Vocal trance

History and character

Trance built around a sung vocal, usually female (mezzo-soprano or soprano), “ethereal,” wide-ranging, often operatic in the epic strands; from the early 2000s pop-flavored vocals and male voices also became common (e.g. Jonathan Mendelsohn). The form is often not a classic verse/chorus: the vocal presents one or two long phrases in the breakdown and the vocal chorus becomes the anthem.

The classics cluster between 1997 and 2011: Chakra — Home (1997), The Space Brothers — Shine (1997), Chicane ft. Moya Brennan — Saltwater (1999), Agnelli & Nelson — Holding On To Nothing (1999), Delerium — Silence (Tiësto In Search Of Sunrise Remix, 2000), Oceanlab — Clear Blue Water (Ferry Corsten remix, 2001), Rank 1 ft. Shanokee — Such Is Life (2001), Andain — Beautiful Things (2003), Armin van Buuren ft. Justine Suissa — Burned With Desire (2003), Motorcycle — As the Rush Comes (2003), then Above & Beyond, Gareth Emery ft. Christina Novelli and the Armada scene. Key singers: Justine Suissa, Jan Johnston, Christina Novelli, Nadia Ali, Emma Hewitt, Cristina Soto.

Aesthetic: direct emotion, nostalgia, romanticism, catharsis; the voice as a human “lead” above the wall of supersaws.

Scales and keys

Convention: Roman numerals refer to the major scale on the same root (uppercase = major, lowercase = minor, ° diminished, ø half-diminished, + augmented; b/# = scale degree lowered/raised relative to major: in A minor F = bVI, G = bVII). Notes and chords below are calculated exactly from the formula.

Aeolian

• Formula: 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7 — steps: T S T T S T T
• On G: G A Bb C D Eb F
• Diatonic triads: Gm i · Adim ii° · Bb bIII · Cm iv · Dm v · Eb bVI · F bVII
• Seventh chords: Gm7 i7 · Am7b5 iiø7 · Bbmaj7 bIIImaj7 · Cm7 iv7 · Dm7 v7 · Ebmaj7 bVImaj7 · F7 bVII7
• Characteristic note: the b6 (Eb): the bVI (Eb) under the vocal is the emotional moment.
• Use: i–bVI–bIII–bVII progressions; a vocal melody that starts from the 5 or the 3 and climbs to the b6 in the chorus.
• Common mistakes: vocal melodies that stay too low: vocal trance calls for the mid-high register (C4–A5 for female voices).

Harmonic minor

• Formula: 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 7 — steps: T S T T S T+S S
• On G: G A Bb C D Eb F#
• Diatonic triads: Gm i · Adim ii° · Bbaug bIII+ · Cm iv · D V · Eb bVI · F#dim vii°
• Seventh chords: Gm(maj7) i(maj7) · Am7b5 iiø7 · Bbmaj7#5 bIII+maj7 · Cm7 iv7 · D7 V7 · Ebmaj7 bVImaj7 · F#dim7 vii°7
• Characteristic note: the leading tone F# (V = D major): the dramatic cadence under the final phrase.
• Use: Gm–Eb–F–D.
• Common mistakes: a vocal singing a natural F over the D major chord.

Ionian (relative major)

• Formula: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 — steps: T T S T T T S
• On Bb: Bb C D Eb F G A
• Diatonic triads: Bb I · Cm ii · Dm iii · Eb IV · F V · Gm vi · Adim vii°
• Seventh chords: Bbmaj7 Imaj7 · Cm7 ii7 · Dm7 iii7 · Ebmaj7 IVmaj7 · F7 V7 · Gm7 vi7 · Am7b5 viiø7
• Characteristic note: the bright major color in pop verses or breakdowns.
• Use: I–V–vi–IV (Bb–F–Gm–Eb), which is the minor progression read from the relative major.
• Common mistakes: vocal and chords contradicting each other about which note is the tonic.

