How to Make Levels by Avicii in FL Studio (BPM, Key, Chords, Synths)

Levels is one of the most analyzed tracks in EDM history — and for good reason. The combination of a recognizable vocal sample, a simple but effective chord progression, and Avicii's supersaw sound design created a blueprint that defined progressive house for years.

Here's how to build it from scratch in FL Studio.

Step 1: Project Settings

Before anything else, set your project correctly:

• BPM: 126
• Key: B minor
• Time signature: 4/4
• Sample rate: 44100 Hz (standard for dance music)

In FL Studio: Options → Project General Settings to set BPM and signature. Enable the scale highlighting in the Piano Roll and set it to B minor — this will highlight the correct notes as you work.

Step 2: The Chord Progression

The main loop in Levels is a 4-bar chord progression in B minor:

Bar 1: Bm  (B - D - F#)
Bar 2: G   (G - B - D)
Bar 3: D   (D - F# - A)
Bar 4: A   (A - C# - E)

This is the i - VI - III - VII pattern in B natural minor — one of the most emotionally resonant progressions in pop and EDM. It has that quality of feeling like it's always moving forward, never fully resolving.

In the Piano Roll:

• Set note length to 1 bar per chord (4 beats)
• Place the root note of each chord on beat 1
• Stack the third and fifth above each root
• Velocity: around 80–90 for a natural feel

This 4-bar pattern loops throughout the entire track.

Step 3: The Piano / Pluck Sound

The harmonic backbone of Levels is a piano or pluck sound playing the chord progression. Avicii often layered a pitched piano sample with a synth pluck.

For a quick recreation in FL Studio:

1. Open FL Keys or use a sample piano (e.g., from Splice or Loopmasters)
2. Or use Sytrus with a pluck preset
3. Set a short attack (0), medium-fast decay (200–300ms), low sustain, fast release
4. Apply a high-pass filter around 200 Hz to cut mud
5. Add subtle reverb (plate, short tail, 1.5–2s)

The chords should feel punchy on the attack and decay away naturally. This creates space for the lead synth without cluttering the midrange.

Step 4: The Supersaw Lead

This is the signature sound of Levels — and progressive house from this era in general.

In Sylenth1 (Avicii's primary synth):

1. OSC A: Sawtooth wave, 7 unison voices, detune ±25 cents, spread 100%
2. OSC B: Sawtooth wave, 7 unison voices, detune ±18 cents, spread 80% (slightly narrower for depth)
3. Filter: Low-pass, cutoff at ~8000 Hz, resonance minimal (2–5%)
4. Amp envelope: Attack 10ms, Decay 200ms, Sustain 80%, Release 300ms
5. Effects: Chorus (rate 0.5Hz, depth 30%), light delay (1/8 note, 25% wet), reverb (hall, 20% wet)

In Serum:

1. OSC A: Sawtooth, unison 7, detune 0.25, blend 100%
2. OSC B: Add a second slightly different sawtooth for body
3. Filter: Low-pass 24dB, cutoff 75%, resonance 10%
4. Same envelope settings as above
5. FX chain: Hyper/Dimension → Reverb → EQ (boost 3–5kHz for air)

The key to the Avicii supersaw sound: it should feel warm and wide, not harsh. Cut anything above 14–15kHz with an EQ high shelf.

Step 5: The Etta James Vocal Sample

The iconic element of Levels is the sampled vocal from "Something's Got a Hold on Me" by Etta James (1962).

In FL Studio, you'd work with the audio clip in the Playlist:

1. Import the vocal sample into a Sampler channel
2. Set the root note to match the original pitch
3. Use the Pitch knob or time-stretch to fit B minor and 126 BPM
4. Apply Edison or a time-stretching plugin if needed for more quality
5. Cut to the specific phrase you want to loop

Note: Using copyrighted samples without licensing is not legal for commercial release. Avicii officially licensed the Etta James sample. For your own production, you can practice with it but cannot release commercially without licensing.

For a licensed alternative, look for royalty-free soul vocal samples on Splice or Loopmasters that carry a similar energy.

Step 6: Drums and Percussion

The drum pattern in Levels is simple and functional — classic four-on-the-floor progressive house:

Kick: Every beat (1, 2, 3, 4) — sidechain this to the supersaw lead Snare/Clap: Beats 2 and 4 Hi-hat: Straight 8th notes (every half-beat) Open hi-hat: Every 4th beat, beat 4.5 Cymbal/crash: Every 8 bars on beat 1

Sidechain compression is essential here. The supersaw should duck slightly every time the kick hits, creating that pumping, breathing sound that defines progressive house. In FL Studio:

1. Route the kick to a mixer channel
2. Set the kick's mixer channel as the sidechain source on the Fruity Peak Controller
3. Route that controller to the supersaw's volume
4. Attack: 0ms, Decay: 150ms, sustain 0, release: 100ms

The depth of the sidechain should be noticeable but not extreme — the synths dip about 6–8dB on each kick hit.

Step 7: Arrangement

Levels follows a classic progressive house structure. Adapt this in the Playlist:

0:00 – 0:32  Intro (piano/chords, no lead)
0:32 – 1:00  Build (add drums, no drop yet)
1:00 – 1:32  Drop 1 (full supersaw, drums, vocal)
1:32 – 2:00  Breakdown (filter sweep down, just chords)
2:00 – 2:30  Build 2 (rising noise sweep, kick building)
2:30 – 3:30  Drop 2 (same as Drop 1, longer)
3:30 – 4:00  Outro (strip back layers)

Key arrangement tricks from Avicii's era:

• Filter sweep: Automate a low-pass filter opening from 500 Hz → 20kHz over 8 bars before the drop
• Reverse cymbal: Place a reversed cymbal crash 1 bar before the drop
• Noise riser: A white/pink noise sweep rising in pitch over the 8-bar build
• Drum fill: 4-bar drum roll before the drop

Step 8: Mixing

Quick mixing guide for this style:

Master bus: light limiting to hit -8 to -6 LUFS for streaming platforms (Spotify normalizes to -14 LUFS but competition tracks are mastered loud).

Going Further

This covers the skeleton of Levels. The real learning is in the subtleties: the velocity automation in the Piano Roll, the filter movement that brings the track to life, the way the arrangement creates tension and release.

• Applying Avicii's Production Secrets — The deeper principles behind Avicii's sound
• FL Studio Workflow Part 1 — My complete FL Studio production workflow
• Music Theory Part 1 — Understanding chord progressions like the one in Levels
• How to Make The Nights Chord Progression in FL Studio — Another Avicii production breakdown