A Cheatcode for Better Arrangements: The Two Loop Rule 

The man decided to cover his ears with frying pans.

blink twice if your headphones are holding you hostage

I love the fact that he's excited about his work and not just going through the motions.

My man out here blue balling us with no drop.

Hi Alex. This is a great method. I have another method I usually use. I open a song I like in Ableton (mp3 from a favorite artist), then I put markers in all the places where things happen. I try to describe the feelings I experience as clearly as possible at every marker. When I have analysed the song in detail, I remove the reference track. I am left with a template that I can then fill in with my own music. Then I never get stuck in a loop and it's very inspiring.

I love how he loves his own work and the fact that he isn't trying to constantly GAS up his viewers to buy more gear and software they don't need. He just helps us work with what we already have and make things better.

Alex: You can only repeat for two bars Daft Punk: *And I took that personally*

He’s having fun and enjoying the ride with us! He’s like a millennial Bob Ross with a midi keyboard instead of brushes. ❤

Man everytime he says "isnt it pretty".."isnt it beautiful", I literally get hyped up and I am smiling like him haha..... Also dont keep us hanging without the drop! This needs to be a finished piece :-P

Bro used landmines for headphones

Dude has been doing this for so long and is STILL providing super valuable videos. Cheers to you Alex 🍻

Came for the concept, stayed for the production. This track is BEAUTIFUL ❤

Bro! This is so helpful for me! I’ve been having writers block for years now, and I’ve been tired of just making four bar loops etc. so I had stopped even trying to make original music. But this has definitely inspired me to carry on. Thank you!! 🙏

This 10 minute video is most useful thing I’ve seen in the last 12 months.

The part about entry and exit points of transitions is huge. For me, drum fills are really vital for making a smooth transition for the type of music I make. Sometimes 2 guitar parts don't mix back-to-back until you have a nice fill leading into the next riff. Very helpful video!

This is wonderful stuff. Great explanation and very helpful. You did say that there were only two ways to make a change in the next section though, adding/subtracting instruments or adding/subtracting expression, and I’d add three more: 1. Moving to another harmonic area, 2. Changing the melodic content to a responsive or broadening line, 3. Change rhythmic content (particularly melodic or harmonic rhythms).

I freaking love EVERY SINGLE one of your videos! Just saying! You made me love to write/compose EDM. My husband did not like EDM until I started writing it how you taught me. I am a music producer/composer and I traditionally lean towards more orchestral composing but ever since I started following you, I have fallen in love with EDM and have sold even more music. Thank you!!

If you listen to Gaga's first album, The Fame, which is a near-perfect album of 2000s Europop, you realize that part of what makes the songs so insanely catchy is that you can break every section (verse, prechorus, etc.) into “couplets”. Every chord loop, or bassline loop, or vocal melody, happens twice so you can learn it before switching. Stuff like “Poker Face” or “Just Dance” truly are masterclasses on this.

Your joy, and how you describe the emotion you're feeling is so refreshing and awesome. Thanks for this video.

i think of all the youtube music channels i've seen this guy is one of the most helpful for electronic music - doesn't get bogged down by concepts or semantics & always demonstrates with real-time, visual examples.

You explain everything so simply and clearly seriously thank you for all the incredible videos

Love the track you made in the lesson! It really shows how even the smallest things make the biggest difference. It's giving mellow vacation home

Ive never felt the music while learning the way you do Alex. You are great and your taste is impeccable. And ofcourse, once again, my production skills have increased with ATLEAST 20% much love!

This is GOLD. Not only solid tips but your blatant adoration of music is verrry infectious.

Ive had a hard creatove block for years. Seeing your pov of arrangements has kinda shined a new light on the way i look at my arrangements. I now feel more inspired ! Thanks for the video!

This is blunt and upfront. I get lost in subtlety and nuance. This vid spells it out. Your arrangement needs to give cues as to the rise and fall in energy of the track. Thank you Alex, it is rare to be able to make something so simple and obvious. Subscribed.

Doing a music production course rn and one of my teachers just talked about this two weeks ago. It's so useful and so important when making music. Easy ideas he gave for what to change would be transposing the melodies down or up an octave or reversing them or even as simple as cutting layers and adding a filter to the section. Defenitely good advice and practice to have for music production.

I've done beats when I was way younger without any knowledge of music.I was still able to create something potent. After a long break of several years, I'm back at it again with a goal; learn the music theory for better efficiency. Got on youtube today to start my learning process on scales and basic piano, and before even start to tap on the search-bar, there's your video popping up on my RU-vid Home Page. I clicked and I wasn't disapointed at all. Even tho this is not ''Basic music theory'' such as Chord progression etc. this is still a ''Must-have'' secret kept in my pocket. You just gained a new subscriber. Thank you! Keep up the good work!

i cannot tell you how badly i needed to see this video! my arrangement has been killing me and this is gonna help me so so much! thanks Alex!

