{"id":41400,"date":"2026-08-12T17:43:11","date_gmt":"2026-08-12T21:43:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/?p=41400"},"modified":"2026-08-12T17:43:12","modified_gmt":"2026-08-12T21:43:12","slug":"how-to-make-trap-beat-fl-studio","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/how-to-make-trap-beat-fl-studio\/","title":{"rendered":"How to make a trap beat in FL Studio: An introductory guide"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

While you can make trap beats<\/strong><\/a> in any DAW, many of the genre’s most well-known producers seem to naturally gravitate towards FL Studio.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In the tutorial video above, expert producer and beat maker Isaac Duarte<\/a> returned to the Splice YouTube channel<\/a> to showcase how to make a trap beat in FL Studio. Watch along as he starts with a chord progression, produces his own sample using Splice Sounds<\/a> and Bridge,<\/a> and tops it off with some drums and a piano from Splice INSTRUMENT<\/a>\u2014and read some key takeaways below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bring Splice directly into your DAW with the Sounds Plugin (beta).<\/strong><\/a> Audition millions of samples, explore our latest search tools, and instantly create variations of any Splice sample.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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How to make a trap beat in FL Studio<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

BPM<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Trap beats often make use of higher ranges for tempo\u2014anywhere from ~130 – 170 BPM can be a solid starting point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instrumentation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Trap is perhaps best known for its 808s.<\/a> Dirty sub-basses also work great, alongside punchy kicks, crisp hi-hats, and snappy snares. Synth leads, pads, keys, and vocal samples can also be used to establish the genre’s brooding mood. That said, everything is contextual\u2014there’s no single element that you have<\/em> to use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chord progressions<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Minor chord progressions work best for trap; in the tutorial, Duarte showcases how to use FL Studio’s scale lock feature so that beginners can make sure that everything stays in key. Inverting your chords<\/a> can allow for smoother voice leading from one chord to the next.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Synth pads, pianos, and keys work best for voicing your chord progression; in the tutorial, Duarte uses a combination of these, including the Soft Piano preset from Splice INSTRUMENT.<\/a> Once you have a progression in place, you can also tuck an arp<\/a> into the background that follows it for some additional movement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bass<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Your bassline can largely follow the root notes of the chord progression, but try adding some connecting phrases and fifth and octave jumps for additional character. Duarte recommends the Juno-style synth bass out of the Lenno pack for use in FL Studio. Just make sure you shape the ADSR<\/a> so the bass doesn’t sustain indefinitely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learn more about writing basslines for trap and a wide array of other genres in our dedicated guide:<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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How to write a bassline for different genres (free MIDI and presets included)<\/a><\/blockquote>