How to Make Chill Afrobeats: The Complete Masterclass

This video breaks down how to make a chill Afrobeats beat in Ableton Live, covering chord progressions, sound selection, drum patterns, percussion layering, bassline creation, and song arrangement. The tutorial follows the complete beatmaking process, from choosing a tempo and establishing a musical direction to building a full instrumental with a distinctive Afrobeats groove. Using a 98 BPM mid-tempo Afrochill approach, Beatsbyhcien explains how chord progressions, soft melodic sounds, complementary percussion, and bouncy basslines work together to create a cohesive beat. The video also demonstrates practical techniques for programming bass around the kick pattern, creating call-and-response melodies, and arranging an instrumental so that each section develops naturally. The final part explores how to structure an intro, verse, pre-chorus, and chorus while introducing variations that keep the arrangement interesting for artists. CHAPTERS 00:00 Intro: Build a Chill Afrobeats Beat 00:25 Choose the Right Afrobeats Tempo 01:06 Start With Chords or Drums? 01:42 The 6-3-4 Chord Progression 03:12 Choose Soft Sounds and Layer Them 04:42 Create Melodic Call and Response 05:34 Build Drums With the Right Bounce 06:47 Add Percussion for More Groove 07:40 Make Every Drum Sound Complement 10:01 Turn Percussion Loops Into Your Own 11:16 Create Bouncy Afrobeats Basslines 12:16 The Simple Trick to Playing Bass 14:22 Add Bass Bounce With Octave Changes 18:10 Arrange Your Beat for Maximum Impact 18:30 Why Your Intro Matters So Much 19:37 Structure Your Beat Around the Chorus 20:48 Add New Sounds Every Four Bars 21:58 Build a Catchy Chorus With Layers 22:45 Make Your Second Verse Different 23:31 Give Your Verse and Chorus Different Bass 24:24 My Complete Afrobeats Beatmaking Process