I LITERALLY SCREAMED OMG! I literally just took a break from creating my first chord progression because I was exhausted and couldn’t figure out what to do next. Then your video popped up and my mind is blown lol

Another easy rule is try to add or change anything about every 30 seconds. It can be a one-shot sample, a little flair melody, a riser/downriser, parameter automation, remove/add elements/layers. There are a way more options if you're working with synthesizers due to all of their parameters being customizable.

I love the way he broke down the process. The method he's created is beautiful

I love your videos Alex. This sort of thing is applicable no matter what style of music you produce and no matter how long you've been producing. Excellent!

This video is not only helpful for music production, but also very helpful for Live Looping Performances 👌🏻 And I’m very excited for applying it in my live loopings ♥ thank you very much :D

Wow... incredible how you compose music so fast and well. I think you forgot to verbally repeat, that every change/add you put in your song, is each 2 loops, following the rule. But it can be noticed in the Playlist. Great idea bro!!! Thank you for sharing it!

I randomly watch producing-tips to learn about different approaches and techniques from other people. Your tutorials seem to simplify basic aspects for every skill level through abstraction. Thank you.

I love your use of words to describe things. You bring a lot of emotion to the music theory and practice. EDM is one style I want to use but I am curious if I will find any help like yours in other genres

People talk about vintage gear sounding so rich and warm, but even this - straight out of a DAW - sounds so WARM. Nice job. Love the sound choices. It virtually mixes itself.

God im so glad someone is taking the time to talk ab song arrangement because it really is one of the most important parts of making a song

Thanks for the video. You’re having fun. It shows in your on screen vibes

Methods like this is why the LOFI hip-hop craze burned brightly but quickly faded into thousands upon thousands of songs starting to sound the same, rigid simple rules...that EVERYONE started to follow

Excellent, helpful video for those of us who attempt to make arrangements by just throwing darts and seeing what sounds good, this is tremendously insightful! I feel like this video highlighted to myself like 15 years of bad habits I have been repeating!

Really well explained. I’m learning a lot. I like the sound of high energy with the filter open, the filter closes, energy drops and you get beautiful delay and reverb tails

This is rock-solid, quick practical advice. Thank you.

I loved this! it was amazing and loved your own energy while working. thanks for this!

Thank you! I just wrote my first song that I started with programming a drum beat, liked it so much I decided to write over it. It definitely drags on with too many loops. I'm going to apply this to the song later!

I CAN NEVER LIE, WHENEVER I WATCH YOUR VIDEOS ,THE WAY YOU MAKE MUSIC , JUST PUT ME IN A DRIFFENT WORLD ..TO ME YOU ARE A MUSIC GOD THANKS

Nice! I have a similar rule, I always think of it as the "Aphex Twin rule", because it occurred to me listening to him. Something has to change at least every 4 bars to keep interest.

Such a wonderful tutorial, mate. Just great arrangement tips for all styles.

It’s like the bundle of tangled cords and knots about how to arrange and progress songs all just got untied and simplified. You have brought me tru inner peace😂

I don't think I'll ever learn how to write music, but it's just an exceptional delight for the soul to look at a happy guy on the screen who glows in all directions of the universe!

Listen, I really wanted to poke fun at that absolite waffle-iron of a pair of headphones… but this is one of those rare videos that is actually offering up simple, valuable and immediately practical advice. Very very cool!!

the song this video is based on is called sideways by Illenium, Nurko and Valerie Broussard, great song

This video is actually insanely helpful! Subconsciously I've been producing around this rule but now that I can define it my music is going to sound SO much better. Thank you Alex!!!

Dude I watch a lot of yt production how to vids and you are very good. The combo of usefulness, sophistication, taste and communication skill is killer. Thank you. Subbed.

Man as ridiculous as those headphones look, you still impressed the crap out of me with these concepts, great explaination and the theory of your music

big ahh headphones

I love your energy man, so soft yet passionate. Great vid!

I watched this whole video with a smile. Your genuine enthusiasm is catching.

interesting stuff, I like this kind of video because your concentrating on arranging a track instead of just one section.

you created the Melody and i instantly thought about "Sideways" by illenium, looked it up and the entire video is basically creating this specific song. but i like it

Very helpful! Love how you dive into the psychology of how we expect something and the ways to change that so we are surprised:)

Really appreciate someone making a video on arrangement, so important

Those are the biggest studio headphones I've ever seen

Clearly having goofy headphones makes u a better producer. This is actually such a good video. Ur very good at teaching. Straight to the point and easy to follow along. Nice work!

