Style lessons
A genre is a set of habits: a groove, a few chord moves, a way of playing the bass, a kind of sound. Each lesson puts those habits into one short multitrack you can take apart.
Play the loop, mute and solo the parts, and read what each one contributes. When you want to change something, open the same project in the DAW.
Synth-pop
Learn synth-pop from a playable 8-bar multitrack in A minor: a sparse drum-machine beat, a bouncing octave bass, a chorused pad on Am–F–C–G and Am–F–Dm–E, and a synth hook. Mute, solo, open it in the DAW, and read how the style began.
House
Learn house from a playable 8-bar multitrack in F minor at 124 BPM: a kick on every beat, a bass that answers it on the off-beats, minor-ninth organ stabs on Fm9–Bbm9–Dbmaj7–Eb and a chant-like hook. Mute, solo, open it in the DAW, and read how the style began in Chicago.
Techno
Learn techno from a playable 8-bar multitrack in G minor at 130 BPM: a straight four on the floor, a sub rumble that rolls between the kicks, dub chord stabs multiplied by a dotted-eighth delay and a three-step acid line that turns against the beat. Mute, solo, open it in the DAW, and read how the style began in Detroit.
Trance
Learn trance from a playable 8-bar multitrack in D minor at 138 BPM: four on the floor with off-beat open hats, a bass that rolls through every gap between the kicks, a chopped pad on Dm–B♭–F–C and a soaring lead in the 3+3+2 rhythm. Mute, solo, open it in the DAW, and read how the style grew out of Frankfurt.
Drum & Bass
Learn drum and bass from a playable 8-bar multitrack in F minor at 174 BPM: a two-step beat with ghost snares and a rolling shaker, a sine sub, a detuned reese an octave above it and electric piano chords on Fm9–D♭maj9–B♭m9–Cm7. Mute, solo, open it in the DAW, and read how the style grew out of London's jungle scene.
Dubstep
Learn dubstep from a playable 8-bar multitrack in G minor at 140 BPM: a half-time beat with the snare on 3, a sine sub that leans on the dark flat second, FM bells drenched in dotted-eighth echoes and a wobble bass that drops in at bar 5. Mute, solo, open it in the DAW, and read how the style grew out of South London.
R&B / Neo-soul
Learn neo-soul from a playable 8-bar multitrack in E♭ major: a lazy, behind-the-beat drum groove with quintuplet hats, a melodic bass, rootless Rhodes voicings on A♭maj9–Gm7–Fm9–B♭13sus4, organ shells and background “oohs”. Mute, solo, open it in the DAW, and read how the style began.
Funk
Learn funk from a playable 8-bar multitrack in E: a swung drum groove with ghost notes, a bass that nails the One, a scratch guitar on E9 and A9, and horns that answer in the even bars. Mute, solo, open it in the DAW, and read how the style began.
Disco
Learn disco from a playable 8-bar multitrack in A minor: a four-on-the-floor beat with open hi-hats and congas, a jumping octave bass, a string machine on Am9–D9–Fmaj7–Em7–Dm7–E7 and a muted 16th-note guitar. Mute, solo, open it in the DAW, and read how the style began.
Reggae
Learn reggae from a playable 8-bar multitrack in A minor at 76 BPM: a one-drop drum groove, a deep melodic bass, a short skank on beats 2 and 4 with a dotted-eighth echo, and a bubbling organ on Am–Dm–Am–G. Mute, solo, open it in the DAW, and read how the style began.
Bossa nova
Learn bossa nova from a playable 8-bar multitrack in C major: a soft surdo-and-clave groove, a thumb-style upright bass, nylon-guitar chords that anticipate the beat, a tritone substitute and a flute melody on the 9ths and 13ths. Mute, solo, open it in the DAW, and read how the style began.
UK garage
Learn UK garage from a playable 8-bar multitrack in C minor at 132 BPM: a broken 2-step kick, triplet-swung hats and rims, a blooming saw bass, rootless organ stabs on Cm9–Fm9–Abmaj9–G7 and a chopped vocal-style hook. Mute, solo, open it in the DAW, and read how the style grew out of London's Sunday clubs.
