5 Tips to Make Better Slowcore

I have developed 5 tips to help you make better slowcore music.

#1 - Use 2 Chord Progressions

Don’t try to make your progressions too complicated. The best slowcore tracks only use 2 or 3 chords in their chord sequences.

#2 - Use 7th and 9th chords

Slowcore music is a wonderful mixture of hope, sadness, nostalgia, calm, and anxiety; emotionally complicated.

This is reflected in the common use of extended chords like 7th chords and 9th chords.

#3 - Roll off the highs

Slowcore has a lot in common with Lofi music. There is a definite sense of the DIY bedroom producer.

As a nod to these, you can emulate “lower-quality” recording gear and techniques and the easiest way to do this is to roll off the highest frequencies in your mix.

#4 - Keep drums sparse & simple

In many slowcore songs, the drums can barely be heard. When they can, though, they are often just a simple kick-snare pattern with a soft ride cymbal.

Slowcore producers rarely deviate from this and also don’t tend to use drum fills - so keep your drum beat simple.

#5 - Imperfect is perfect

As you are approaching this genre as a bedroom producer you want to achieve a “rough-around-the-edges” vibe.

The quickest and easiest way to do this is to keep takes even if they are slightly out of time and/or out of tune.

Go make some slowcore 🤘🏼

Right, now you have these tips, go and make a slowcore track and remember, DONE IS BETTER THAN PERFECT!

In the meantime, here is a playlist of awesome slowcore to keep you inspired 🥰

Happy composing!Rich