live-coding-academy_ ⌕ search
home/ atoms/ pitch-semitone-chord-stacking

Transposing oscillators by musical intervals (fifths, thirds, sevenths) builds chords within a single patch

Procedure L2First instrument B · Sound design & synthesis

Setting an oscillator’s semitone transpose to a musical interval — rather than an octave — turns a monophonic patch into a built-in chord: +7 semitones adds a perfect fifth; +4 a major third; +3 a minor third; +7+4 produces a major chord. In Serum 2, this is done with the semi (semitone) control per oscillator. Stacking a root + fifth + seventh creates a dominant seventh chord from a single note input. This is useful for house and dance music where ‘instant chord’ patches are standard — the player inputs one note but hears a full chord. The technique is also used for organ approximations (sine waves at root + fifth + octave) and power chords.

Examples

Serum 2: Osc A at 0 semi, Osc B at +7 semi, Osc C at +12 semi → open fifth/octave stack. ‘+7 → creates a very strong power chord’ per the source.

Assessment

Set three saw oscillators to intervals root, +7, +12. Play a single note. Describe the harmonic result. Then change the +7 to +3 (minor third). What chord quality does this produce?

Prerequisites — understand these first

Sources

“If we put this at a seventh, we create a very strong power chord. Okay. We can also do five. Can also do three. creates [music] a minor chord. Can also do four, which creates a fruity major chord.”
corpus · complete-guide-to-master-serum-2-ep1-wavetable-oscillator-ze · chunk 2

Taught in modules