Supersaw chords
Supersaw chords are chords played on a synth sound made of several slightly detuned sawtooth waves spread across left and right, which makes them sound huge and wide. They are the big chords of trance, EDM and liquid drum & bass.
Also called supersaw, trance chords, big saw chords.
Play it
- Bar 1Am
- Bar 2F
- Bar 3C
- Bar 4G
Faded lanes are a guide: they are there so the pattern has something to sit against. The loop runs over four chords, Am, F, C, G, one bar each. Tap any box to change it.
Try this
Try this · change one box
Tap the held step 16 to strike the last chord again: a quick re-hit right before the loop starts over.
Hear it without the grid
A short recording of the loop above at 128 BPM, made with Swung’s own sounds.
How it works
One sawtooth wave sounds thin and buzzy. Stack five, nudge each a little out of tune, pan them apart, and the buzz turns into a wall of sound.
Because the sound is so big, the chords can be simple triads. Here they play in a long-long-short rhythm, three, three and two beats’ worth of steps.
The pattern in words
- Chords: steps 1, 7 and 13 of 16, notes held for 4 and 6 steps.
| Part | Steps, 1 to 16 | Plays on |
|---|---|---|
| Chords | x–––––x–––––x––– | steps 1, 7 and 13 of 16, notes held for 4 and 6 steps |
x a hit, o a quiet hit, 2 or 3 a quick roll inside one step, – a note held on, · nothing.
Variations
Held pads
One long chord per bar.
Off-beat stabs
Short supersaw hits between the kicks.
With sevenths
Four-note chords: darker and richer.
Where it’s used
Also common in Trance, EDM and Future bass.
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 Supersaw chords comes in Unit 8: Sound.