Lesson Overview

This tutorial is about building a MetalHeadz-style sub bassline that crushes.

The category is Basslines, so the main goal is a usable sub pattern and low-end groove.

You will focus on sub, low-end movement, note phrasing, and rhythm against drums.

You will also touch a little on a reese support layer, but the main subject stays the bassline.

By the end, you should have a beginner-friendly bassline that feels dark, weighty, and rolling.

The payoff is not arrangement tricks or FX work.

The payoff is a bassline you can loop under drums right away.

Think in terms of sub notes locking to kick and snare, not lots of musical complexity.

A strong MetalHeadz-inspired line often wins through space, pressure, and phrasing.

Your outcome is a usable bassline, sub pattern, or low-end groove you can build into a full track later.

MetalHeadz-flavored basslines often feel heavy because they are simple, patient, and confident. Instead of filling every gap, they let the sub speak clearly. For a beginner, that is perfect: you do not need a complicated patch or fancy theory. You need the right notes, the right rhythm, and enough restraint for the low end to hit hard.

This lesson will show you how to make a dark rolling bassline from a very small idea, then shape it so it feels more like a real DnB low-end phrase.

What You Will Build

Goal: Build a 2-bar MetalHeadz-style sub bassline that crushes under a basic drum loop.

Your bassline will include:

• one main sub sound
• a simple note pattern
• clear rhythmic placement against kick and snare
• small bass movement so it rolls instead of sounding static
• an optional quiet reese layer for texture above the sub

A successful outcome will sound like:

• a usable bassline
• a sub pattern with weight
• a low-end groove that works with drums
• a phrase you can loop without it feeling flat

Keep the target simple: if the drums play, your bassline should feel locked in, dark, and solid.

Step-by-Step Walkthrough

1. Choose a very simple sub sound

Start with the easiest version of a crushing sub: a clean low sine or very soft triangle wave.

Why this works:

• a clean sub makes it easier to hear the note phrasing
• you can judge the low-end groove without extra distortion confusing things
• MetalHeadz-inspired weight often comes more from rhythm and spacing than from a flashy sound

For a beginner, use:

• a sine wave
• short to medium release
• no huge stereo width
• very little top end

If you want a touch more aggression, add a tiny bit of saturation, but keep the core still clearly sub-heavy.

Outcome: You now have a basic sub patch that is ready for a real bassline.

2. Set a drum loop first so the bass has something to talk to

Before writing notes, loop a simple DnB beat. You need:

• kick
• snare
• maybe hats

This matters because a crushing bassline is not just a note sequence. It is bass movement against drums.

Listen for:

• where the kick lands
• where the snare lands
• where there is empty space for the sub to answer

For this style, think:

• let some bass notes support the kick
• let some notes push into the snare
• leave a few gaps so the groove breathes

Outcome: You have a rhythmic frame for your sub pattern.

3. Start with one root note only

Pick one root note and stay there first. For example:

• F
• E
• D

Lower notes often feel darker, but do not go so low that the sub loses clarity.

Program a 2-bar loop using just that one note. Keep it sparse. A good beginner pattern is:

• one note near beat 1
• one note after that with a slightly different length
• one note before or after the snare
• one rest where you deliberately leave space

The key idea is contrast between:

• short note
• longer note
• silence

That silence is important. Empty space makes the next sub note feel heavier.

Outcome: You have the skeleton of a usable sub pattern.

4. Shape the rhythm so it rolls

Now adjust the note timing and note lengths until the bassline feels like it is rolling with the drums.

Try these beginner rules:

• do not put a long sub note under every drum hit
• avoid constant 1/8-note bass unless you want a more obvious drive
• let at least one note end early so the groove breathes
• use one slightly longer held note per bar for weight

A simple way to think about it:

• one note anchors
• one note answers
• one note drags the groove forward

If the loop feels stiff, the issue is often not the sound. It is usually the note phrasing.

Ask:

• does the bassline leave room for the snare?
• does one note feel like a push into the next drum hit?
• does the loop have at least one obvious pocket of silence?

Outcome: Your bassline now has real low-end groove instead of just low notes.

5. Add a small note change for movement

Once the root-note version works, add one extra note. This is where the bassline starts sounding more musical without getting complicated.

Good beginner moves:

• go up 2 semitones briefly
• go down 2 semitones briefly
• jump to the octave for one short note
• use a neighboring note as a passing tone

Do not overdo it. In this style, one little move can be enough.

For example:

• bar 1 mostly stays on the root
• bar 2 uses one short higher or lower note before returning

This creates bass movement while keeping the sub strong and focused.

If the line suddenly feels weak, you may have changed too many notes. Return to mostly root-note phrasing and only keep one variation.

Outcome: You now have a more interesting bassline with controlled movement.

6. Make the second bar answer the first bar

A strong 2-bar bass phrase often feels better than a 1-bar loop repeated forever.

