How to Make a Dance Song Using Old Music

Create your own dance songs with old music.

If there is an old song with amazing sounds that you want to recapture and utilize in your music, read on and you will be reinventing oldies in no time.

Things You'll Need

• Computer
• Audio dubbing cable
• Audio source
• Audio editing software
• Music composition software

Instructions

1. Begin by plugging the audio dubbing cable into the source (record player, tape player, cd player) on one end and into the computer on the other end. Typically your computer's sound card will have three ports each labeled "Line In" (or "Audio In"), "Microphone" and "Headphones." Plug the 1/8 jack into the port labeled "Line in."

2. Open your audio editing software and start its recording function. While the program is recording, begin playing the audio from the source to be sampled. When you have recorded the portion that you wish to use, trim the recording down to that portion.

3. Trim the sample into smaller samples of about two to three seconds. After you have edited the samples to your liking, save them to a file folder and name them sequentially.

4. Open your music composition tool and begin importing your samples. Create a bass line and drum loop consistent with the conventions of dance music; typically you would use the Four-on-the-Floor technique which produces two to three kick drum beats in a second.

5. Use your audio composition tool to stretch or shrink the sample so that it melds with the drum loop that your create. If your program does not offer time manipulation capabilities then use your audio editing software to tweak your samples to fit the beats per minute of your drum loop.

6. Once you have matched your drum loop and your samples, build around that combination to create your dance song.

Tips & Warnings

• The audio dubbing cable you choose must match the 1/8 connection on one side for the computer and the other end must match the connection for the source of the music.

• Beforehand cue your audio source ahead to the section of the song that you would like to sample.

• Use like instruments to blend the sample into your sound.

• Common audio editing tools to use are: Mixcraft, Goldwave and Soundforge.

• Common music composition tools to use are: Fruityloops, Cakewalk and Reason.