Goal
Analyzing an electronic music track means reconstructing its map (sections and bars), its arrangement (what comes in and out), its sound design (what each sound is made of), its harmony and its mix/master (how it is balanced and how loud it is). It is the fastest way to learn from a reference track and transfer the choices into your own production.
Tools
- The DAW (FL Studio: drag the file into the Playlist, set the project BPM and align the first kick hit to bar 1; use markers for the sections).
- A spectrum analyzer (Fruity Parametric EQ 2 in analysis mode, Voxengo SPAN, FabFilter Pro-Q 3).
- A loudness meter (Youlean Loudness Meter, iZotope Insight): integrated, short-term and momentary LUFS, true peak, dynamic range.
- A phase correlation meter / goniometer for the stereo image.
- Optional: source separation (stems) to hear bass and drums isolated; a key detector (Mixed In Key or similar), always to be checked by ear.
Step 1: basic data
- BPM (tap tempo, then verify by aligning the grid) and key (find the bass note on the downbeat of the drop and the chord on which the track rests).
- Length and total number of bars.
Step 2: section map
- Put a marker every 8 bars and listen to what changes.
- Name the sections: intro, groove, breakdown, build, drop, bridge, outro.
- Note the length in bars (almost always multiples of 8).
Step 3: element table
| Element | Intro | Groove | Break | Build | Drop 1 | Break 2 | Build 2 | Drop 2 | Outro |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kick | x | x | – | – (or accelerating) | x | – | – | x | x |
| Bass / sub | – | x (filtered) | – | – | x | – | – | x (varied) | – |
| Clap / snare | – | x | – | roll | x | – | roll | x | – |
| Hi-hat / perc | x | x | – | x | x | – | x | x | x |
| Pad / chords | – | – | x | x | x | x | x | x | – |
| Lead | – | – | (hint) | filtered | x | – | filtered | x + countermelody | – |
| Vocal | – | x | x | x (chop) | (chop) | x | x | (chop) | – |
| FX (riser, impact, sweep) | – | sweep | – | riser | impact | – | riser | impact | sweep |
Step 4: harmony and melody
- Transcribe the chord progression (often 4 chords of 1 or 2 bars) and the lead melody.
- Note the Roman numerals: in minor many tracks use i – VI – III – VII (in A minor: Am – F – C – G, numerals relative to the natural minor).
- Check whether the drop uses the same progression as the breakdown (very common) and whether the bass follows the roots or plays a pedal.
Step 5: sound design
For each main sound ask yourself: what waveform (saw, square, supersaw, FM)? what filter and envelope? what effects (distortion, chorus, reverb, OTT/multiband compression)? The kick: length (short for house or long and tuned), fundamental frequency (generally between 45 and 65 Hz). The bass: sine sub + distorted mid layer?
Step 6: mix and master
- Spectrum of the drop: where the sub peak sits, how much energy between 2 and 5 kHz, how bright it is above 10 kHz. Compare it with the breakdown.
- Sidechain: look at the waveform of the bass/pad in the drop (the "pumping" synchronized with the kick) and estimate its depth and release.
- Loudness: measure the short-term LUFS of the drop and the breakdown. In commercial EDM masters the drop is often around −7/−4 LUFS short-term, with true peak near −1/0 dBTP; values vary a great deal by genre and era: always measure them on the actual track.
- Stereo: the sub is mono (correlation close to +1 below 100–150 Hz), pads and FX wide.
Step 7: summary
Write in 5 lines: why the track works (hook, contrast between breakdown and drop, groove), what you want to copy (structure? bass sound? transitions?) and what you don't.
Related entries
Electronic music forms, Motivic analysis, Loudness, LUFS and normalization, Compression, Stereo, panning and image, Designing 808s and basses, Method for analyzing a pop song.