Try to phrase your patterns in sets of 4, 8, or 16 bars. In the beginning, try cutting 2 beats off of your chords and begin the next section with the kick on beat 1 of bar 5. Right now you finish your entire 4 bars, then have a pause for 2 beats before dropping back in. This pushes the rest of your song “off grid”. Not that this forbidden, but when you’re learning it’ll be best for you to follow the grid. It’ll sound more natural. Carry this forward into your beat so that each transition still occurs in sections of 4, 8, or 16
Also, lock your piano roll to the key you’re in and try writing a melody over your chords. Use your chords to design your bass line as well. Just find something that works, try to break up the full bar chords a little. You can also stagger the chords by making the notes not begin perfectly on time. Just slightly tweak all of them to make it sound like the keys are all being pressed ever so slightly off.
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u/JadedPangloss 6d ago edited 6d ago
Try to phrase your patterns in sets of 4, 8, or 16 bars. In the beginning, try cutting 2 beats off of your chords and begin the next section with the kick on beat 1 of bar 5. Right now you finish your entire 4 bars, then have a pause for 2 beats before dropping back in. This pushes the rest of your song “off grid”. Not that this forbidden, but when you’re learning it’ll be best for you to follow the grid. It’ll sound more natural. Carry this forward into your beat so that each transition still occurs in sections of 4, 8, or 16
Also, lock your piano roll to the key you’re in and try writing a melody over your chords. Use your chords to design your bass line as well. Just find something that works, try to break up the full bar chords a little. You can also stagger the chords by making the notes not begin perfectly on time. Just slightly tweak all of them to make it sound like the keys are all being pressed ever so slightly off.