In an excerpt from our new book, The Secrets of Techno Production, we dive into the theory of techno parallel chord stabs.
Learning music theory can be a powerful tool in techno production, helping producers understand scales, chord progressions, and rhythmic structures.
Even the smallest of knowledge can unlock new creative ideas, making it easier to craft but also it can change how you listen to music. Hear minor 3rds? Great. Hear 13th chords as stabs? Even better!
But remember, techno thrives on instinct, improvisation, and the moment’s energy. Overthinking theory can sometimes kill the raw, spontaneous feel that makes techno so powerful. Many of the best tracks come from experimenting with sound rather than rigidly following theoretical rules. If there really is a secret it might be the balance of using theory as a guide, not a restriction. Learn enough to break the rules creatively, then trust your ears and intuition to shape something unique and alive.
What is a parallel chord progression?
A parallel chord progression is when a chord sequence moves by maintaining the same chord quality while shifting up or down by a consistent interval. Essentially, the chord shape remains the same, but its root moves to a different pitch. Depending on the context, this technique can create a smooth, cohesive sound or a dramatic, unconventional movement.
For example, if you play a C minor chord (C–E♭–G) and then shift every note up a whole step, you get a D minor chord (D–F–A). Since both are minor, this is a parallel movement. The same applies to major, diminished, or other chord types. Underground Resistance’s classic ‘Timeline’ is a good example!
Let’s look at a basic way to make a parallel chord techno stab progression using E minor.
Level: Beginner | Intermediate
Techno Parallel Chord Stabs
Step 1
Create an empty 2-bar MIDI clip. Take a chord from the previous walkthrough and copy-paste its notes into this MIDI File. Let’s go with E Minor. Load up Ableton’s Flash Organ preset or another Synth Keys preset. The focus in this tutorial is not so much on the sound. We have a series for that called Synth Secrets.
Step 2
Duplicate the three E Minor chord notes five or six times and pitch the variations either up or down (as a whole) to create different chords. Many of these won’t actually be in the E Minor key anymore, but this doesn’t really matter with parallel progressions.
Step 3
Shorten the chords to make them each last only one 16th-note and experiment with different rhythms. Make sure to emphasize hits that don’t occur on downbeats to introduce syncopation.
Step 4
Duplicate your 2-bar progression to make it a 4-bar progression, and vary it by muting some of the chords and slightly moving one or two of the others. You don’t have to copy exactly what we have done, use it as a guide. In the picture below, we’re displaying the last 2 bars of our 4-bar progression to highlight the changes made.
Step 5
Add additional notes to the chords, such as higher octaves of the root notes. You could also add 7ths and 9ths to the chords like we did in the previous tutorial, but we won’t do that for now.
Remember that to achieve the parallel progression sound, all chords need to have the same shape (inversions), so any changes to one of the chords can be applied to the others.
Step 6
These kinds of progressions really come to life with some automation, so automate the Filter Cutoff, Reverb and Auto Pan macros. We recommend doing extended automation takes live and then choose your best moments. We’ve overdone it here for effect purposes.
If you like this tutorial, you may enjoy our books The Secrets of Techno Production, The Secrets of Dance Music Production and The Producer’s Manual.All are available directly in the Attack Store.
