

Four lessons. No music experience required. Ages 7–18. Each lesson builds on the last, so do them in order. You'll go from opening Soundtrap for the first time to finishing a beat you can actually share.

You'll need: a computer, tablet, or Chromebook with a browser; your free Soundtrap account (setup is in your kit); headphones or speakers; and about 30–45 minutes per lesson.

There is no wrong way to make a beat. The goal isn't perfection, it's getting something finished. A finished beat that sounds "okay" beats a perfect beat that never gets done.

01

Set Up & Explore

30–40 min · "Let's figure out what this thing does."

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By the endYou'll have a free Soundtrap account, know the name of every part of the screen, and have made your first sound.

Step 1 — Log in to Soundtrap

  • Go to soundtrap.com in your browser.
  • Click Sign Up and choose Sign up free.
  • Use the account details from your kit (see the Soundtrap Account Setup card).
  • You'll land on your dashboard. This is your home base.

Step 2 — Start a new project

  • Click the big + New Project button.
  • When the next screen appears, choose Music.
  • You'll now see the Soundtrap studio, where everything happens.

Step 3 — Learn the screen

Take two minutes to just look. Here's what you're seeing:

  • The Timeline — the big grid that fills most of the screen. Your beat lives here.
  • Tracks — the rows running left to right. Each holds one sound (drums, bass, melody).
  • The Transport Bar — Play, Stop, Record, and the tempo (BPM) at the top.
  • The Loop Library — the panel on the right, thousands of free sounds.
  • The Add Track button — the + on the left, adds a new row.

Step 4 — Make your first sound

  • Open the Loop Library on the right and search "drums."
  • Click the play arrow next to any loop to preview it.
  • Find one you like and drag it onto the timeline.
  • Press the spacebar (or hit Play). You just made sound.
✓

Complete when: you can hear your drum loop playing in the timeline.

Reflection: what did the loop sound like? Fast or slow? Hard or soft? One word. Producers call this "naming your vibe."

02

Build the Foundation

35–45 min · "Every beat starts with drums and bass."

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By the endYou'll have a beat with at least three tracks — drums, bass, and one melody element — all looping together.

A beat is just layers of sound repeating at the same tempo. Think of it like a sandwich: drums are the bread, bass is the meat, everything else is the toppings.

Step 1 — Lock your tempo

Tempo is the speed of your beat, measured in BPM. In the transport bar, click the BPM number and type one:

  • 90–100 BPM: slow, heavy, hip-hop / trap feel
  • 120–130 BPM: medium, energetic
  • 140–160 BPM: fast, dancehall / afrobeats feel
  • Not sure? Start at 95. You can change it anytime.

Step 2 — Build your drum track

  • Drag the right edge of your Lesson 1 loop to extend it to 8 or 16 bars.
  • Optional: add a second drum loop on a new track. Producers often layer two.

Step 3 — Add a bass line

  • Search "bass" in the Loop Library.
  • Find something low and heavy, like a heartbeat.
  • Drag it to a new track and extend it to match your drums.
  • Press play. Drums and bass should sound like they belong together.

Step 4 — Add a melody element

  • Search "piano," "keys," or "synth."
  • Find something that fits alongside your drums and bass.
  • Drag it to a new track, extend it, and play all three together.

Tip: if something sounds "off," the loops may be in different keys. Try another from the same search, most Soundtrap loops are labeled (like "C major" or "A minor").

✓

Complete when: drums, bass, and melody play together and it sounds intentional, like you meant it to sound that way.

Reflection: what genre does it sound like right now? It doesn't have to be one thing.

03

Add Your Personality

40–50 min · "Where your beat stops sounding like everyone else's."

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By the endYou'll add at least one unique element, balance your tracks with volume mixing, and have a beat that sounds like yours.

Step 1 — Add one surprise element

Search the Loop Library for something unexpected:

  • A horn or brass line ("trumpet," "trombone," "horn section")
  • A vocal chop or sample ("vocal," "oohs," "chant")
  • An acoustic instrument ("guitar," "violin," "kalimba")
  • A sound effect ("vinyl crackle," "crowd," "rain")

Pick ONE. Add it to a new track. Even 4 bars of a cool sound can change everything.

Step 2 — Mix your volumes

Real producers turn some tracks up and some down so the important sounds sit front and center. Use the volume slider on the left of each track:

  • Drums up slightly, they should be the loudest.
  • Bass down a little, it supports the drums, doesn't fight them.
  • Melody and extras lower, sitting in the background.

The goal: drums hit hard, bass is felt, melody floats on top.

Step 3 — Arrange your beat

Arrangement means deciding what plays when. Even a simple one feels professional:

Bars 1–4 (Intro)Just drums and bass. Let the listener settle in.
Bars 5–12 (Main)All tracks together. The core of your beat.
Bars 13–16 (Drop)Take one element out. The space makes it feel bigger.
Bars 17–24 (Build-back)Bring it all back. Add your surprise element here.

In Soundtrap: split loops by right-clicking, move them by dragging, mute a track with the small speaker icon.

✓

Complete when: your beat has a unique element, balanced volumes, and runs at least 16 bars with some variation.

Reflection: what was the one sound you added that surprised you? Why that one?

04

Finish & Share

30–40 min · "A finished beat beats a perfect one that never gets done."

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By the endYou'll have a fully finished beat with a title, exported as an audio file, ready to share.

Most people who start a beat never finish it. You're about to be different. This lesson is the final details that turn a beat in progress into a finished track.

Step 1 — Give your beat a title

Click the project name at the top (it probably says "Untitled Project") and type a real name.

  • Name it after a feeling: "Heavy Morning," "Friday Energy," "The Wait."
  • Name it after the sound that inspired it: "Brass Season," "Kalimba Loop No. 1."
  • Just pick something. You can rename it later, but name it now.

Step 2 — Final listen

Play it from the very beginning, all the way through, without fixing anything. Listen like a fan hearing it for the first time. Ask:

  • Does the intro feel right?
  • Is there a moment where something interesting happens?
  • Does it end too suddenly, or feel complete?

Make one or two small fixes if needed, but only one or two. This isn't the time to rebuild.

Step 3 — Export your beat

  • Go to File (or the menu icon in the top corner).
  • Choose Export or Download.
  • Select MP3 (or WAV if your plan has it).
  • Save it to your computer with the same name as your project.

You now have an audio file. An actual song. That you made.

Step 4 — Save your project

Soundtrap auto-saves, but click File > Save to be sure. Your project lives in your dashboard so you can build on it later.

Step 5 — Submit for your Feedback Pass

Your kit includes one personal review from your HBA instructor:

  • Click Share in Soundtrap and copy the project link (or attach your exported MP3).
  • Submit using the Beat Feedback Pass card in your kit.
  • You'll get specific feedback within 5 business days.
✓

Complete when: your beat has a title, you've exported the audio, and you've submitted your Feedback Pass.

Congratulations. You did what most people only talk about, you built something from nothing using your ears and your instincts. That's production. This is your first. It won't be your last.