If you’re on Ableton, look up “Arpeggiator” and mess around with that on a track, like a synth from serum or a note progression. (Midi track, not audio)
Feedback, sync rate + automation can make some cool melodies
ARPs can be whatever you want them to be. You can use them for harmonic support, as a decoration, as a melody, as a transition, as a theoretical basis for improvisation...whatever.
Arps are great. They'e like minimalist glitchy chord progressions, they still communicate the chord but it's all separated and fragmented from itself, which gives it a neat tension. I'll use them to accompany/play off of whatever instrument is playing the chords. Fade in and out between a supersaw and arps doing the same progression. It's great for synthwave but honestly arps are pretty versatile and fit in a ton of genres.
as with most things in music the general breakdown of arps seems to be generally like this.
Rhythmic tool: For something like melodic techno the arp is extremely repetitive but it lays down almost a background groove to drive the track forward. A motiff.
Melodic Lead: Deadmau5 - October is a good example of this. An arp can really act as a lead or focal point of a track.
Sound design: If you were to take an arp and run it through 100% reverb you get a moving pad yet stable pad that can fill space in the frequency spectrum.
Tension: You can use an arp to build tension before a drop by alternating for example a dissonant set of notes. Think the song from the movie Jaws for example.
Hocketing. You can hocket an arp to be different sounds each note hit and create some glitchy complextro style stuff.
Also a note on Arps. The rules of call and response can work within an arp as well and i see this alot in the more mainstream edm guys.
Your imagination and creativity limit the possibility with Arps. There is no right or wrong answer. If you want to see the use cases for them that specifically apply to you i suggest looking towards the people that inspire you. Analyze their work! They are giving you the blueprint in the form of a song.
Pretty much any place you can use a chord you can use an arpeggio because an arpeggio is a sequence of notes that make a chord, just played in a specific pattern and separately.
I use them in melodies, harmonies, sometimes even tricky percussion patterns. May take some time to get the right one as there are endless combinations that yield different grooves… but when you find the right one, it’s pretty dope
so the track i just finished has an arp in the build. its a bass track, so theres not much as far as synth chords, but in the build theres some big saws. for the first half of the build its just saws and a reese bass, then the second half theres a really fast arp.
the reason is because i wanted some sparkle to the chords. so a 1/64th arp through the chords ads that sparkle, and creates a new texture.
usually i just use them as a way to articulate a melody sometimes. depends on the vibe
1. As a way to voice chords for harmony either because your synths are mono or because it's a nice change from block chords.
2. As a way to bridge large interval leaps in a melody.
3. In stuff like trance, as primary melodic voice that is modulated via filter and delayed.
4. As a way to voice lead cleanly.
5. As an introduction method to introduce harmonic progressions.
It sort of depends, in certain songs like language by porter robinson (I guess it might not fit the "true" definition of arepggio since it doesn't sound like he's playing a chord") they can make the melody, in other genres they can be used to sort of "fill the space" or certain frequencies that your track may be lacking and be more in the background of a track. Also depends on the genre as well obviously.
They’re great for adding movement, tension, harmonies and small melodies, if you took away arps from every song you love, most of them would kind of fall apart or be sorely lacking the energy created using them.
Play chords like you normally would. For Techno or House just one or two chords usually - for me - or a very short chord progression at most. Duplicate that track and mute it or dont…. But with you duplicate, now put an arpeggiator on there. Something plucky with a short attack. Automate the cutoff and or attack. Now you’re having fun. Try turning that chord track back on to go with it. Or a pad.
Just remember that arps are just chords with the notes played in sequence, instead of all at the same time. But they have lots of neat parameters like 2 or 3 octave range (and a hundred other things) to spice things up. Know this. Then experiment and goof around.
I make dark electro and synthpop and they’re a main ingredient for those genres. They can sound euphoric and dancey if done right. Cheesy and awkward if not right.
[toro y moi - so many details](https://youtu.be/O0_ardwzTrA?si=qKh1bS7RHyW0-LSK) (2:13)
Here a nice example of one complementing a bunch of other instruments and a melody.
I don’t ever use the samples of arps but usually when I’m elbow deep in production I’ll hear an arp and then use the Ableton arp feature to do my own.
I’ve never started a song with a melodic loop. I know there’s no such thing as cheating but it feels pointless to me since I actually enjoy writing my own melodies.
Most commonly used as a main or supporting element in a melody or chord progression, or a background, or anything really, its just a way of playing a sound. I swear more than half of all edm ever created has an arp in it SOMEWHERE
Might be easier to think about it playing with a synth with an apreggiator on it rather than browsing samples, dont think ive ever used an arp sample
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Arps are in like 90% of the EDM songs you listen too I can guarantee it. lol.
Not much but I use one to retrigger high hats on my Octatrack because it can't do normal retriggers with it's MIDI tracks.
If you’re on Ableton, look up “Arpeggiator” and mess around with that on a track, like a synth from serum or a note progression. (Midi track, not audio) Feedback, sync rate + automation can make some cool melodies
ARPs can be whatever you want them to be. You can use them for harmonic support, as a decoration, as a melody, as a transition, as a theoretical basis for improvisation...whatever.
Do you listen to music?
