How to Make Future Funk Music in LMMS

Learn how to make future funk music using the free music production software LMMS. This guide will show you how to create the iconic synth sounds and drum patterns of the genre.

Introduction

Future funk is a subgenre of electronic music that draws influence from 1970s and 1980s disco, boogie, and soul. The genre originated in the early 2010s on SoundCloud and Bandcamp, and has since found popularity in Japan and overseas.

What distinguishes future funk from other genres is its focus on positive, feel-good vibes; catchy melodies; and vintage synths and drum machines. The genre often features samples of older songs (particularly from the disco era), which are given new life through creative re-editing.

If you’re interested in making your own future funk tracks, this guide will show you how to get started using the free music production software LMMS.

What is Future Funk?

Future Funk is a music genre that originated in the 1970s. It is a combination of funk and electronic music. Future Funk music is generally happy and upbeat. In this article, we will show you how to make Future Funk music in LMMS.

The Origins of Future Funk

Future funk is a genre of electronic music that arose in the early 2010s. The style is characterized by its retrofuturistic aesthetic, which combines elements of 1970s and 1980s disco, synth-pop, and new wave music with futuristic themes and aspirations.

Future funk artists often make use of vintage synthesizers, drum machines, and vocoders, as well as sampled music from the era, giving their tracks a distinct retro sound. The genre has been described as “a reaction to the sterile, soul-less sound of modern electronic music”, and as “a celebration of ’80s pop culture”.

Future funk first gained popularity on the internet in the form of mashups and remixes of classic tracks by artists like Daft Punk, Michael Jackson, and Madonna. These early tracks were often created with the intention of eliciting an emotional response from listeners, evoking nostalgia for a time when electronic music was more positive and optimistic.

As the genre developed, future funk artists began to produce original tracks that blended elements of disco, synth-pop, new wave, and other styles. The resulting sound was both nostalgic and futuristic, mixing familiar sounds with an innovative spirit.

The term “future funk” was coined by French producer A-Trak in 2013, who described it as “a mix between P-Funk and nu-disco”. Since then, the style has continued to evolve and gain popularity; one notable example is Japanese producer Towa Tei’s 2017 album Funk Anatomy, which incorporated elements of hip hop, jazz fusion, and Latin music.

With its blend of retro aesthetics and forward-thinking production techniques, future funk is both a nostalgic throwback and a bold step into the future of electronic music.

The Characteristics of Future Funk

Future funk is a genre of electronic music that combines elements of funk, disco, and P-Funk with modern production techniques. It often has a strong bassline, catchy melodies, and chords played on vintage synthesizers. The tempo is usually around 110–115 BPM, and the songs often have a playful or positive vibe.

Future funk began in the early 2010s as a subgenre of vaporwave, and it has since evolved into its own distinct style. Many future funk artists use the image macros and graphic design aesthetics of vaporwave, but the music is more rooted in funk and disco. Future funk often references Japanese culture and anime, as well as video games and other aspects of ’80s and ’90s pop culture.

The genre is still relatively new, so there is no strict formula for making future funk songs. However, there are some common elements that you can use to create your own future funk tracks. Start by infusing your music with the following characteristics:

* A strong bassline that sits at the forefront of the mix
* Catchy melodies played on vintage synthesizers
* A tempo of around 110–115 BPM
* A positive or playful vibe
* References to ’80s and ’90s pop culture

How to Make Future Funk Music in LMMS

Future funk is a genre of electronic music that typically features a mix of 1970s and 1980s disco-funk with modern elements of electronic dance music. If you’re interested in creating future funk, you can do so with the free and open-source music production software LMMS. In this article, we’ll show you how to make future funk music in LMMS.

Step 1: Choose a Tempo

Future funk is a subgenre of funk music that was popularized on the internet in the 2010s. It is characterized by its synthesizer-heavy sound and nostalgic themes.

If you want to make future funk music in LMMS, the first step is to choose a tempo. Future funk songs are usually between 110 and 140 BPM, but you can go as fast or slow as you like. For this tutorial, we’ll use 120 BPM.

Next, create a new project in LMMS and add a kick drum to your project. Make sure the kick is set to play on all 4 beats of the measure.

Now add a snare drum on beats 2 and 4. You can also add a hi-hat on beats 1 and 3 if you like.

Next, add a bassline to your project. Future funk basslines are often simple, so don’t overthink it! Just choose a few notes that sound good together and play around with the rhythm.

Now it’s time to add some synth melodies. Future funk songs often have catchy, upbeat melodies, so try to come up with something that will stick in your listener’s head.

Step 2: Choose a Key

Now that you know what scale you want to use, it’s time to choose a key.

A key is simply the starting note of a scale. For example, if we wanted to use the C major scale, our key would be C.

Once you’ve chosen a key, it’s important to find the root note of that key. The root note is the note that gives its name to the key; in our case, the root note of C major is C.

You can find the root note by looking at the piano roll in LMMS and finding the note with the same name as your key. In our case, we would look for a C note.

Step 3: Find Some Samples

Next, you need to find some samples. If you want to make original future funk tracks, then you need to find your own samples and chop them up yourself. The most common places to find samples are from other songs, or from sound effect websites.

To find samples from other songs, you can use a program like Audacity or you can do it manually by using a YouTube to MP3 converter. I personally like using Audacity because it allows me to easily change the tempo and pitch of the sample, which comes in handy when trying to make a funky track.

If you want to use sound effect websites, then I recommend checking out Freesound.org. They have a ton of high-quality samples that you can download and use for free. Just be sure to read the licensing agreement before using any of the sounds in your tracks.