Minor pentatonic (vocal melodies)

• Formula: 1 b3 4 5 b7 — steps: T+S T T T+S T
• On G: G Bb C D F
• Characteristic note: no semitones: vocal phrases that are easy to sing and remember.
• Use: hooks and ad-libs.
• Common mistakes: using it without adding the b6/6 at the emotional points.

How to choose between scales

Choose the key according to the singer's range: the highest note of the hook must fall in her best zone (often between D5 and G5 for a light soprano, between A4 and D5 for a mezzo-soprano). Aeolian harmony with a major dominant in the cadences; melody from the pentatonic enriched with the b6.

Harmony

Function

Similar to uplifting/progressive: four-chord minor progressions, with emotional cadences under the vocal phrases; the breakdown often changes progression to support the verse.

Techniques

• i–bVI–bIII–bVII and i–bVI–bVII–i.
• Major dominant in the last bar of the vocal phrase.
• Pedal under the verse, full harmony in the chorus.
• Modulation in the last chorus.

Harmonic rhythm

1 chord per bar or every 2 (aligned with the vocal phrases).

Examples

• Gm–Eb–Bb–F.
• Gm–Eb–F–D.
• Bb–F–Gm–Eb (relative major).

Typical progressions

Rhythm and groove

• Feel: straight, 130–138 BPM; verses often with reduced or absent drums (breakdown), anthem with a full groove.
• Vocals: long phrases in eighth and quarter notes, breaths between phrases of 2 or 4 bars.

Drums

Kick

Punchy and short, but a bit softer than instrumental uplifting so it doesn't compete with the vocal.

Clap and snare

Clap on 2 and 4; snare rolls in the builds; in the verse sometimes only hats.

Hi-hat and ride

Open hat on the offbeat; ride in the anthem; reduced hats under the vocal.

Percussion

Light; crash on the 1 of the phrases.

Dynamics and ghost notes

Layered arrangement to leave room for the vocal.

Interaction with bass and vocal

Under the vocal, high-pitched ride and perc are removed; the offbeat bass stays.

Sections

Intro, instrumental main, breakdown with vocal verse (often piano + vocal), build with repeated vocal phrase, anthem with vocal chorus, second breakdown, final anthem, outro.

Fills and transitions

Snare rolls, vocal reverses, risers.

Sound choice

Clean, bright samples.

Typical mistakes

Drums too loud during the vocal; ride and hats covering the sibilants.

Bass

• Sound: offbeat or rolling, filtered saw; mono sub.
• With the kick: offbeat; sidechain 8–10 dB.
• Notes: roots; pedal in the verses.
• Register: G1–G2.

Harmonic instruments

Supersaw, pad, piano (essential in the breakdowns: it accompanies the vocal alone), strings, pluck; acoustic guitars in the “unplugged” versions.

Melody and vocals

• Lead vocal: female, mid-high register (A3–A5), airy and clean timbre; long phrases; “operatic” in epic tracks, pop since the 2000s; male voices (Jonathan Mendelsohn) in some tracks.
• Backing vocals and doubles: doubles of the lead (L/R), harmonies in thirds in the chorus, vocal pads, “ooh/aah.”
• Ad-libs: high octaves in the final anthem.
• Instrumental lead: takes up the vocal melody (often an octave higher) in the anthem.
• Effects: long hall reverb (3–5 s) with pre-delay, dotted-eighth and quarter-note delay, chorus on the doubles, sometimes vocoder/formant.

Instruments

Voice, supersaw, piano, strings, pads, drum machine and samples, synth bass, acoustic guitar.

Drum patterns

Synths and sounds

• Piano V — Breakdown piano: Grand piano: inverted chords accompanying the vocal; HP 100 Hz, hall 3 s.
• Jup-8 V — Supersaw and pad: Pads and supersaws that leave room for the vocal (more closed filter, 60–70%).
• Augmented Voices — Backing vocals and vocal pads: Vocal pads and “aah” to support the lead singer.
• Augmented Strings — Strings: Long strings in the breakdown.
• OP-Xa V — Lead: Lead doubling the vocal melody in the anthem.
• Mini V — Bass: Offbeat bass.

