[NFX says: This is from a posted reply by A.G.C. in the forums. On his recommendation alone, I bought all 4 books he listed.]

I'm gonna get slammed here but if I had to say the biggest mistake I see new musicians make is that they try to learn it all at one time. If I HAD to put learning to make beats in order (once again, I know I'm gonna get a lot of crap for this but...)

1. Learn to program drum patterns. If you look at the patterns in the remakes sections you will notice some patterns like the Kick drum being on the first beat and the snare drum being every fifth step (second and foruth beats). Then you can experiment and try to come up with your own variations or try to fill in the steps so they match one of your favorite songs... Drum beats cannot be copywrited so stealing blatently here is completely legal. I'm only talking about drums here. I'm not talking about advanced fills here just basic beats that nod your head "lunchpail" beats.   There is a book that talks about drum programming, it's ten bucks and was really helpful to me when I started

Drum Programming: A Complete Guide to Program and Think Like a Drummer

I might start there if you get really overwhelmed.  It ain't hip hop but the basics of how to program in a step sequencer with diagrams that basically match up with FLStudio.

2. Learn to Match up your bass to your Kick drum and take out notes (at first, later you can add a couple to make it more interesting - sometimes the bass is busy sometimes the Kick drum but almost never both). There are a lot of songs with one note basslines however you can also go to websites that have chordpro versions of songs and change the notes to the roots of the chords (if you don't understand anything I'm saying here NFX has videos on each of the topics I'm covering.) Chord progressions also cannot be copywritten so the order that you change bass notes is fair game for theft (legally) too. Change notes every two, four, or eight beats... whatever sounds good to you.

3. Take the notes you used for the bass and play them out of order a little until you learn scales and stuff you can probably invent some good melodies that way... don't copy melodies from songs if you plan on selling them... that will get you in trouble it is not legal. Copying melodies (and everything else is good practice though).

4. Use the chords you got from the chordpro songs (gutiar tab etc.) and put them in the piano roll matching the rhythm of the bass, snare or high hat or follow the rythym of one of your favorite songs. Now you gotta be careful here if you follow the same rhthym with the same chords sometimes the top note of each chord makes a melody so it's best not to copy the chords and rhythm from the same tune from a legal stand point just to avoid copywrite issues.   If you had to buy only one book I've recomended it would be:

How To Write Songs On Guitar - Revised

DO NOT get the one the same guy wrote about piano, even if you only play keyboard if you don't know how chord progressions work at all and you are overwhelmed get this book and save yourself years of frustration.  HE HAS A LIST OF ALL THE COMMON CHORD PROGRESSIONS used in Rock, Hip Hop ect... in the key of C so you can mix and match them, change the keys etc...  Everything you wanted to know about chord progressions but were afriad to ask.

5. Start learning more advanced techniques starting from 1 to 4 and repeat over and over....

Now your probably gonna want a good all around vst to start with that has good presets I would recommend downloading the Kore 2, Kontakt 3, UVI Workstation, Proteus VX and Sampletank free demos cause they have pretty good sounds and that way you can get an idea of which way you want to go as far as the least expensive quality VSTs before you get into the Ministry of Rock and all that type of stuff that doesn't have a free version. That way you can see the logic of the system, check out the sounds before you commit hard earned cash and you can copy the presets in other FL synths and learn to program that way. I really like the N.I. stuff particularly Kore 2 because the preset system is so fast and easy to navigate compared to other softsynths. I'm more of a presets hound than a real synth programmer so take anything I say about synths with a grain of salt.   However if you want the basics of how to pick instruments that go together...

Principles of Orchestration

Best book on what notes should be played by what instrument and why in a simple easy to understand form (IMO).

I'm not saying that this is the only way to do it but that rhythm is easier than bass, bass is easier than melody, and although coming up with a good melody is the hardest thing (IMO) from a standpoint of the theory and harmony you need it's easier to construct (technically) than a good chord progression. I would just start basic with step 1 until you get bored and work your way through the cycle picking up what comes easy and when you get done something will be easy with drum beats cause you had a chance to let what you learned before "sink in" and then learning is always easy.

I've taught music for a long time and usually the reason some people get frustrated (usually the talented ones) is cause they can "hear" what they want it to sound like but they can't get the equipment or their fingers to do what is necessary.

In these cases you need to break it down to small bite sized pieces. Start out with a video in the tutorials that almost bores you to tears... it will contain some nugget you don't have (I still pick them up everytime I pick up a beggining guitar book I learn something). Then you will not be overwhelmed.

Sometimes you get stuck and you have to watch the same video over and over and over. Repetition is just part of learning and sometimes you know there is something there you need to learn but you haven't memorized something yet that will "unlock" the creative part of the lesson.

Sometimes you don't know what term to use to search for some knowledge, in that case just look through the forums here or http://www.theflipsideforum.com/index.php and look at questions that other people asked and that can give you a lot of ideas of what to "put in the google bar". Then you'll waste hours looking for how to program the Bass Lil' Jon uses like hacks like me.

Updated Info:

Plus honestly, I have all three books next to my nightstand. They don't leave there unless I run and get em' when I'm making a beat.  They sit right there along with the Dance Music Manual,

The Dance Music Manual: Tools, Toys and Techniques

 I forgot that one, synth programming, sorry about that. That book is "everything you wanted to know about synth programming but were afraid to ask... It is heavy though, careful, you can get lost in there. Do not try to learn everything in one pass or you'll be sitting in the corner rocking back and forth, the hip hop section is a little weak though. But effects, basic synth programming, explanations of different electronic music genres. Good ish, but only the strong survive, only the strong...  Argghh!!!

Check out the previews on Amazon, you will like.   Just look at the table of contents for the Dance Music Manual.  If I know you (musically) half as well as well as I think I do, you will pee yourself trying to get to your credit card...  There's more than synth programming in there, much more.  It's just reaaaaly complete in everything about synth programming, I wish we had used this book when I was in college, it's really to the point and just what you want.  The techno, trip-hop, ect sections are excellent. 

The first half of the book goes though all the synth theory from start to finish with detailed explanations of presets used in trance, house, ect...

About the author known as A.G.C.aka Asthmatic Grapefruit Clinton:

I'm a Electric Jazz bassist and Blues Guitarist/Singer who has been teaching Jazz, Blues, Music Theory and Improvisation techniques for over twenty years.  I cut my teeth teaching at the Homewood Jazz Workshop for ten years, teaching in underserved communities, playing with guys who played with Count Basie and John Coltrane and I got to play with Stanley Turrentine among other famous Jazz musicians.

In the tradition of Bluesmen such as Blind Lemon Jefferson, I take my name from an ailment, a fruit and a president.

Listen to his music here: http://virb.com/agc

Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/asthmaticgrapefruitclinton