Most electronic producers work inside a box they don’t even realize they’re in. That box is the 12-note system you see on a piano, the same one Western music has used for centuries. Every chord, melody, and bassline you’ve probably written comes from those 12 notes repeating up and down the octaves. It works, of course—an endless number of hits and classics are built on that system. But after a while, it can also start to feel limiting.
What if there were other notes hiding between those notes? What if you could bend your melodies into spaces that sound unusual, emotional, even a little unsettling at first—but completely fresh once your ears adjust? That’s what microtones offer: notes that live between the cracks of the piano keys.
If you're interested in learning more about theory, and music production in general, become an All-Access Member today.
What Microtones Are
If you’ve ever bent a synth lead with your pitch wheel, or listened to a blues singer drag a note slightly flat, you’ve already brushed up against microtonal music. The difference is, in a lot of the world’s musical traditions, those “in between” notes aren’t just decoration—they’re essential to the sound.
In Arabic and Turkish music, for example, scales called maqams use pitches halfway between Western semitones, which give them their instantly recognizable character. Indian classical music goes even further: ragas use sliding gestures, subtle ornamentations, and tiny pitch bends that make melodies feel alive and deeply expressive. Persian music has its own tuning system, and even in East Asian traditions you’ll find tunings that don’t line up with Western equal temperament at all. And if you think this is all “far away,” remember the blue note in jazz and blues—a small bend that turns a plain scale into something soulful. That’s microtonality too.
This improvisation (Taqsim in Arabic) uses several microtones. See if you can hear them...
Why They Matter to Producers
For electronic producers, this is exciting news. We already live in a world of sound design, plugins, and tools that can twist audio into anything imaginable. Adding microtones is like discovering a new palette of colors you didn’t know you had. Instead of the same old major and minor scales, you suddenly have access to tunings with 24, 36, or even more divisions of the octave. Instead of chords that sound predictable, you get intervals that shimmer, clash, or float in ways your listeners won’t expect.
Plenty of well-known artists have explored this territory. Aphex Twin has famously leaned on microtonal tunings to create eerie, otherworldly melodies that feel both mechanical and strangely human. Flying Lotus often allows synths and samples to drift off the 12-tone grid, giving his tracks that woozy, dreamlike quality. Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood, heavily influenced by Indian classical music, has worked with pitch-bending and ornamentation in ways that set him apart from most rock guitarists. And if you want a purely electronic example, artists like Sevish build entire careers around microtonal scales, showing how versatile they can be in modern production.
Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood is no stranger to microtones - heard in full glory here.
How to Get Started
You don’t need advanced theory knowledge to bring microtones into your own tracks. One of the simplest techniques is pitch bending. Every synth and sampler has a pitch wheel or automation lane for bending notes slightly sharp or flat. Even tiny adjustments can transform a melody. Play a minor scale phrase and try pushing one note down just a little—you’ll instantly hear a darker, more exotic flavor.
Another way in is through alternate tunings. Many popular synths, like Serum, Vital, and Ableton’s Sampler, let you load Scala files. These are maps of how to divide the octave, and you can find large libraries of them for free online. Start with a 24-tone scale and you’ll suddenly discover new notes between your piano keys. At first, it may sound out of tune. Stick with it, though, and your ear will adjust. What feels strange at first quickly becomes a new source of emotion and depth.
Microtones also work beautifully when blended with standard tuning. Keep your bass and chords in familiar territory, but let your lead wander microtonally. The contrast between the familiar and the unusual is powerful. Vocals are another natural place to explore. Human voices slide between pitches by default, and if you leave autotune a little looser or encourage singers to slide more, you’ll hear microtones emerging without needing any extra theory.
Practical Ideas to Try
One effective exercise is to write a simple melody in a minor key, then bend one or two notes down by a quarter tone. That small shift is enough to evoke a Middle Eastern or bluesy atmosphere. Try loading a quarter-tone tuning into a synth and holding long pad chords—unusual intervals begin to shimmer and beat against each other, producing lush textures that sound instantly psychedelic.
Sampling traditional instruments is another doorway. A sitar, an oud, or even a vocal phrase can be shifted slightly off the Western grid to create hooks that sound distinctive and memorable. Or return to the blues for inspiration: take a pentatonic riff and flatten a note by just a few cents. What was plain now carries grit and soul.
Training Your Ear
If you grew up only listening to Western pop, your ears might resist at first. Microtones can sound “wrong” simply because they don’t fit the system you’re used to. The best way to overcome this is to immerse yourself in music that already uses them. Listen to Arabic oud players, Indian ragas, Persian santur recordings, or Turkish ensembles. Hum along and notice how your own voice naturally slides between pitches. The more you expose yourself, the more natural it will feel to integrate these sounds into your productions.
Almost every other note in this raga is bent into a microtone. It creates an incredibly expressive and voice-like feel.
Opening the Box
Microtones aren’t an advanced academic trick. They’re just the notes that Western instruments decided to leave out, even though the rest of the world kept using them. Thanks to modern production tools, exploring these sounds is easier than ever. You don’t need to study tuning systems for years—you already have pitch wheels, tuning files, samplers, and your own voice.
So the next time your track feels stuck in the loop, step outside the 12-note box. Bend a note. Load a new tuning. Let your melody drift between the cracks. That uncertainty, that moment where your ear doesn’t know quite what to expect, is where the magic begins. Microtones are an invitation to hear music differently—and once you let them into your productions, your listeners will hear the difference too.
If you're interested in learning more about theory, and music production in general, become an All-Access Member today.