Song structure

Radio edit 3–3:30 with a more pop form (verse–chorus).

Mixing and mastering

Sonic goal

The vocal dominates: clear, airy, always intelligible above the wall of supersaws; precise low end; lots of space. References: Delerium — Silence (Tiësto remix), Andain — Beautiful Things, Gareth Emery ft. Christina Novelli — Concrete Angel.

Kick

HP 25 Hz; +2 dB 55 Hz; −4 dB 300 Hz; +1.5 dB 4 kHz; clipper; mono.

Clap and snare

HP 200 Hz; −1 dB at 3–5 kHz (vocal zone); plate 2 s.

Hi-hat and ride

HP 500 Hz; dynamic EQ 6–9 kHz (sibilant zone); panning 15%.

Bass

HP 30 Hz; LP 3 kHz; mono; sidechain 8–10 dB.

Supersaw, pad, piano

• EQ: HP 200 Hz; −3 dB at 400 Hz; dynamic sidechain from the vocal (Trackspacer or dynamic EQ: −3/−5 dB at 1–5 kHz when she sings).
• Space: hall 3 s; piano in plate 2 s.
• Stereo: wide supersaws, wide piano, center left free for the vocal.
• Sidechain from the kick: 8–10 dB.

Lead vocal

• Chain: HP 90–120 Hz; corrective EQ (−2/−3 dB at 250–400 Hz, notch resonances); FET compression 4:1 (4–6 dB GR, attack 5 ms) + opto (2–3 dB); de-esser 6–9 kHz; creative EQ +2 dB at 3–5 kHz and air shelf +3 dB at 12–14 kHz; light saturation.
• Space: plate 1.5–2 s with pre-delay 40–60 ms + hall 4–5 s on the send (HP 400 Hz, LP 9 kHz) + dotted-eighth and quarter-note delay (feedback 25–35%, filtered); more reverb in the breakdowns.
• Position: center; word-by-word volume riding; 1–3 dB above the perceived supersaws.

Backing vocals and doubles

HP 150 Hz; compression 6 dB; heavy de-essing; L/R doubles 80–100%; harmonies 6–8 dB below; light chorus; long hall.

Instrumental lead

HP 200 Hz; +2 dB 3 kHz; ping-pong delay; alternates with the vocal (never together in the same register).

FX

Vocal reverses (reversed reverb before the phrase), risers, impacts.

Buses and groups

Vocal bus (compression 1–2 dB, group de-esser), music bus sidechained from the vocal, drum bus, reverb bus.

Sidechain

Kick → bass/pad/supersaw; vocal → supersaw and pad (multiband 1–5 kHz).

Master

EQ → compressor 1–2 dB → limiter. Target −8/−7 LUFS integrated, true peak −1 dBTP, crest factor 7–8 dB. Check that the limiter doesn't squash the consonants.

Common mistakes

Vocal buried by the supersaws between 2 and 4 kHz; sibilants exaggerated by the hats; long reverbs that make the vocal unintelligible; key poorly chosen for the singer.

Reference tracks for the mix

• Delerium ft. Sarah McLachlan — Silence (Tiësto In Search Of Sunrise Remix, 2000)
• Andain — Beautiful Things (2003)
• Gareth Emery ft. Christina Novelli — Concrete Angel (2012)

Reference listening

• Chakra — Home (1997)
• Chicane ft. Moya Brennan — Saltwater (1999)
• Delerium ft. Sarah McLachlan — Silence (Tiësto In Search Of Sunrise Remix, 2000)
• Oceanlab — Clear Blue Water (Ferry Corsten Remix, 2001)
• Rank 1 ft. Shanokee — Such Is Life (2001)
• Andain — Beautiful Things (2003)
• Armin van Buuren ft. Justine Suissa — Burned With Desire (2003)
• Gareth Emery ft. Christina Novelli — Concrete Angel (2012)