6 quick electronic music composition tips

Double and add 1

Find yourself constantly creating short and simple loops? Try this. Start by creating a one-bar pattern. Now double it and add a new event or variation that only occurs every two bars. Double it again and add something that only happens once every four bars. Keep going until you have something 32 or 64 bars long. This is a quick way to add variety to drum grooves or create repeating motifs that can still hold a listener’s attention.

Call and response

2

Call-and-response is a technique used in various musical traditions, and can work wonders in electronic music too. It’s incredibly simple: create two elements, where the second seems to ‘respond’ to the first. Think of the bassline/piano in Queen’s Under Pressure. Try creating a melodic riff that mimics the pattern of a rhythmic element, or introduce a chord ‘stab’ that lands as a response to your bassline.

Spice up a chord pattern

3

Looking for easy ways to add depth to a pattern of simple triad (three-note) chords? Add notes above the triad, skipping every other note in the scale, to create seventh, ninth or eleventh chords. Rearrange the notes in your chord, moving some below the root note to create inversions. Give suspended chords a go, too. These involve taking the middle note of the triad and moving it up or down by one scale note.

Combining arpeggios 4

Everyone loves an arpeggio! Arp lines are a great tool since they can add melodic interest and rhythmic drive. For something more complex, try layering arpeggiator patterns using multiple instruments. Start by creating a simple chord pattern, fed into an arpeggiator and synth. Now duplicate this whole setup. Change the synth sound on this second arp for tonal differences, but also try adjusting arp settings, such as timing, octave range or pitch offset. Automate these parameters as your track progresses to change the interaction between the patterns.

Creative delays 5

Never underestimate the potential of using a delay effect as a compositional tool. With wet/dry set to 50%+, a delay will radically alter the rhythm and feel of even a simple one-note pattern. Try feeding simple patterns or rhythms into your favourite delays, and then bounce down the wet signal as a new groove. Similarly, use pitch-shifting delay effects, which can help you generate melodic patterns that break from obvious chord structures.

On the one 6

Do you find your looping patterns lack a slight sense of purpose? Try adding a little one-off something to the first beat of each phrase. This could be a chord stab, a crash cymbal or some kind of FX hit. This might sound like a simple and obvious tip, but adding a little something to help define the start of your groove can help to grab the listener for what comes next. Even low in the mix this can help turn a ‘loop’ into a proper section of your track.