Programming trance drums
Trance drums look simple: a kick on every beat and an open hat in between. The groove is in the details: the hats, the velocities, the fills and a touch of swing.
The basic groove
Start with four parts: kick, clap, closed hat and open hat.
- Kick on every beat: four to the floor.
- Clap or snare on beats 2 and 4, layered with the kick.
- Open hat on every offbeat, the "and" between kicks: the defining trance hat.
- Closed hats in 16ths, with the off-16ths softer, for drive.
Velocity and feel
Programmed drums sound mechanical when every hit is the same. Make the off-16th hats softer than the ones on the 8ths, vary velocities slightly, and you get a groove that breathes. A little swing, delaying every second 16th, loosens it further; trance usually wants only a touch, on the hats and percussion, never the kick.
Style by style
What changes between styles
- Uplifting
- Offbeat open hat, clap on 2 and 4
- Tech
- Ride in 8ths, busier 16th hats
- Psy
- Sparse top, rolling bass carries it
- Progressive
- Shakers, ghost claps, softer hats
Fills and changes
Every 8 or 16 bars, mark the change: drop the kick for the last beat, add a short snare or tom fill, or a crash on the first beat of the new section. Bigger moments get bigger fills; see the build-up guide for the full snare roll.
The sounds
A trance kick is a short, punchy sine with a fast pitch drop and a tail tuned to the key. Claps are bright and layered; open hats short enough to stop before the next kick. Design your own kit, kick tuned to every note included:
Keep the kick, and anything below about 120 Hz, in mono and in the centre. Spread the hats and percussion a little for width.
More guides
How to write trance chord progressions
Numerals, why trance lives in minor keys, the raised V and voice leading.
How to write a trance melody
Call and answer, chord tones on the beat, rhythm, range and the peak note.
Trance basslines
Offbeat, octave, galloping and rolling: the four patterns and the sound.
Trance arps and plucks
Arp patterns and rates, the pluck sound, the dotted delay and layering.
How to make an uplifting trance lead
Unison, the octave layer, filtering, delay and the mix tricks that make a lead huge.
How to make a trance pad
Slow attack, long release, width, chorus, reverb and movement.
Trancegate settings explained
Patterns, smoothing and where the reverb goes, for gates that chop cleanly.
Acid in trance
The 303 sound, accents and slides, and the filter movement that makes it talk.
Programming trance drums
Four to the floor, the offbeat hat, velocity, swing, fills and sounds.
Trance track structure
Section lengths, timings at your tempo, and why DJs need the first and last 32 bars.
The trance breakdown
What to strip away, revealing the melody, and keeping it moving without a kick.
How to make a trance build-up
Snare rolls, risers, filter sweeps and the gap before the drop.
Mixing kick and bass in trance
Tuning, timing and frequency: a low end that hits hard without fighting.
Sidechain settings for trance
Depth, release and what to duck, for a pump that breathes with the kick.
Mastering trance for the club
Loudness targets, true peak, the mastering chain and streaming.
Getting your trance track signed
Picking labels, sending demos, premasters and what happens when a label says yes.