Lesson 16
Arpeggiator & note repeat
Turn a held chord into a rippling pattern with the arpeggiator, and play fast drum rolls with note repeat.
- A Move that is switched on
- The Set from Lesson 15, or any Set with a drum kit and a melodic sound
The idea
When you hold a chord on a piano, all its notes ring out at once. An arpeggiator does something different: it plays the notes of the chord you hold one after another, over and over, in time with the beat. The result is called an arpeggio. Hold three pads and you get a rippling pattern that would be hard to play by hand.
Move’s arpeggiator has three styles:
- Arp Up climbs from the lowest note of your chord to the highest, then starts again.
- Arp Down goes the other way, from high to low.
- Arp Random picks the order by chance, so the pattern keeps changing.
The rate sets how fast the notes follow each other, for example one note every sixteenth of a bar, or one every eighth. A faster rate gives a busier, more excited pattern.
The same menu also has plain Repeat. Instead of stepping through a chord, it plays whatever you hold again and again at the chosen rate. On a drum kit this is perfect for the quick “tsk-tsk-tsk” hi-hat rolls you hear in hip hop and electronic music. The arpeggiator only works on melodic sounds; Repeat works on both melodic sounds and drums.
Press Play so your loop runs underneath. It’s much more fun to play along with a beat.
You should hear: Your loop plays: drums, bass and chords.
Press the third track button from the top. In a brand-new Set it holds a pad, keys, plucked or rhythmic sound. In the Set from Lesson 15, it holds your chords.
Didn’t work?
The arpeggiator needs a melodic sound. If the pads play different drum hits, pick another track button. Short, plucky sounds show off the arpeggio best.You should see: The third track is selected.
Hold Shift and press Step 11.
Didn’t work?
Keep Shift held down until you’ve pressed Step 11. If the display doesn’t change, press the track button again to make sure you’re in Note Mode, then retry.You should see: The Repeat menu opens on the display.
With the Repeat entry highlighted, press the wheel.
Didn’t work?
If a different entry is highlighted, turn the wheel until Repeat is, then press.You should see: A list of repeat styles appears.
Turn the wheel to Arp Up, then press the wheel to confirm.
You should see: Arp Up is now the chosen style.
Hold a chord: in one row, press and hold the 1st, 3rd and 5th pads, the skip-one shape from Lesson 15.
Didn’t work?
Hearing one note repeat instead of a pattern? Only one pad is down. Press all three together and keep holding them. If the chord just rings out with no pattern, go back two steps and check that Arp Up is chosen.You should hear: The three notes play one at a time, rising, again and again for as long as you hold them.
Turn the wheel to the Rate entry and change the rate, then hold your chord again to hear the difference.
Didn’t work?
If turning the wheel only moves between entries, press the wheel on Rate first, then turn it.You should see: The Rate value changes on the display.
Hold Shift and press Step 11 again to leave the menu.
Didn’t work?
Keep Shift held until Step 11 is down. If a note appeared on Step 11 by mistake, press Undo.You should see: The Repeat menu closes.
Press the top track button. In a brand-new Set, it holds a drum kit. Tap the pads in the left block one by one and find the hi-hat by ear: a short, bright tick. Remember which pad it is.
Didn’t work?
If the pads play notes instead of drum hits, try the other track buttons until you find your drums.You should see: The top track, your drum kit, is selected.
Hold Shift and press Step 11.
You should see: The Repeat menu opens, this time for the drum kit.
Press and hold the hi-hat pad you found. Let go to stop the roll.
Didn’t work?
Turn the wheel while the menu is open to pick a faster or slower rate. Slow rates sound like steady eighth notes; fast ones sound like a buzz.You should hear: A fast, even roll of hits for as long as you hold the pad.
Lesson complete! Try the challenge below, or keep going.
Next lesson →When you’re done, hold Shift and press Step 11 to close the menu, then press Play to stop.
Try it yourself
- Go back to your chord track and try Arp Down and Arp Random. Which one suits your beat best?
- Hold two pads, then three, then four. The arpeggio grows with every note you add.
- Play a hi-hat roll only at the end of each bar, as a small fill. Now press Record and play it for real: repeated notes you record end up on the step buttons like any other notes.
Good to know
- An arpeggio on a single held note simply repeats it at the chosen rate.
- On a melodic track you can also pick the plain Repeat style instead of an Arp style. Then every note you hold, alone or in a chord, repeats at the rate you set.