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Writing and arranging

Genre Guides

How trap, phonk, R&B, City Pop, Cyberpunk Jazz and Neo Synthwave are built.

Stuck on a term? The glossary explains 110 of them

6 lessons · about 40 minutes in all

0 of 6 read on this device

Start with lesson 1
  1. Lesson 1 · 7 min · 3 diagrams · listening demo · quiz

    Anatomy of a trap 808: pitch, tail and distortion

    An 808 is a tuned bass note that hits like a drum. How to set its pitch, make it audible on a phone and keep it from fighting the kick.
  2. Lesson 2 · 7 min · 2 diagrams · listening demo · quiz

    Phonk: a cowbell lead, a distorted 808 and grit you choose

    Where phonk comes from, how the 808 cowbell and distorted bass carry it, and how to make it loud and dirty without the mix turning into noise.
  3. Lesson 3 · 7 min · 3 diagrams · listening demo · quiz

    R&B chords that glide: voice leading and a late snare

    Why the same three chords sound stiff in block shapes and smooth on a record: shared notes, half-step moves, and drums that sit a few milliseconds back.
  4. Lesson 4 · 7 min · 3 diagrams · listening demo · quiz

    City Pop under a voiceover: leave the speech band open

    City Pop keys, guitar and leads sit in the octaves that carry speech. How to arrange and duck a cue so the narration stays clear and the groove keeps moving.
  5. Lesson 5 · 6 min · 2 diagrams · listening demo · quiz

    Cyberpunk Jazz: a human lead on a machine grid

    The genre lives on one contrast: synth layers locked to the grid and a jazz lead that leans against it. How to place each layer, and how far to push the lean.
  6. Lesson 6 · 6 min · 3 diagrams · listening demo · quiz

    Neo Synthwave for coding videos: an arpeggio that stays out of the way

    Background sound that keeps changing pitch disrupts memory more than sound that repeats. How to write a synthwave arpeggio that moves without pulling focus.