Club Dance Stylistic Fingerprints
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IDENTIFY the dance music feature
IDENTIFY the Styles & Genres that uses this feature
DESCRIBE the dance music feature
say what the EFFECT of the dance music feature is
Feature
Style & Genre
Description
Effect in Dance Music
4-to-the-floor
Disco, House,
Techno, Trance
The Bass Drum plays on every beat of the bar in
4/4 time.
The Bass Drum gives a constant sense of the time
signature and tempo. It also provides drive and
momentum.
Classic Disco drum beat
Disco, House,
Techno, Trance
Bass drum plays on every beat of the bar.
The Bass Drum gives a constant sense of the time
signature and tempo. It also provides drive and
momentum.
Snare and / or claps on beats 2 & 4.
Off-beat quaver hi-hats.
Snare adds the classic back-beat emphasis to
beats 2 and 4, adding to the momentum provided
by the bass drum.
Off-beat quaver hi-hats provide further syncopated
rhythmic interest, by filling in the gaps between
beats 1, 2, 3, and 4.
Regular 4 bar / 8 bar phrases
Disco, House,
Techno, Trance,
Drum n Bass,
Garage, Dub
Step
A short musical idea that sounds complete (i.e. it
sounds like it has a beginning and an ending).
Often described as a musical sentence. In Disco,
it is most commonly the sung vocals that are
organised into 4 bar phrases (especially in the
chorus). In other styles of Club Dance, vocals,
synthesisers, drum machines, and samples can
perform the phrases.
The effect of regular, repetitive phrases is very
similar to the effect of Hooks and Riffs: to provide
something memorable and catchy, which gets
stuck in the listeners head. (See Hook / Riff / Motif).
Hook / Riff / Motif
Disco, House,
Techno, Trance,
Drum n Bass,
Garage, Dub Step
A short repetitive melodic or rhythmic pattern. Can
be sung or instrumental. In most modern club
dance styles it is very likely to be played by a
synthesizer.
Provides a catchy, memorable melody and / or
rhythm, which hooks the listener in. A German
phrase describes this well: Ohrwurm, meaning
Ear Worm!
Club Dance Stylistic Fingerprints
Counter Melodies
Disco
A second melody that plays in the background at
the same time as the main melody. In disco,
counter melodies are usually played by strings or
brass.
Creates contrast to the main melody. Also, provides
further embellishment for the main melody.
Loops
House, Techno,
Trance, Drum n
Bass, Garage,
Dub Step
A short segment that is continually repeated
throughout a section or even sometimes the
entirety of a song. Loops can be 1, 2, 4 or
occasionally 8 bars in length.
The effect of regular, repetitive Loops is very
similar to the effect of Hooks and Riffs: to provide
something memorable and catchy, which gets
stuck in the listeners head. (See Hook / Riff / Motif).
Also, a Loop can provide the constant driving
momentum and foundation for a song.
Repetitive Chord Progressions
House, Techno,
Trance, Drum n
Bass, Garage,
Dub Step
Chord Progressions in Club Dance are often very
repetitive, and also quite often made of simple and
bold chords (e.g. major and minor triads). A usual
chord progression will last for 4, or sometimes 8
bars.
A Chord Progression provides the harmony for a
song. A repetitive Chord Progression does the same
job as repetitive Loops (see Loops).
Gradually Evolving Textures (every 4 or 8
bars, or 16 bars)
House, Techno,
Trance, Drum n
Bass, Garage,
Dub Step
Every 4 / 8 /16 bars a new musical feature is
introduce whilst at the same time existing musical
material is repeated. The new musical features are
introduced on either a current or a new instrument.
Keeps the piece sounding interesting and creates
development, whilst still maintaining repetition.
Samples
House, Techno,
Trance, Drum n
Bass, Garage,
Dub Step
A short chunk of an existing recording of music or
sound. This can be a spoken phrase, a sung vocal
phrase, an instrumental melody, or a sound effect.
Sung vocal samples are common, especially in
earlier Club Dance styles such as House. Most
likely, samples will be used in a repetitive fashion.
Provides a catchy, memorable melody and / or
rhythm, which hooks the listener in. (See Hook /
Riff / Motif above).
Synthesisers & Drum Machines
Disco, House,
Techno, Trance,
Drum n Bass,
Garage, Dub
Step
Synthesisers and Drum Machines create electronic
sounds by combining simple sound waves. These
soundwaves are then manipulated to further sculpt
and transform the sound, e.g. through use of
filtering (removing certain parts of the sound),
changing the articulation of the sound (e.g. short
and spikey, or long and smooth), and through the
use of effects (see effects below).