Once you’ve found some samples, it’s time to start chopping them up!

Step 4: Create a Drum Loop

In this step, we’ll create a simple four-on-the-floor drum loop using some of the drum samples we imported in Step 2.

1. Create a new project in LMMS and add a Drum Machine instrument to the song editor.

2. Load the kick sample into the first slot and the snare sample into the second slot.

3. Create a four-beat pattern with kick on beats 1 and 3, and snare on beats 2 and 4.

4. Add hi-hat and cymbal samples to slots 3 and 4, and create 16th note patterns for each.

5. Experiment with different drum sounds and rhythms to create your own unique future funk beat!

Step 5: Add a Bassline

In this step, we will be adding a bassline to our track. Basslines are an important part of Future Funk as they provide the track with a solid groove and help to fill out the low end.

To create a bassline, we’ll first need to add a new instrument layer to our project. In the “Instruments” tab of the project window, click on the “Add Layer” button and select “Bass”. This will create a new instrument layer with a default bass sound.

Next, we’ll need to add some notes to our new bassline. In the Piano Roll editor, select the “Bass” layer and draw in some notes using the Pencil tool. For our bassline, we’ll use the following notes: G2, G3, C3, D3, E3.

Once you’ve added all of the notes, you can adjust their velocities (i.e. how hard they are played) by clicking and dragging on them with the Pencil tool. Higher velocities will result in louder notes.

Now that our bassline is complete, let’s add some effects to make it sound even better!

Step 6: Add Some Chords

Now that you have a lead, it’s time to add some chords!

First, find a place in your measure where you want the chords to start. Again, using the note tool, click and drag to create a chord.

As before, you can use the arrow keys to select which notes you want in your chord, and right click if you want to change the octave.

One thing to keep in mind is that future funk often uses 7th chords. These are chords built off of the 7th note of a scale. So, if you’re in C major, a C7 chord would be made up of the notes C-E-G-Bb.

Don’t worry if this seems confusing--just experiment and see what sounds good! You can always delete or change notes later if you don’t like them.

Step 7: Add Lead and Percussion Sounds

Now it’s time to add some lead and percussion sounds. You can use any sound you want for the lead, but for the percussion, I recommend using a closed hi-hat, an open hi-hat, and a kick drum.

To add a lead sound, click on the “Add Instrument” button in the “Instrument Plugins” tab and select “3OSC”.

3OSC is a basic wavetable synthesizer that will allow us to create a wide range of sounds. For our lead sound, we’re going to use a square wave with a bit of feedback.

First, click on the “Osc 1 Type” drop-down menu and select “Square”. Next, increase the “Feedback” knob to around 50%. Now we need to add some vibrato.

Click on the “LFO 1 Rate” knob and turn it up until you can hear a slight modulation in the pitch of the sound. You may also want to increase the “LFO 1 Depth” knob to around 50%.

Now that we have our lead sound, let’s add some percussion. Click on the “Add Instrument” button again and select “DrumSynth Live”.

DrumSynth Live is a great way to quickly add percussion sounds to your track. For our first drum sound, we’re going to use a closed hi-hat. Click on the “Kit Selector” drop-down menu and select “Kit 3 – Closes & Rides 2\”.
From here, find the sound labeled “CHH1 Closed HiHat 001e\”. This is our closed hi-hat sound. To add it to our track, right-click on the square next to the sound and select “Insert into Track 1\”. Repeat this process for an open hi-hat (sound labeled

Step 8: Add Effects

After you have your layers set up and sounding the way you want, it’s time to add some effects. Effects can really help set the mood of a track and can make it more interesting to listen to.

In LMMS, there are a few different ways to add effects. One way is to use automation on the track itself. To do this, right click on the track and select “Add Automation Point”. Then, in the drop-down menu that appears, select the type of effect you want to add.

Another way to add effects is with plugins. LMMS comes with a few built-in plugins, but there are also many free plugins available online. To use a plugin, first add a new instrument or effect by clicking “Add New…” in the sidebar on the left. Then, select “Plugin” from the list of options. In the window that appears, select the type of plugin you want to use and click “OK”.

once you have your plugin set up, you can adjust the parameters by clicking on the knobs in the plugin interface. To hear how your changes sound, make sure that your plugin is enabled by clicking on the ” bypass” button .

Finally, another way to add effects is with EQs. EQs are used to boost or cut certain frequencies in order to shape the sound of a track. For example, if you wanted your track to sound more vague , you could cut out some of the high frequencies . To do this in LMMS, first click “Add New…” in the sidebar and select “EQ”. In the window that appears, select which kind of EQ you want to use . There are many different types of EQs , so experiment until you find one that you like . Once you have your EQ set up , you can adjust its parameters by clicking and dragging on the dots in the EQ graph . As always , make sure to listen back to your changes by clicking on t he “bypass” button .

Step 9: Export Your Track

Now that you have your track complete, you will want to export it so you can share it with the world! In the File menu, select Export->Export to WAV. Give your track a name and choose where you would like to save it. The Export window will open. You can leave the settings at their defaults and click Export. Your track is now saved as a .wav file and is ready to be enjoyed by others!

Conclusion

In conclusion, making future funk music in LMMS is a fun and easy process that anyone can do. With a little bit of creativity and patience, you can create some great-sounding tracks that will make people want to get up and dance. If you want to learn more about this genre of music, be sure to check out our other tutorials on the subject. Thank you for reading and good luck!