P33

This is a structured 4-week plan that takes you from novice to competent PO-33 musician. Each week has 7 days of practice (about 30–60 minutes per day).

Week 1: Orientation and rhythm

  • Day 1: Read Chapter 1. Record your first sound. Listen to J Dilla’s Donuts.
  • Day 2: Read Chapter 2. Build a one-sound, four-step beat.
  • Day 3: Read Chapter 3. Set up the BPM. Match the tempo to a song.
  • Day 4: Read Chapter 4. Record kick, snare, hi-hat. Build a basic rock beat.
  • Day 5: Modify the basic rock beat: try four-on-the-floor, boom-bap, half-time, double-time.
  • Day 6: Read Chapter 5. Record a 4-second break. Slice it. Build a beat from the slices.
  • Day 7: Listen to 5 hip-hop tracks. Identify the kick-snare-hi-hat pattern in each.

Week 2: Melody and harmony

  • Day 8: Read Chapter 7. Play “Mary Had a Little Lamb” on the PO-33.
  • Day 9: Read Chapter 8. Build a C major scale and a C minor scale. Listen to the difference.
  • Day 10: Write a melody using only the notes of C major.
  • Day 11: Read Chapter 9. Write a C-G bassline. Pair it with a drum beat.
  • Day 12: Read Chapter 10. Write an I-vi-IV-V chord progression.
  • Day 13: Combine bass + chord + drums. Manage the 4-voice polyphony.
  • Day 14: Listen to 5 pop songs. Identify the chord progression in each (most will be I-V-vi-IV).

Week 3: Genre

  • Day 15: Read Chapter 11. Build a boom-bap beat.
  • Day 16: Read Chapter 12. Build a house beat.
  • Day 17: Read Chapter 13. Build a techno beat.
  • Day 18: Read Chapter 14. Build a lo-fi beat.
  • Day 19: Modify one of your beats. Add parameter locks. Make it feel “alive”.
  • Day 20: Compare your four beats. Which one do you like best? Why?
  • Day 21: Listen to 4 songs, one in each genre. Match the BPM on your BO-33.

Week 4: Full tracks and performance

  • Day 22: Read Chapter 15. Write 4 patterns (intro, verse, chorus, bridge).
  • Day 23: Chain the patterns. Perform a 1-minute song.
  • Day 24: Read Chapter 16. Add parameter locks to your song.
  • Day 25: Read Chapter 17. Perform a 4-minute live set. Record it.
  • Day 26: Mix the recording in a DAW. Apply EQ, compression, reverb.
  • Day 27: Upload the recording to SoundCloud or Bandcamp.
  • Day 28: Share the recording with a friend. Listen to their feedback. Make another one.

Beyond week 4

  • Build a 16-pattern song.
  • Sample other artists (with permission).
  • Perform live in front of an audience.
  • Buy a real PO-33 K.O! (they are excellent).
  • Read the Allen and Hewitt theory books in full.
  • Make a track on every BPM, every swing setting.