sequencer

A section of sound repeated seamlessly. Loops, from tape to software, are the building block of hip-hop, house and techno, where change comes from what is added or taken away.

A chord played one note at a time instead of all at once, rising, falling or cycling in a steady rhythm. Synthesizers and sequencers can play arpeggios automatically, and the pulsing synth arpeggio became a signature of electronic disco and much dance music since the 1970s.

Snapping played notes to a rhythmic grid. It gives machine precision; producers often loosen it, or add swing, to keep a human feel.

An electronic instrument that plays programmed drum patterns. Its machine-steady time and synthetic sounds became the foundation of hip-hop, house, techno and synth-pop.

An electronic instrument that generates sound from oscillators and shapes it with filters and envelopes. Synthesizers define the sound of electronic pop, house and techno.