19.1 · Your First Song

Write a loop

You know the jobs: home rests, away strolls, tension points back. Writing a loop is picking a route through the jobs. Four chords is plenty. This page is a small version of the Progression looper, so what you build here sounds exactly like the tool.

The four workhorses

Every pop loop you know is some route through these four. Hear each one's job in C.

Rests. The loop can stop here and feel finished.
Strolls out the front door. Warm, no hurry back.
Demands. One foot on the doorbell, pointing at home.
Rests too, but in the shadow. The sad cousin of I.

Build yours

Tap chords into the loop, then let it run. Start from a preset or from scratch. A loop needs a home to leave and a reason to come back: try one resting chord, one tense one.

Want another key, a different tempo, or a beat dial? The full Progression looper has all of it. Your loop carries into the next two lessons.

Quiz

1 / 3

Which chord can a loop rest on and feel finished?

Score 100% on every quiz and game to complete this lesson.Write a melody →