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After you have got to grips with the basics of using a sequencer, you can manipulate your ideas and add effects to bring your ideas to life.

In this clip, Dev from Radio 1 meets singer-songwriter Dan Smith from Bastille and his producer Mark Crew to discuss writing music using MIDI technology. They begin by showing how beats can be added to a basic keyboard chord part, which is then further developed by adding vocal and instrumental layers of sound.

How to compose using synthesised sounds

Synthesised sounds can be made from any electronic keyboard. You could choose a few sounds which can be used in a multi-layered composition, record one track at a time into an audio editor programme or manipulate the sound envelopes electronically to produce altered timbres.

You can synthesise sounds on more sophisticated keyboards using controllers, or you can add synthesised sounds post-recording, using features within the software programme.

The processes include modifying the sound envelopes, adding filters, delay, reverb, phasing and reversing sounds. More detail on using effects can be found in this video tutorial.