BeatKey Production Guide
The complete production guide. BPM, filtered builds, chord progressions, sidechain compression, and mixing for Eric Prydz to Deadmau5 style tracks.
Progressive house layers 3-5 synth elements over 32-64 bars. If any element clashes with the key, the build falls apart. Detect the key before programming any melody, pad, or pluck sequence.
Progressive house spans from deep hypnotic grooves to festival anthems. The style determines your BPM, build length, and synth palette.
| Style | BPM | Key | Character | Artists | Tip |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Classic Progressive | 122-126 | A minor, D minor | Deep, hypnotic, long builds over 8-16 bars, filtered layers, no big drop | Sasha, John Digweed, Hernan Cattaneo, Nick Warren | Classic progressive breathes slowly. The filter opens over 16 bars, not 4. Patience is the production skill here. |
| Festival Progressive | 126-128 | A minor, F minor, G minor | Big room energy, anthem breakdowns, emotional chord stabs, arena-filling risers | Swedish House Mafia, Axwell /\ Ingrosso, Alesso, Nicky Romero | 128 BPM is the universal DJ mixing BPM. Festival progressive is designed for peak-time sets. |
| Pryda Style | 124-127 | A minor, D minor, G minor | Layered synth textures, patient builds, hypnotic loops, subtle melodic shifts | Eric Prydz, Pryda, Jeremy Olander, Cristoph, Fehrplay | The Prydz sound layers 3-5 synth elements that fade in over 32 bars. Each new layer changes the feel without changing the key. |
| Melodic Progressive | 122-124 | D minor, A minor, G minor | Warm, emotive, guitar-like plucks, organic textures, deep listening focus | Lane 8, Yotto, Ben Bohmer, Tinlicker, Dosem | Melodic progressive uses organic textures (guitar samples, field recordings, analog synth warmth) over digital precision. |
| Progressive Breaks | 124-128 | A minor, D minor | Breakbeat pattern instead of four-on-the-floor, progressive build structures | Sasha (Involver), BT, Way Out West | Replace the four-on-the-floor kick with a two-step breakbeat pattern. Keep the progressive build structure. |
| Afro Progressive | 120-124 | A minor, C minor, G minor | Tribal percussion, organic instrumentation, marimba and kalimba textures, deep groove | Black Coffee, Enoo Napa, Da Capo, BLOND:ISH | Layer African percussion (djembe, shaker, kalimba) over a progressive filtered build. Let the percussion drive, not the synth. |
Progressive house drums are minimal and functional. The groove comes from the interplay between kick, open hat, and sidechain compression. Less is more.
| Element | 1 . . . 2 . . . 3 . . . 4 . . . | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Kick | 1 . . . 1 . . . 1 . . . 1 . . . | Four-on-the-floor on every beat. At 124 BPM, that is 124 kicks per minute. Clean, punchy, sub-heavy. EQ cut at 300-500 Hz for clarity. |
| Snare / Clap | . . . . 1 . . . . . . . 1 . . . | Beats 2 and 4. Layered clap with snare for body. Short reverb (0.3-0.8s). Less reverb than trance. |
| Closed HH | 1 . 1 . 1 . 1 . 1 . 1 . 1 . 1 . | Constant 8th notes. Soft velocity (60-75%). Provides the groove shimmer above the kick. Cut below 8 kHz. |
| Open HH | . . . 1 . . . 1 . . . 1 . . . 1 | Off-beat open hat on the "and" of each beat. The classic house groove. Velocity 40-55% (quieter than closed hat). |
| Percussion | . 1 . . . . 1 . . 1 . . . . 1 . | Shaker, conga, or ride cymbal on syncopated positions. Adds groove without cluttering the mix. |
| Rim / Click | . . . . . . . . 1 . . . . . . . | Sparse rim shot or click on beat 3 only. Provides a subtle accent that separates progressive house from generic house. |
Four-on-the-floor, every beat. Sub peak at 50-60 Hz. Click transient at 3-5 kHz. Cut 300-500 Hz mud. The kick anchors everything.
Off-beat placement (the "and" of each beat). This is the classic house groove element. Keep velocity soft (40-55%).
Constant 8th notes. Velocity modulation (alternating 65% and 75%). Provides the rhythmic shimmer above the kick and bass.
Beats 2 and 4. Layer a clap with a tight snare for body. Reverb 0.3-0.8 seconds. Less reverb than trance for a tighter groove.
Shaker, conga, or ride on syncopated positions. Use sparingly. Progressive house is about space between the hits.
Apply to ALL synths and pads. Attack 1ms, release 100-150ms at 124 BPM. The pumping effect creates the progressive house breathing feel.
Progressive house uses extended voicings (7ths, 9ths, sus4) rather than simple triads. The chords evolve slowly over long sections. Two chords can carry an entire track if the filter and layering do the work.
Circular progression that never fully resolves. Creates the endless forward motion that defines progressive house. Every chord feels like a step forward.
Use pad synths with 2-4 second release tails. Overlap chord transitions so they blend rather than switch.
The same progression as uplifting trance but played at 124 BPM with filtered layers instead of supersaws. Emotional but restrained.
