Trance basslines
The bassline locks the kick to the chords and sets the groove for the whole track. Here are the four patterns trance is built on, and how to make each one sound right.
What the bass does
In trance, the bass usually plays the root of each chord, in a rhythm that fits around the kick.
That makes it the glue between the drums and the harmony: it tells the ear which chord you're on, and its rhythm decides whether the track bounces, drives or rolls. Because the kick plays every beat, the bass mostly lives in the gaps between kicks.
The four patterns
- Offbeat: one note on each "and" between kicks. The classic uplifting and vocal trance bass: bouncy and clean.
- Octave offbeat: the offbeat, alternating with the octave above. More movement without more notes.
- Galloping: two quick notes after each kick. Pushier, common in progressive and harder styles.
- Rolling 16ths: three notes after every kick, filling every gap. The engine of psytrance and tech trance.
Which notes to play
Start with the root of each chord, and it will always work. Then add interest sparingly: jump to the octave for bounce, or slip in a passing note on the last offbeat before a chord change to lead into the next root. Keep the lowest notes between about 40 and 100 Hz (roughly E1 to G2) so they translate on club systems and small speakers alike.
In a minor key, the bass for a raised V chord is the fifth of the scale (E in A minor), but the chord is major. Keep the bass on the root and let the chords carry the raised note.
The bass sound
A trance bass is usually one oscillator, saw or square, through a 24 dB low-pass filter with a short filter envelope, so each note has a quick bite that closes down. Play it mono, often with a sine sub an octave below for weight.
Rolling bass starting point
- Oscillator
- Saw, mono
- Sub
- Sine, −1 octave
- Filter
- LP 24 dB
- Filter env decay
- 80–200 ms
- Amp release
- Short
- Width
- Mono
Fit it around the kick
Even in the gaps, the bass and kick share frequencies. Tune the kick to the key, keep the low end mono, and duck the bass under the kick if it overlaps. The kick and bass guide covers all three.
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.