A Techno Music Programming Masterclass With The Black Dog

Drum patterns

Let’s make a techno drum pattern. Start with a kick drum on each beat. We use the for command to repeat the pattern 4 times.

Now put a hi-hat on the off-beat (in between the kick drum sounds).

In a different code box, add faster hi-hats at a lower volume. Press Cue on each box to hear them play together in time.

Expert tips from The Black Dog

Start with a short loop and try shifting one or two drum hits to create different rhythms.

Try swapping the hi-hat and kick for other sounds. They should be in the same part of the pitch space (low/middle/high) as the original sounds otherwise the mix will become “muddy”.

Use delay to turn simple rhythms into more complex ones. Add this line to one of the boxes above.