Play as sustained pads in the breakdown. Switch to rhythmic stabs in the main groove section.
Descending bass line under a held Am chord creates mounting tension. The Fmaj7 adds warmth. The E7 creates harmonic minor tension before resolution.
The bass note walks down: A, G, F, E. The chord changes are subtle. The tension comes from the bass movement, not harmonic changes.
Minimal harmonic movement. The track stays on two chords for 64 bars while layers build around it. Classic Hernan Cattaneo and Nick Warren style.
Two chords is enough when the filter automation and layering carry the arrangement. Less harmony, more texture.
Similar to the uplift but with added 7th voicings for depth. Strobe and I Remember use progressions like this. The major 7th adds lush sophistication.
Always use extended voicings (7ths, 9ths) rather than plain triads. Progressive house sounds thin with simple three-note chords.
The Bb (Phrygian bII) creates a dark, cinematic tension. Resolves through the E7 dominant back to Am. Common in darker Cirez D and Cristoph tracks.
Use this for darker, driving sections. The Bb chord is one semitone above Am and creates maximum harmonic tension.
Progressive house is built on layered, filtered synths that evolve over time. The filter automation is more important than the notes. Each element enters gradually and serves a specific role in the frequency spectrum.
Sawtooth or square wave with a low-pass filter that opens over 8-32 bars. Not a supersaw. 1-2 oscillators, slight detune (5-10 cents). The filter IS the performance.
Automate the low-pass filter cutoff from 200 Hz to 8 kHz over 16 bars. This single automation is more important than the note pattern.
Short attack, fast decay (80-120ms), zero sustain. Sawtooth or triangle wave. Plays a repeating arpeggio pattern locked to the chord progression.
Use a 16th-note pattern with velocity variation. The pluck sits behind the main filtered lead, adding rhythmic energy.
Long attack (1-3s), long release (3-6s). Warm analog-style pad. Lush reverb (3-5s). Sits low in the mix, provides harmonic depth and emotional warmth.
The pad should be barely audible in the main groove section but become prominent in the breakdown. Automate volume.
Sine wave or low sawtooth. Follows the root note of each chord. Sidechain compressed into the kick (attack 1ms, release 100-150ms). Clean, warm, not distorted.
Progressive house bass is warm and round, not aggressive. Cut above 200 Hz for a pure sub feel, or leave up to 400 Hz for a driving mid-bass.
White noise, vinyl crackle, rain, ocean, or field recordings. Very low volume. Provides subliminal organic texture that separates professional productions from bedroom demos.
Layer a subtle noise texture throughout the track at -18 to -24 dB. It should be felt more than heard.
White noise sweep, filtered synth rise, or reversed crash cymbal. Builds over 4-16 bars into transitions. Less aggressive than trance risers.
Progressive house risers are slower and more subtle than trance. A 16-bar riser that barely moves is more effective than a 4-bar scream.
| Key | Root Hz | Fifth Hz | Camelot | Usage in Progressive House |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A minor | 220 Hz | 330 Hz (E) | 8A | The most common progressive house key. Eric Prydz, Deadmau5, Sasha all gravitate to A minor. |
| D minor | 293 Hz | 440 Hz (A) | 7A | Second most common. Slightly darker than A minor. Hernan Cattaneo and Jeremy Olander favoured key. |
| G minor | 196 Hz | 294 Hz (D) | 6A | Deep and warm. Common in Afro progressive and melodic progressive styles. |
| F minor | 175 Hz | 262 Hz (C) | 4A | Darker, moodier. Used in Cirez D and darker progressive tracks. |
| C major | 262 Hz | 392 Hz (G) | 8B | Bright, uplifting. Festival progressive and anthem breakdowns. Swedish House Mafia territory. |
| F major | 175 Hz | 262 Hz (C) | 7B | Warm major key. Rare in progressive house but used in vocal progressive tracks for brightness. |
Progressive house arrangement is about the journey. Elements enter gradually, build to a peak, strip away to a breakdown, rebuild, peak higher, then wind down. The structure rewards patience.
| Section | Bars | Elements | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intro (16-32 bars) | 16-32 | Kick, hi-hats, subtle percussion. No melodic content. DJ mixing zone. | The intro is ONLY for DJ mixing. No melody, no pads, no vocals. Beat only. 16 bars minimum. |
| Build A (16-32 bars) | 16-32 | Bass enters. Filtered lead appears at low cutoff. Pluck sequence begins. Layers add every 8 bars. | This is where the journey begins. Filter opens slowly from 200 Hz toward 2 kHz over the full section. |
| Main Groove (16-32 bars) | 16-32 | Full groove: kick, bass, lead, pluck, percussion. Filter fully open or near peak. | The peak energy of the first half. All elements present. The groove is locked. |
| Breakdown (16-32 bars) | 16-32 | Kick and bass removed. Pad swells. Filtered lead stripped to bare melody. Atmospheric FX. | The emotional core. Remove drums. Let the pad and melody breathe. This is where the audience connects. |
| Build B (8-16 bars) | 8-16 | White noise riser. Hi-hats return. Filter sweeps upward. Kick enters at half speed then full. | Rebuild energy gradually. Not a sudden drop. The kick returns 4-8 bars before the lead filter opens. |
| Main Peak (16-32 bars) | 16-32 | Full arrangement with new element (vocal chop, new synth layer, percussion variation). | The climax. Add one element that was not in the first groove section. This is the reward for the journey. |
| Cooldown (16 bars) | 16 | Elements removed one by one. Filter closes. Energy decreases. | Mirror the Build A in reverse. Remove layers every 4-8 bars. |
| Outro (16-32 bars) | 16-32 | Kick and hi-hats only. DJ mixing zone. Matches intro energy. | Same as intro: beat only. Allows the next DJ to mix in cleanly. |
Progressive house is the most dynamic electronic genre. Preserve headroom. The sidechain pump and filter automation need dynamic range to work. Over-compression kills the magic.