Ambient
Learn ambient from a playable 16-bar multitrack in D Lydian at 60 BPM: a held D drone, a soft pad changing chord every four bars, and a kalimba and an electric piano looping at 7 and 11 beats. Mute, solo, open it in the DAW, and read how the style began.
Boom bap
Learn boom bap from a playable 8-bar multitrack in D minor at 90 BPM: a fat kick and cracking snare on a 58 % swing, a bass that locks to the kick, a dusty keys chop on Dm9–Gm9–B♭maj9–A7(♭13) and a short horn stab. Mute, solo, open it in the DAW, and read how the style grew out of New York's samplers.
Trap
Learn trap from a playable 8-bar multitrack in F minor at 140 BPM: a half-time beat with the clap on 3, hi-hats that roll in triplets and 32nds, an 808 bass that slides between notes, a bell melody and a quiet string pad. Mute, solo, open it in the DAW, and read how the style came out of Atlanta.
Lo-fi hip hop
Learn lo-fi hip hop from a playable 8-bar multitrack in F major at 76 BPM: a soft, swung boom bap beat, a round bass, rolled electric piano chords on B♭maj9–C13–Am7–Dm9, a wobbly mallet melody and vinyl crackle. Mute, solo, open it in the DAW, and read how the style began.
Jazz swing
Learn swing-era and bebop combo jazz from a playable 8-bar multitrack in F major: a ride cymbal with the hi-hat on 2 and 4, a walking bass with chromatic approach notes, rootless piano voicings on ii–V–I and a tenor sax head in swung eighths. Ten more examples, from bebop to soul jazz, plus studies of four famous records. Mute, solo, open it in the DAW, and read how the style began.
Gospel
Learn gospel from a playable 8-bar multitrack in A♭ major at 104 BPM: snare and claps on a swung-16th pocket, a bass that walks into every chord, rich organ chords with a passing diminished and a 3-6-2-5, and a choir in three close parts. Ten more examples, from the 12/8 ballad and the shout to studies of Kirk Franklin and James Cleveland. Mute, solo, open it in the DAW, and read how gospel grew out of the Black church.
Afrobeats
Learn afrobeats from a playable 8-bar multitrack in F major at 106 BPM: a syncopated kick, a 3-3-2 clave, a swung 16th shaker and congas, a short sine bass that bounces between the kicks, warm seventh chords and a picked highlife-style guitar. Ten more examples, from azonto and afropiano to studies of “Essence”, “Calm Down”, “One Dance” and “Water”. Mute, solo, open it in the DAW, and read how West African pop got its name in London.
Blues
Learn the blues from a playable 12-bar multitrack in A: a Chicago shuffle, a walking-boogie bass, a guitar’s 5–6 boogie and a sax that bends a minor third into a major one. Ten more examples, from a Texas shuffle and boogie-woogie piano to slow and jump blues, plus studies of five famous records. Mute, solo, open it in the DAW, and read how the style began.
Classic rock
Learn 1965–1980 classic rock from a playable 8-bar multitrack in A: a backbeat in a big room, a bass pumping eighths, distorted power chords, the borrowed ♭VII and ♭VI chords and an organ that fills the middle. Eleven more examples, from a 1965 beat group to a heavy riff and a power ballad, plus studies of five famous records. Mute, solo, open it in the DAW, and read how the style began.
Synthwave
Learn synthwave from a playable 8-bar multitrack in E minor: four on the floor, a 16th arp bass ducking under the kick, a gated snare, add9 and maj7 pad chords and an arpeggio hook with a dotted-8th echo, plus eleven more examples.
Reggaeton
Learn reggaeton from a playable 8-bar multitrack in D minor: the dembow beat (a kick on every beat against a 3+3+2 snare), an 808 bass on the same spots, a four-chord minor loop and a marimba tag. Eleven more examples, from 1990s underground to perreo, moombahton and Dominican dembow, plus studies of five famous records. Mute, solo, open it in the DAW, and read how the style began.
City pop
Learn Japanese city pop from a playable 8-bar multitrack in D major: a studio band’s 16th-note groove, maj9 and m9 chords that never sit on a plain triad, a finger bass popping octaves, the DX7-style electric piano, synth brass and the band’s planned accents. Ten more examples, from 1970s soft rock to boogie, a midnight ballad and 1980s technopop, plus studies of four famous records. Mute, solo, open it in the DAW, and read how the style began.
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