Hocketing is a popular technique used in many genres of electronic music like progressive house, electro and techno. But what is it? Wikipedia defines hocketing as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n
“In music, hocket is the rhythmic linear technique using the alternation of notes, pitches, or chords. In medieval practice of hocket, a single melody is shared between two (or occasionally more) voices such that alternately one voice sounds while the other rests.”<\/em><\/p>Wikipedia<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nCall me superficial, but this definition is a bit too much if you ask me. To make this a little easier to understand, have a listen to this short loop from an electro house track by Porter Robinson:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Notice how the producer used multiple audio-samples and synth shots to create an interesting riff looping over 2 bars? This is a great example of hocketing, and you can find this technique in many forms of electronic music.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Electro and dubstep are great genres to illustrate this technique, because rely heavily on hockets to make their riffs more interesting. Hocketing is also popular in other genres, however it’s not always as easy to discern.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some more subtle forms of EDM may use hocketing on elements in the background like hi-hat patterns or percussive loops that are chopped up and mixed to form a new loop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n