| Element | Priority | EQ | Compression | Pan | Effects |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kick | Anchor | Sub peak 50-60 Hz. Cut 300-500 Hz boxiness. Click presence at 3-5 kHz. | Minimal compression on the kick itself. Let it punch naturally. | Centre (mono) | None. Keep the kick completely dry. |
| Filtered Lead | Star | Depends on filter position. High-pass at 150 Hz to avoid bass clash. Presence at 2-5 kHz. | Light compression (2:1 ratio). Sidechain into the kick for pumping effect (attack 1ms, release 100-150ms). | Centre to slight stereo spread | Delay: dotted 8th at BPM. Reverb: medium hall 1.5-2.5s. Automate both with the filter. |
| Pluck | Texture | High-pass at 200 Hz. Cut mud at 400 Hz. Presence at 4-7 kHz. | Sidechain into kick (medium release 80ms). Keeps the pluck pumping with the groove. | Stereo spread 60-80% | Short delay (1/16th). Minimal reverb (0.5-1s). Keep it tight and rhythmic. |
| Pad | Background | High-pass at 200-300 Hz. Gentle presence at 8-12 kHz for air. | Very light (1.5:1). Slow attack (50ms), slow release (300ms). | Full stereo | Large hall reverb 3-5s. This is where the reverb lives in progressive house. |
| Bass | Foundation | Sub focus 40-80 Hz. Cut above 200 Hz for pure sub, or shape up to 400 Hz for driving mid-bass. | Sidechain into kick (attack 0.5ms, release 80-100ms). The sidechain pump IS the groove. | Centre (mono below 200 Hz) | None. Keep bass completely dry. |
| Master Bus | Glue | Gentle high shelf boost at 12 kHz (+1 dB). Low cut at 25 Hz (subsonic protection). | Bus compression: 2:1 ratio, slow attack (30ms), auto-release. 1-2 dB gain reduction maximum. | N/A | Limiter: -10 to -8 LUFS for streaming, -8 to -6 LUFS for club. Progressive house is dynamic; do not over-limit. |
| BPM | Quarter | Dotted 8th | 8th | 16th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 120 | 500ms | 375ms | 250ms | 125ms |
| 122 | 492ms | 369ms | 246ms | 123ms |
| 124 | 484ms | 363ms | 242ms | 121ms |
| 125 | 480ms | 360ms | 240ms | 120ms |
| 126 | 476ms | 357ms | 238ms | 119ms |
| 127 | 472ms | 354ms | 236ms | 118ms |
| 128 | 469ms | 352ms | 234ms | 117ms |
| 130 | 462ms | 346ms | 231ms | 115ms |
Progressive house does NOT use supersaw leads or sudden drops. Use filtered layers that evolve slowly. The build IS the track, not a setup for a drop.
Progressive house is about addition and subtraction over time. Start with kick and bass. Add one element every 8-16 bars. Never have more than 5-6 elements playing simultaneously.
If you sample a vocal, pad, or melody, detect its key with BeatKey before building your synth layers. Key clashes between elements are unfixable in the mix.
A 4-bar filter sweep sounds like generic EDM. Progressive house filter builds happen over 16-32 bars minimum. Patience is the skill.
Use 7ths, 9ths, and sus4 voicings. Am7 instead of Am. Fmaj7 instead of F. Cmaj9 instead of C. Extended chords add the lush depth that defines the genre.
Progressive house is the most dynamic electronic genre. Target -10 to -8 LUFS for streaming, not -6. The dynamic range is part of the emotional impact.
Progressive house runs from 122 to 128 BPM. Classic progressive sits at 122-126. Festival progressive peaks at 126-128. Melodic progressive sits at 122-124. The sweet spot is 124 BPM.
A minor and D minor are the most common progressive house keys. Extended chord voicings (7ths, 9ths, sus4) are standard. Detect your key with BeatKey before building layers.
Progressive house is slower (122-128 vs 136-145 BPM), uses filtered builds instead of sudden drops, avoids supersaw leads, and relies on textural evolution. Progressive house is a journey; trance is a destination.
Eric Prydz (Opus, Pjanoo), Deadmau5 (Strobe, I Remember), Swedish House Mafia, Sasha and John Digweed, Lane 8, Yotto, Jeremy Olander, Hernan Cattaneo, Cristoph, and Guy J.