What a simple and straightforward (and positive) video showing a very practical foundational technique. Very impressed by how you structure your content!

I love how you crushed that joke at 6:38 and just let it simmer

The chords remind me of "Sideways" by Illenium and Nurko! Great video as always!

In Western Musical Theory, an 8 bar phrase is typically made of two 4-bar phrases, the antecedent and the consequent. This 2-loop rule follows this time tested concept. Anecdotally, a lot of romantic ballet music is repetitions of the 8 bars (creating 16 bar... choruses, to borrow a jazz term) see rondo, or tarantella. So doubling the 2-loop could work very well.

You explain this all in a way most other music producers on RU-vid don’t - it’s not music theory, but it’s also not the “idk lol play around and see what sounds good” attitude that a lot of others have. The way you talk about music production in this video reminds me of the way that my art instructors in college (visual fine arts major) would talk about art, and that clicks with me

Thank you for this video. I’ve been producing since the 80’s and still get value from fellow producers insight like this.

Sounds like an Ozempic commercial, I can hear all of the side effects being listed by the announcers voice..

There's nothing technically wrong, I just think this can be very restrictive. To say something like 'or ears naturally expect chords to change every two loops' is only applicable if you listen to an extremely narrow scope of music and you're working on a pretty focused genre: the four chord loop pop song. Also, we're talking strictly western theory here. Anywhere outside this small range, this rule doesn't hold. Also, why would you do what is 'expected'? Isn't that a recipe for 'unoriginal'? What about changing every three loops (hold the tension), one loop (create some confusion), never (trance)? Also, how far does it go? A lot of loops can add up in three or four minutes. Do we just keep changing up, with the acapella loop, the bebop loop, the djent loop, etc.? Anyways, there are some good suggestions, but hacks and shortcuts don't work well in music. Especially as a beginner, it is easy to end up learning the hack instead of the music. Spend the time, practice your instrument, learn the basics. Again, this is not bad. The texture change ideas and such are spot on. However, relying on cheats all the time can be very limiting and lead to bad habits.

I think we have the Bob Ross of music. Had a wonderful time listening to and learning! Thank you Alex :)

Been doing this for years its one of the best fast starts to build a track and change things otw. Fills, fx, new chord progression, effects just to name a few 🤙

Good stuff man, could you do a video about counter melodies maybe in future? Keep up the good work!

9:06 had me dead!

It's so dope many creators has a different names and rules when arranging. I always tell myself the 3rd bar always has to be different which is basically the 2 loop rule. But I call it the 3rd bar transition 😄

Honestly man you make everything seem so simple when it’s not, your so good…

Dude, you send off some good vibes. This is an excellent demonstration too. Great work!

I don't typically follow this rule. I use it sometimes, but not always. One say of music I once learned and has helped me was that when it comes to expression 'and music is an art' there are no rules. There can be no mistakes so long as it sounds good. What you really are looking for is what's weak vs what is strong. Depending on what your going for sometimes you need that weaker approach while in others you may want to have a stronger approach. Use your ears.

What I love about music production is, you learn one rule/skill/setting, and you can immediately build this into your next project and benefit from it.

that first piano loop was so simple yet lovely.

Ive been obsessed over all your great informative content. Very well done Alex!

hey alex i wanna get better at vocals

Ah, there's my waffle maker.

You are my only person from whom i have learned almost everything about music arrangement and production. Thanks

The way you say “isn’t that wonderful?!” Is so adorable

How to make what everybody does

How to make a boring song when your musical skills are non-existent

Arrangement tips are always welcome. Thanks for sharing!

I made pretty good 4-8 bar loops but struggle with arrangement. This video opened my mind to the process. Thank you.

I have been told "bring in 2, drop 1 / drop 2, bring in 1" with regards to instruments/tracks - Not always useful when you're building into a track but can stop things getting too cluttered once you're in full swing 😎

I just subscribed. You made that so easy to understand....im finding that with your other videos too. Im not even making music at the moment and you inspired me to load up everything and get back to doing what I love. Much appreciated sir!!

I have literally had this theory for the last few months and this just completely confirmed it thank you soooooooooo much😭😭😭

Been making music since 98, but your tips are very useful! I appreciate sharing the important ways to make it sound nice.

I love this guide, but more than that I love your excitement. Great video!!

I'm new to music production and this video just helps a lot! I didn't know what to do when I composed music yesterday but now, I have a clearer understanding of what to do.

Very interesting. As a DJ I apply this same concept to phrasing mixes. Changing from one track to the next should happen between these two-loop blocks, to keep a song-like structure to the mix 😊

I have a lot of trouble with arrangment, and this just unlocked so much for me, thank you!!