Beat Magazine #242 - March 2026

From Loop Hell To Chart Hook: 15 Pages of Tutorials to Master Your Melodies | Beat 03/26

A loop is quickly built. A beat is playing, chords are there, maybe there is even a melody. And yet often ... nothing happens. The song doesn‘t move forward, the hook doesn‘t light up, decisions feel random. This is exactly where Melody Mastery comes in: This BEAT masterclass shows you how to develop chords, melodies and hooks in a targeted manner instead of varying them endlessly. Without note stress, without theory ballast, but with clear workflows and tried-and-tested methods.

The focus is not on „more tracks“, but on better decisions: What does the song carry? What is ballast? And when does an idea really work?

What you will learn in this masterclass:

• how chords set emotions and carry melodies instead of crushing them
• how hooks are created by reduction, repetition and timing
• how to get good ideas faster with clear constraints
• how arrangement and dramaturgy make melodies stronger
• how tools and hardware can support you in making decisions and not distract you

How to work with Melody Mastery

Melodies and hooks decide whether a loop becomes a song. Melody Mastery shows you how to develop chords, melodies and hooks in a targeted manner - with clear workflows, tried and tested methods and without note stress. Instead of theoretical ballast, this masterclass relies on decisions: What carries the song? When does an idea become a hook? From chord sequences with hit factor to reduced hook concepts to arrangement and dramaturgy, you will learn to combine musical building blocks in a meaningful way. Challenges, hands-ons and tool guides help you get exciting results faster.

Gratis Plug-in: Legendary Tube Mojo – Get Tone Empire LAM16 Free

The LAM16 isn‘t a neutral preamp, but rather a tool that shapes sound. Tone Empire has captured the legendary Langevin AM16 in detail using neural modeling, including open highs, harmonic saturation, and two modes for additional coloration. The result: An instantly audible vintage character that binds tracks together without flattening them. Ideal for anyone who wants to shape their sound before the first EQ kicks in!

Review: Arturia AstroLab 37 – The V-Collection Now as Hardware

Arturia brings its in-house V-Collection from the DAW to the stage and rehearsal room. With AstroLab 37, you have direct access to over 40 instruments, from pianos and strings to vintage synthesizers and samplers to modern digital synthesis, even without a computer.

Timeless but slightly dangerous – DJ Hell interviewed

Despite its title, DJ Hell‘s new album „Neoclash“ is not so much a return to his roots as a fearless journey into long, mind-expanding groove-worlds. If his music has sometimes felt like sculpture, then maybe that‘s because design and fashion have always been an integral part of it. For Hell, the way we dress and the music we make are two sides of the same coin – it‘s all connected.