# How to create transitions in your arrangements Bring in and out sounds in pairs or even fours in order to create a more meaningful transition in your arrangement.[^1] Too much change between sections may feel disjointed. If your sections are drastically different, introduce some elements from the new section before the downbeat.[^2] Use a drum fill or another instrumental fill.[^3] Use a transition cue, like a sample or a melody.[^4] Drop an element or even the whole arrangement for a few beats before the downbeat.[^4] You can do this with mutes or filters.[^5] Doing so after the downbeat can be effective too.[^3] Resample an instrument before it occurs in the next section. You can reverse it or chop and screw it in some other way.[^4] Reversing a cymbal is a classic effect. You can also pitch down the cymbal for a different flavor.[^3] A classic EDM technique is to use noise and a rising filter (either a low-pass or band-pass).[^6] Another classic EDM technique is to use a snare roll.[^7] Yet another classic EDM technique is to create a reverb washout.[^7] You can add modulation or sidechain compression to any transition sound to create more interest.[^6] [^5] Use an arpeggiator and modulate the rate for a build up.[^5] A similar effect is to modulate the LFO on a synth or sampler, which is known as an LFO roll in EDM.[^8] Impact effects are useful for downbeats.[^3] For more, subtler effects, see [[Crafting transitions at the mixing stage]]. [^1]: [Make More INTERESTING Song Transitions with ONE SIMPLE RULE. - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MADvn8apYlQ) [^2]: [Writing Transitions Is Fun! (no really) - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3xRCSp6P2E&t=26s) [^3]: [5 Song Transition Techniques In Ableton Live - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ZMjnTVmngM) [^4]: [How To Transition In Your Music Without FX - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbs8_8ZJJOM) [^5]: [10 Ways To Create Lifts & Drops In Ableton Live - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YaMf4yJA6_s&list=PL9oiyAGA6zOREkZq-JlvqmugH369pArzv&index=3) [^6]: [Creating FX Transitions for EDM and Pop Music Tutorial - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DFMM2I92RE) [^7]: [16 Hacks Pros Use To Create Variation in Their Songs - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mkkSSfsGlo) [^8]: [Perfect Ear Candies That Matter - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOQc7B8HRx0)