Roland Schmidt

One of the magazine's most beloved freebies is the perfect tool for creating a sense of movement in your mixes

We explore the theory behind beats, and how we score kicks, snares, hats and percussion

Sometimes the best way to make your track feel more kinetic is to eschew plugins and get creative with your instruments

"The next time a musician says to you 'shall we try this a little more allegro?' you will know exactly what they mean"

The triad is one of the cornerstones of music theory, and vital for creating harmony. We examine the three points of the chord.

If you are involved with commercial music, you’ll be familiar with the term ‘four-to-the-floor’. But why is four suddenly the magic number? We explore the myth of time signatures.

If you are still unsure about the best way to approach modulation and movement, check out our top tips for complete success.

How to create that vintage Jarre sound, created from a single synth, that conjures a huge sound-stage.

If you woke up this morning, feeling a little blue, you’re going to need to use some 7ths in your music. Let us help you get over your gloominess and show you how they work.

"They unite Lennon and McCartney, Michael Jackson and even the classic work Mars by Gustav Holst"

If you take a triad and stretch it, what happens? We take a closer look at how augmentation works, but in reality.

Keep it chilled, with our 10-step guide to creating the perfect starting point for ambient techno.

Now you’ve composed the chords for your song, it’s time to find your inner voicing!

"Chorus is a beautiful effect when used nicely, but it can also sound horrible if over-applied - unless that’s what you want"

Lets draw some harmonic inspiration and top-tips from the past-masters.

"Sometimes you don't want to be overtly happy or sad and a suspended chord strikes that perfect balance"

“The way that sharps and flats are organised is far from random or chaotic”

How to get a handle on scale theory