The Stranger Things theme arp
arp · bright · 88 BPM (80–96) · D# minor · 8 bars · 32 steps
The technique
Arpeggiate a major-seventh chord in even eighths: root, third, fifth, seventh. The seventh is always the top note, and the root’s octave a semitone above it is never played.
End every second bar on the seventh and hold it to the bar line. It wants to rise a semitone to the root, and the figure never lets it. That held, unresolved note is the whole mood.
The VI climbs. The III opens on its seventh and falls: in bar four to its root and a leap of a major seventh straight back up, in bar eight from the low root back up through the chord. Either way the pass ends hanging.
Bars five to eight open each chord up: root an octave lower, then the fifth, the tenth and the seventh. Same chords, same top note, about twice the span.
Keep the eighths dead even and let a sequencer play them if you can. The tension comes from the note that does not move, so nothing else should push.
The VI holds the key’s own tonic triad above its root. Let that be the key; there is no separate i chord, and the figure does not need one.
The chords
4 chords over 8 bars, in D# minor.
| Degree | Chord | Notes | Bars | Under the figure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| VI | B | B · D# · F# | 1–2 | ● |
| III | F# | F# · A# · C# | 3–4 | ● |
| VI | B | B · D# · F# | 5–6 | ● |
| III | F# | F# · A# · C# | 7–8 | ● |
The figure is played over these chords; supply them separately if your rig allows.
The notes
8 bars in D# minor. Each note is in force across the steps shown.
- steps 1–2·over VI B·B3·degree 6·MIDI 59
- steps 3–4·over VI B·D#4·degree 1·MIDI 63
- steps 5–6·over VI B·F#4·degree 3·MIDI 66
- steps 7–8·over VI B·A#4·degree 5·MIDI 70
- steps 9–10·over VI B·F#4·degree 3·MIDI 66
- steps 11–12·over VI B·D#4·degree 1·MIDI 63
- steps 13–14·over VI B·F#4·degree 3·MIDI 66
- steps 15–16·over VI B·A#4·degree 5·MIDI 70
- steps 17–18·over VI B·B3·degree 6·MIDI 59
- steps 19–20·over VI B·D#4·degree 1·MIDI 63
- steps 21–22·over VI B·F#4·degree 3·MIDI 66
- steps 23–32·over VI B·A#4·degree 5·MIDI 70
- steps 33–34·over III F#·E#4·degree 2·MIDI 65
- steps 35–36·over III F#·C#4·degree 7·MIDI 61
- steps 37–38·over III F#·A#3·degree 5·MIDI 58
- steps 39–40·over III F#·F#3·degree 3·MIDI 54
- steps 41–42·over III F#·A#3·degree 5·MIDI 58
- steps 43–44·over III F#·C#4·degree 7·MIDI 61
- steps 45–46·over III F#·E#4·degree 2·MIDI 65
- steps 47–48·over III F#·C#4·degree 7·MIDI 61
- steps 49–50·over III F#·C#4·degree 7·MIDI 61
- steps 51–52·over III F#·A#3·degree 5·MIDI 58
- steps 53–54·over III F#·F#3·degree 3·MIDI 54
- steps 55–64·over III F#·E#4·degree 2·MIDI 65
- steps 65–66·over VI B·B2·degree 6·MIDI 47
- steps 67–68·over VI B·F#3·degree 3·MIDI 54
- steps 69–70·over VI B·D#4·degree 1·MIDI 63
- steps 71–72·over VI B·A#4·degree 5·MIDI 70
- steps 73–74·over VI B·D#4·degree 1·MIDI 63
- steps 75–76·over VI B·F#3·degree 3·MIDI 54
- steps 77–78·over VI B·D#4·degree 1·MIDI 63
- steps 79–80·over VI B·A#4·degree 5·MIDI 70
- steps 81–82·over VI B·B2·degree 6·MIDI 47
- steps 83–84·over VI B·F#3·degree 3·MIDI 54
- steps 85–86·over VI B·D#4·degree 1·MIDI 63
- steps 87–96·over VI B·A#4·degree 5·MIDI 70
- steps 97–98·over III F#·E#4·degree 2·MIDI 65
- steps 99–100·over III F#·A#3·degree 5·MIDI 58
- steps 101–102·over III F#·C#3·degree 7·MIDI 49
- steps 103–104·over III F#·F#2·degree 3·MIDI 42
- steps 105–106·over III F#·C#3·degree 7·MIDI 49
- steps 107–108·over III F#·A#3·degree 5·MIDI 58
- steps 109–110·over III F#·E#4·degree 2·MIDI 65
- steps 111–112·over III F#·A#3·degree 5·MIDI 58
- steps 113–114·over III F#·F#2·degree 3·MIDI 42
- steps 115–116·over III F#·C#3·degree 7·MIDI 49
- steps 117–118·over III F#·A#3·degree 5·MIDI 58
- steps 119–128·over III F#·E#4·degree 2·MIDI 65
The grid
Every step below strikes the note in force at that point. The grid is where the figure is played.
The grid is 2 bars and the figure is 8: play it round 4 times.
- —1 (vel 110), 33 (vel 110), 65 (vel 110), 97 (vel 110)
- —3, 7, 11, 15, 19, 23, 35, 39, 43, 47, 51, 55, 67, 71, 75, 79, 83, 87, 99, 103, 107, 111, 115, 119
- —5, 9, 13, 17, 21, 37, 41, 45, 49, 53, 69, 73, 77, 81, 85, 101, 105, 109, 113, 117
Your boxes
0 of 46 selected
Where it plays
Pick the boxes you own.