21.1 · Your First Song

Write a loop

You know the roles: home settles, away moves off, tension points back. Writing a loop is picking a route through the roles. 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 roles

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

The loop can stop here and feel finished.
Moves away from I without pulling back.
Tension. It points at home and won't settle until it gets there.
Home like I. It shares two of I's three notes.

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 home 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

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Which chord can a loop stop on and feel finished?

Score 100% on every quiz and game to complete this lesson. A perfect run sticks: a later miss never undoes it.Write a melody →