Trance subgenres explained
Trance covers everything from 130 BPM grooves to 150 BPM acid. Here's how the main styles differ in tempo, bass, sound and shape, with a guide to making each one.
The styles at a glance
Tempos are typical ranges, not rules. Plenty of tracks sit between two styles.
| Style | BPM | Bass | Lead and sound | Shape |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Uplifting | 136–140 | Offbeat or rolling | Supersaw melody, big pads | Long breakdown, huge drop |
| Progressive | 128–134 | Rolling, groovy | Plucks, arps, evolving pads | Gradual builds |
| Psy | 136–148 | Rolling kick-bass-bass-bass | Acid, FM, short motifs | A change every 16 bars |
| Tech | 135–145 | Driving offbeat | Stabs, acid, hoovers | Short breakdowns, drive |
| Vocal | 136–140 | Steady offbeat | Vocal hook, doubled on the lead | Verse and chorus |
| Hard | 145–155+ | Short offbeat | Acid, hoovers, hard kicks | Fast builds |
Uplifting trance
The euphoric end: minor keys that lean on their major chords, a supersaw melody revealed in a long breakdown, and a drop where everything comes back. Read how to make uplifting trance.
Progressive trance
Slower and deeper, with rolling bass, plucks and pads that evolve slowly, and fewer chord changes. Read how to make progressive trance.
Psytrance
Built on a tight rolling bassline under a short kick, with acid lines, effects and hypnotic motifs over low keys. Read how to make psytrance.
Tech trance
Drums, stabs and acid instead of long melodies, with tension that builds over the whole track. Read how to make tech trance.
Vocal trance
A song inside a club track, with verses, a chorus and a lead that plays the vocal hook in the drop. Read how to make vocal trance.
Hard trance
Faster, with hard distorted kicks, acid and hoover sounds, and short breakdowns. Read how to make hard trance.
The TranceTools app has a genre preset for each of these styles, plus Classic 90s, that sets the tempo, scale, progression and every part's style in one click.
Questions
What's the most popular style of trance?
Uplifting and progressive trance are the styles most people mean when they say trance, but psytrance has a huge scene of its own, and tech and hard trance are popular at peak time.
Which trance style should I start with?
Uplifting trance teaches you the most: chords, melody, the supersaw, gates and the breakdown. Start with how to make uplifting trance.
What BPM is trance?
Most trance is between 128 and 150 BPM. Progressive sits at the low end, uplifting and vocal around 138, and psy, tech and hard trance higher.
More guides
Getting started with the TranceTools app
Install it, open it in your DAW and write your first trance idea in five minutes.
How to make uplifting trance
Chords to drop in order: 138 BPM, minor keys, supersaws, gates, breakdown and build.
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.
Arrange trance from a reference track
Map a track you love into sections and bar counts, then write your own into the same layout.
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.
Trance subgenres explained
Uplifting, progressive, psy, tech, vocal and hard trance compared at a glance.
How to make progressive trance
Rolling bass, plucks, evolving pads and builds that take their time.
How to make psytrance
The rolling kick and bass, acid and FM leads, low keys and 16-bar changes.
How to make tech trance
Driving bass, stabs and acid, heavy percussion and short breakdowns.
How to make vocal trance
Song structure, chords that leave room for the voice, and the doubled hook.
How to make hard trance
Hard kicks, faster tempos, acid and hoovers, and fast builds.
Mixing trance in key
The Camelot wheel, energy boosts, small tempo changes, phrasing and the bass swap.
Getting your trance track signed
Picking labels, sending demos, premasters and what happens when a label says yes.
Trance MIDI generator plugins compared
TranceEngine, Scaler 3, Cthulhu, Captain Plugins and TranceTools: what each writes and costs.