Piano stabs
Piano stabs are short, punchy chords played off the beat, here on steps 3, 7, 11 and 15 of 16, so the chords answer the kick instead of landing with it. Rich seventh chords on a bright piano are a signature of house.
Also called house piano, chord stabs, off-beat stabs.
Play it
- Bar 1Am7
- Bar 2Fmaj7
- Bar 3Cmaj7
- Bar 4G7
Faded lanes are a guide: they are there so the pattern has something to sit against. The loop runs over four chords, Am7, Fmaj7, Cmaj7, G7, one bar each. Tap any box to change it.
Try this
Try this · change one box
Add a stab on step 1, on top of the kick. The chords stop answering the kick and start arguing with it.
Hear it without the grid
A short recording of the loop above at 124 BPM, made with Swung’s own sounds.
How it works
A stab is a chord cut short: you hear the attack and almost nothing after. That leaves space, so a stab can sit right next to the kick and bass without crowding them.
These are seventh chords, four notes instead of three, which gives the piano its warm, slightly jazzy colour.
The pattern in words
- Chords: steps 3, 7, 11 and 15 of 16.
| Part | Steps, 1 to 16 | Plays on |
|---|---|---|
| Chords | ··x···x···x···x· | steps 3, 7, 11 and 15 of 16 |
x a hit, o a quiet hit, 2 or 3 a quick roll inside one step, – a note held on, · nothing.
Variations
In 3-3-2
Stabs in the tresillo shape.
Plain triads
Three-note chords: brighter, simpler.
Held, for contrast
The same chords held through the bar.
Where it’s used
Also common in UK garage, 1990s dance and Italo house.
Learn this pattern step by step
The course builds up to it from Unit 1, which is free. Sign up with Google and start with the first lesson; it plays in your browser, like this page.
Pick up where you left off
Carry on with Unit 1, then Piano stabs comes in Unit 4: Harmony.