Resonators can turn anything into moody chords - from whitenoise to percussion loops. So let's geek out over them, and show what happens when you use resonators, dub fx and polymeters in conjunction! ...
When creating a chord progression, I recommend a strategy called "shopping for emotions". There are many tools out there to assist those of us who are not gifted instrumentalists, one of which is the ...
This is one of those foundational, need-to-know music concepts that you cannot avoid if you want to learn to make music. Chord progressions: they are the abstract backbone behind all music, and they a...
Here's a bold assumption: maybe you don't play any musical instruments, and so when you try to make melodies in your electronic music, they often lack depth or interest? Here's a strategy worth trying...
Chord progressions offer the emotional scaffolding to our songs, so let's talk about them. More specifically, let's talk about hiding our chord progressions until the climax of our song, to maximise i...
You may remember my techno rumbles tutorial from a few months ago? Let's find out what could be the next level for this, where can we take this technique next? With the help of a sample slicer and a s...
Let's take a look at some techno tracks I made 10 years ago, and learn 4 lessons from them so you don't repeat the mistakes of my younger self 😂 (wow the noise examples really got mangled by the vide...
When you learn about chords in music theory, you'll often be talking about "triads" - chords with 3 notes. However, there is a type of chord even simpler than that, excitingly called a "power chord". ...
Use step sequencers to generate infinite groovy bassline ideas, that will get you up out of your seat dancing your heart out. Thanks to Reason & the Bassline Generator for making this video possible. ...
When we learn music theory, sometimes we learn to stick to the 7 notes of the scale. But how come so many artists use notes outside of the scale? Let's look at one reason for that today: the tools we ...
Music is easy: just find a chord progression you like and split the chords into notes! How can you split chords into notes? Arpeggiators! But proper arpeggiators, not those that just do continuous dir...
Let's create layers of depth and interest for your synths and hamonies! We use the new Spectral Resonator in Ableton Live 11 to make rhythmic layers that turn a static chord progression into a swirlin...
Let's create layers of depth and interest for your synths and hamonies! We use the new Spectral Resonator in Ableton Live 11 to make rhythmic layers that turn a static chord progression into a swirlin...
Try this at home: you take a stable synth riff, control the filter cutoff, and feed it into a series of massive delays & reverb, to set off a beautiful cascade of sound. We'll call this "painting with...
This is the techno rumble tutorial to end all techno rumble tutorials. It condenses the principles that you find in all other rumble tutorials online into 3 logical levels: the basic, the intermediate...
Have you ever wondered if music theory was relevant for techno? Well wonder no more! In this video we examine: 1. How to apply classic music theory to the genre of techno 2. What the role of dissonanc...
Have you ever wondered if music theory was relevant for techno? Well wonder no more! In this video we examine: 1. How to apply classic music theory to the genre of techno 2. What the role of dissonanc...
In this video we do a little synthesis tutorial on how to get the buzzing, zapping electrical lead sound that can also be heard in Snts - Disappearance of Fate. This sound is perfect for any bleak tec...
In this episode we finally finish the SNTS study, and go into REALLY NUANCED mixing feedback. Mattias Fridell (mattiasfridell@gmail.com) provided this mix feedback which we implement together. In gene...
Here is part 2 in the study on how to make banging, relentless techno like SNTS. In part one we made a 1-bar loop, and now we use that to get from 1 bar to a full 5-minute arrangement. The key to this...
Here is a study on how to make banging, relentless techno drums like SNTS. The key to this style is heavyhanded bus processing with Soundtoys Decapitator VST, some carefully crafted rumble layers, som...
In this video we'll see how to use toms to complete the groove of your track's low end. We introduce you to the concept of syncopation, a.k.a. rhythms that accent the weak beats. Then we show this in ...
Are your melodies boring? Probably! Let's fix that! Get familiar with the concept of ratcheting! It's one tool to spice up an otherwise static lead melody. Here we show you how to do that in a fun and...
If you're anything like me, music hits you all at once - like a big wave rolling over you. In order to learn to make better music, it's important to sit down and pay analytical attention to all the di...
In this video we make an organic, pulsating techno beat in Ableton Live. You'll recognise this style of techno from artists like Paula Temple, Surgeon, Oscar Mulero, and other techno artists who get w...
In this video we make an organic, pulsating techno beat in Ableton Live. You'll recognise this style of techno from artists like Paula Temple, Surgeon, Oscar Mulero, and other techno artists who get w...
In this video we make funky, syncopated hihats in Ableton Live. You'll recognise this style of hihats from artsits like Tale of Us, Maceo Plex, Recondite, Agents of Time, all those deep house/deep tec...
[ANNOUNCEMENT: THE TECHNIQUE IN THIS VIDEO IS ACTUALLY CALLED POLYMETER, NOT POLYRHYTHM! Watch this video to understand the difference: Truthfully, I simply didn't know :) Forgive me. Will remake the ...
Let's look at the fundamental principles that all synthesizers use, no matter if they're digital or analog or whatever. They all use this framework, and you can use it to shape your sounds to your tas...
Together we remake the League of Legends Worlds 2020 anthem, Take Over (ft. Jeremy McKinnon (A Day To Remember), MAX, Henry). We do it in 5 big layers, in Ableton Live! #Worlds2020 #LeagueOfLegends Fi...
Together we learn the basics of music theory, essential harmony concepts to start composing music. No more random guessing notes on a piano, no more songs sounding like they have no direction. Learn t...
In this video I build a track inspired by all an time favourite of Dense & Pika "Colt". To do this I call on the secret piano superpowers of Saad Keys. I sample a groovy bit from one of his performanc...