Think of it like this:

• bar 1 states the idea
• bar 2 answers it

Ways to make bar 2 answer bar 1:

• shorten the first note
• delay one note slightly
• add the small pitch change only in bar 2
• remove one note from bar 2 so it feels more spacious

This is a classic way to build a low-end groove that keeps pulling forward.

Do not chase complexity. If bar 2 feels related but not identical, you are doing it right.

Outcome: You have a 2-bar sub pattern that sounds more like a finished bassline.

7. Tighten the relationship between sub and kick

Now listen only to kick and sub together.

This is one of the most important beginner steps. A crushing bassline often comes from discipline in the low end, not extra notes.

Check:

• does the kick still punch clearly?
• is the sub arriving in a way that supports the groove?
• are there moments where the bassline feels late, early, or crowded?

If needed:

• shorten some bass notes
• move one note slightly off a kick
• remove one note completely

Often, deleting one note makes the whole bassline hit harder.

A common MetalHeadz-like feeling comes from the sub sounding heavy but not busy. The bass should feel confident, almost stubborn.

Outcome: Your sub pattern now works better as an actual drum-and-bass low-end groove.

8. Add an optional quiet reese above the sub

This lesson is mainly about the sub bassline, but you can add a light reese layer for character.

Keep it supportive:

• lower in volume than the sub
• filtered so it does not overpower the low end
• following the same note phrasing as your sub

The reese is not the main event here. It is just a texture that helps the bassline read on smaller speakers and adds mood.

Good beginner rule:

• if muting the reese does not break the bassline, that is fine
• if muting the sub breaks the bassline, that means the sub is doing its job

Outcome: You have a sub-led bassline with optional reese flavor.

9. Refine note length, not just note choice

Many beginners keep changing pitches when the real problem is note length.

Go back through your pattern and test:

• one note shorter
• one note longer
• one note muted
• one note shifted to a slightly different rhythmic spot

This is where the phrase starts to crush. Not because it gets more complicated, but because the bass movement becomes more deliberate.

Focus on:

• clean starts
• clean stops
• a clear relationship to the snare
• enough air between notes

If the sub sounds blurry, shorter notes often help more than more processing.

Outcome: The bassline feels tighter and more intentional.

10. Loop it and test whether it stays interesting

Now let the 2-bar bassline loop for a while under drums.

You are checking whether it has:

• enough repetition to feel solid
• enough variation to avoid sounding dead
• enough low-end space to stay powerful

A good beginner result is not flashy. It is stable, dark, and replayable.

If it gets boring too fast:

• add one tiny note variation in bar 2
• change one note length
• add a very quiet reese phrase on only one note

If it feels too busy:

• remove one note
• return one variation note back to the root
• leave more silence

Outcome: You now have a usable bassline you could build a track around.

Common Mistakes

1. Writing too many notes

This weakens the low end fast. A crushing sub bassline usually feels stronger when it is simpler.

Fix:

• delete one or two notes
• keep more of the phrase on the root note
• leave space after an important note

2. Making the reese more important than the sub

If the reese becomes the star, the lesson drifts away from the real payoff: the sub bassline.

Fix:

• lower the reese
• simplify it
• make sure the sub alone still gives you the groove

3. Ignoring note length

Beginners often focus only on pitch. But in low-end music, note endings matter a lot.

Fix:

• shorten muddy notes
• make one note per bar slightly longer for weight
• use silence as part of the phrase

4. Letting bass and kick fight

If the kick disappears, the low end will feel worse even if the bass is loud.

Fix:

• move a sub note
• shorten it
• remove overlap where needed

5. Too much movement too soon

If every note changes pitch, the bassline can lose that heavy grounded feeling.

Fix:

• return most notes to the root
• keep only one small movement note
• let rhythm do more of the work

Mini Practice Exercise

Goal: Create one 2-bar MetalHeadz-style sub pattern that works under a simple DnB drum loop.

1. Pick a single sub sound.

2. Write a 1-bar root-note groove.

3. Turn it into a 2-bar phrase by changing only one thing in bar 2.

4. Add one small pitch movement.

5. Test an optional quiet reese layer above it.

Rules:

• keep the sub as the main sound
• use at least one rest
• use mostly one root note
• make bar 2 answer bar 1

Outcome: A usable low-end groove or bassline loop that feels dark, simple, and heavy.

Quick self-check:

• Does the sub feel locked to the drums?
• Does the bassline still work if the reese is muted?
• Is there enough silence for the groove to breathe?
• Can you loop it for 8 bars without it collapsing?

Recap

You built a beginner MetalHeadz-style bassline by focusing on the things that matter most:

• sub
• note phrasing
• bass movement
• rhythm against drums
• low-end groove

The main goal was a real usable bassline, not extra production tricks.

Remember:

• start with a simple sub
• use mostly root-note phrasing
• add one small movement note
• make bar 2 answer bar 1
• let silence make the low end hit harder

If it feels dark, steady, and heavy under drums, you have the right result: a sub pattern that crushes.