How to Make Seven Nation Army on Chrome Music Lab

How to Make “Seven Nation Army” on Chrome Music Lab: A Step-by-Step Guide

If you have ever wanted to rock out to The White Stripes’ legendary anthem “Seven Nation Army” right in your web browser, you are in luck. Jack White’s iconic, instantly recognizable bassline is one of the most fun and satisfying melodies you can program on Chrome Music Lab’s Song Maker.

Best of all, you don’t need any musical experience or expensive software to do it. Just open your browser, follow this guide, and you’ll have a masterpiece ready to share in minutes.

Step 1: Setting Up Your Canvas

Before placing any notes, we need to adjust a few settings in Song Maker to make sure everything sounds right and has enough room for the groove.

1. Go to musiclab.chromeexperiments.com/Song-Maker and click on Song Maker.
2. Click the Settings gear icon in the bottom right corner.
3. Adjust your song parameters to the following:
   • Length: 8 Bars (This gives you plenty of room for the main riff and the rhythm).
   • Beats per bar: 4
   • Split beats into: 4 (This is crucial so you can fit the syncopated rhythm of the bassline).
   • Scale: Chromatic (This gives us access to all the semitones needed to play the exact melody).
   • Start on: C

Click Check (the green button) to save your settings.

Step 2: Choosing Your Sound

The original track is driven by a heavy, distorted guitar/bass sound. To capture that vibe in Chrome Music Lab:

• Set your Melody Instrument to Synth (or Marimba if you prefer a punchier, wooden tone).
• Set your Percussion Instrument to Electronic for a crisp, punchy drum kit.

Step 3: Programming the Iconic Bassline

The “Seven Nation Army” riff is built on a very specific rhythm that emphasizes off-beats. In the Chrome Music Lab grid, each column represents a 16th note.

The main notes of the riff in this key are E3, G3, E3, D3, C3, and B2.