Synthesisers and Drum Machines give Club Dance
its instrumental character and sound. Bright and
buzzy synthesiser timbres can sound energetic and
exciting; smoother, warmer synthesiser sounds can
be relaxing as well as atmospheric.
Drum Machines are often programmed using a step
sequencer.
Club Dance Stylistic Fingerprints
Disco featured the use of synthesisers, but when
Drum Machines started to be blended with Disco
tracks by DJs in the late 1970s / early 1980s, this
was the birth of House music. (This was a
particularly common practice used by the DJs who
played at the Club The Warehouse in Chicago
during this time, and this is where House got its
name WareHouse).
Pitch Riser
Disco, House,
Techno, Trance,
Drum n Bass,
Garage, Dub
Step
A sound, usually created by a synth, that steadily
rises in pitch. (It is perhaps not as common in
Disco, but can sometimes still be heard, and is
more often than not played by the strings).
Add tension and intensity to a build up, climaxing in
its highest point at the drop.
Syncopated chords / melody / bass line
Disco, House,
Techno, Trance,
Drum n Bass,
Garage, Dub
Step
Chords / melody / bass line that use off-beat
rhythms (often with a mixture of on and off-beat).
Provide rhythmic variety and interest in contrast to
the straight on-beat bass and snare drum patterns.
Build Up
House, Techno,
Trance, Drum n
Bass, Garage,
Dub Step
An increase in instrumental layers, sounds, and
dynamics, resulting in a climax (drop).
Creates intensity, anticipation, and excitement
(tension).
Micro Stop
House, Techno,
Trance, Drum n
Bass, Garage,
Dub Step
A short amount of silence, usually found between
the build up and the drop.
Increases the effect of tension and release between
the build up and the drop.
The Drop
House, Techno,
Trance, Drum n
Bass, Garage,
Dub Step
The thickest and heaviest part(s) of the structure,
containing some of the most important riffs /
melodies / musical ideas within the song (similar to
the chorus in pop music).
Creates satisfaction and further excitement after
the build up (release).
Break Down
House, Techno,
Trance, Drum n
Bass, Garage,
Dub Step
A reduction in texture and volume, as well as
rhythmic complexity, usually excluding drums and
bass
Allows for space and contrast to the drop, and also
provides an opportunity to return to a build up
Club Dance Stylistic Fingerprints
Drum Ramp
House, Techno,
Trance, Drum n
Bass, Garage,
Dub Step
An increase in drum hits (crotchets, quavers, semiquavers, and demi-semi quavers) usually lasting 4
or 8 bars, played on either the bass or snare drums
Add tension and intensity to a build up, climaxing in
its fastest note value at the drop
Reverb (Effect)
House, Techno,
Trance, Drum n
Bass, Garage,
Dub Step
Makes the music sound as if it were being played in
a resonant space e.g. hall, corridor, theatre etc.
Provides atmosphere and a sense of spaciousness
in a mix. Helps the music to sound more cinematic,
as well as making the music sound larger, with
more impact.
Delay (Effect)
House, Techno,
Trance, Drum n
Bass, Garage,
Dub Step
Creates and echo (not to be confused with Reverb!)
Adds an interesting texture, and combines well with
reverb to create the feeling of space (especially in
the breakdown).
Distortion (Effect)
House, Techno,
Trance, Drum n
Bass, Garage,
Dub Step
Makes the music sound of an instrument rougher,
buzzier, fuzzier, and more aggressive.
Distortion can add further intensity to a synthesiser
sound, often pushing it further forwards in a mix
and grabbing the listeners attention.
Quantising (Production Technique)
House, Techno,
Trance, Drum n
Bass, Garage,
Dub Step
The process of using sequencing software to fix the
accuracy of notes to a pre-determined grid.
The use of quantise makes dance music perfectly in
time, adding an almost robotic and certainly
enhancing the electronic nature of the music.
Panning (Production Technique)
House, Techno,
Trance, Drum n
Bass, Garage,
Dub Step
Panning can be used on a mixing console, or using
a Digital Audio Workstation software (DAW) such as
Logic pro, to move sounds to and from the left or
right speakers.
When instruments are panned hard left and right,
this can increase the sense of space and overall
feeling of size of a mix (i.e. making it sound wider).
Additionally, when instruments are moved from left
to right and vice versa, this creates movement
within a track as well as emphasising the stereo
field (i.e. the amount of space in a mix from left to
right). This creates further atmosphere and interest
for the listener.
Wobble Bass (Production Technique) TO DO
Club Dance Stylistic Fingerprints
Half Time TO DO
2-Step TO DO