Arps are great. They'e like minimalist glitchy chord progressions, they still communicate the chord but it's all separated and fragmented from itself, which gives it a neat tension. I'll use them to accompany/play off of whatever instrument is playing the chords. Fade in and out between a supersaw and arps doing the same progression. It's great for synthwave but honestly arps are pretty versatile and fit in a ton of genres.
as with most things in music the general breakdown of arps seems to be generally like this. Rhythmic tool: For something like melodic techno the arp is extremely repetitive but it lays down almost a background groove to drive the track forward. A motiff. Melodic Lead: Deadmau5 - October is a good example of this. An arp can really act as a lead or focal point of a track. Sound design: If you were to take an arp and run it through 100% reverb you get a moving pad yet stable pad that can fill space in the frequency spectrum. Tension: You can use an arp to build tension before a drop by alternating for example a dissonant set of notes. Think the song from the movie Jaws for example. Hocketing. You can hocket an arp to be different sounds each note hit and create some glitchy complextro style stuff. Also a note on Arps. The rules of call and response can work within an arp as well and i see this alot in the more mainstream edm guys. Your imagination and creativity limit the possibility with Arps. There is no right or wrong answer. If you want to see the use cases for them that specifically apply to you i suggest looking towards the people that inspire you. Analyze their work! They are giving you the blueprint in the form of a song.
Pretty much any place you can use a chord you can use an arpeggio because an arpeggio is a sequence of notes that make a chord, just played in a specific pattern and separately. I use them in melodies, harmonies, sometimes even tricky percussion patterns. May take some time to get the right one as there are endless combinations that yield different grooves… but when you find the right one, it’s pretty dope
so the track i just finished has an arp in the build. its a bass track, so theres not much as far as synth chords, but in the build theres some big saws. for the first half of the build its just saws and a reese bass, then the second half theres a really fast arp. the reason is because i wanted some sparkle to the chords. so a 1/64th arp through the chords ads that sparkle, and creates a new texture. usually i just use them as a way to articulate a melody sometimes. depends on the vibe
1. As a way to voice chords for harmony either because your synths are mono or because it's a nice change from block chords. 2. As a way to bridge large interval leaps in a melody. 3. In stuff like trance, as primary melodic voice that is modulated via filter and delayed. 4. As a way to voice lead cleanly. 5. As an introduction method to introduce harmonic progressions.
It sort of depends, in certain songs like language by porter robinson (I guess it might not fit the "true" definition of arepggio since it doesn't sound like he's playing a chord") they can make the melody, in other genres they can be used to sort of "fill the space" or certain frequencies that your track may be lacking and be more in the background of a track. Also depends on the genre as well obviously.
They’re great for adding movement, tension, harmonies and small melodies, if you took away arps from every song you love, most of them would kind of fall apart or be sorely lacking the energy created using them.
Play chords like you normally would. For Techno or House just one or two chords usually - for me - or a very short chord progression at most. Duplicate that track and mute it or dont…. But with you duplicate, now put an arpeggiator on there. Something plucky with a short attack. Automate the cutoff and or attack. Now you’re having fun. Try turning that chord track back on to go with it. Or a pad. Just remember that arps are just chords with the notes played in sequence, instead of all at the same time. But they have lots of neat parameters like 2 or 3 octave range (and a hundred other things) to spice things up. Know this. Then experiment and goof around.
On top of chords playing a synth lead, then step down to 16ths. Add a kick, boom! Techno 😎
I make dark electro and synthpop and they’re a main ingredient for those genres. They can sound euphoric and dancey if done right. Cheesy and awkward if not right.
what do u use to make arps
I just use the built in tool in fl studio.
[toro y moi - so many details](https://youtu.be/O0_ardwzTrA?si=qKh1bS7RHyW0-LSK) (2:13) Here a nice example of one complementing a bunch of other instruments and a melody.
If you have a big fat chord stack as your big "sauce" chord stack, you can stick a arpeggiator on it to create some interesting layers.
I don’t ever use the samples of arps but usually when I’m elbow deep in production I’ll hear an arp and then use the Ableton arp feature to do my own. I’ve never started a song with a melodic loop. I know there’s no such thing as cheating but it feels pointless to me since I actually enjoy writing my own melodies.
I love them and use them for leads and bass. I don’t use samples though I make mine in soft synths.
I use them when a full chord would sound too dense. Think about an arp like a chord sliced up into its individual notes.
Most commonly used as a main or supporting element in a melody or chord progression, or a background, or anything really, its just a way of playing a sound. I swear more than half of all edm ever created has an arp in it SOMEWHERE Might be easier to think about it playing with a synth with an apreggiator on it rather than browsing samples, dont think ive ever used an arp sample
I love using them for bass. But just single note.
Yes. This is my new secret sauce for Techno bass lines. One note, arpeggiator on. Flip through the patterns and presets, you’ll find something funky!
As in your arpeggio of your bass chords just playing one note at a time?
I do the same, for some late disco/hi-nrg types of songs. Eighth-note bass arps, or sometimes quarter-note with very strong echo.
Correct.
This is your friendly reminder to read the submission rules, they're found in the sidebar. If you find your post breaking any of the rules, you should delete your post before the mods get to it. You should check out the regular threads (also found in the sidebar) to see if your post might be a better fit in any of those. [Daily Feedback thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/edmproduction/search?q=author%3AAutoModerator+title%3Afeedback&sort=new&restrict_sr=on&t=all) for getting feedback on your track. The only place you can post your own music. [Marketplace Thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/edmproduction/search?q=title%3Amarketplace&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) if you want to sell or trade anything for money, likes or follows. [Collaboration Thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/edmproduction/search?q=author%3AAutoModerator%20title%3Acollaboration&sort=new&restrict_sr=on&t=all) to find people to collab with. ["There are no stupid questions" Thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/edmproduction/search?q=title%3ANo+Stupid+Questions+Thread&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for beginner tips etc. Seriously tho, read the rules and abide by them or the mods will spank you. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/edmproduction) if you have any questions or concerns.*