Dance producers use effects to sculpt sounds and create an expansive space when transitioning between different parts of a track – whether that be buildups or drops.
Jonas Blue, an award-winning multi-platinum producer, provides this course. Discover his entire production process – writing lyrics and producing tracks until they achieve his distinctive sound.
Intro
An introduction sets the style, tempo, and instrumentation of any track’s introduction; this allows producers to capture listener attention and establish the musical atmosphere for that track. Achieving success when creating dance music production is crucially important; an impressive introduction should always be the starting point.
The verse is the forward momentum of a song and where most of the storytelling occurs within vocal music. EDM producers can utilize EDM verses as an opportunity to set up melodic motifs which hint at their drop melody without giving too much away about what lies ahead. Although shorter than its buildup counterpart, verses should leave enough space for dance floors to prepare themselves for an impactful drop that awaits at its conclusion.
Electronic music tracks often utilize a build up as part of their track, as this allows DJs to gradually enter or exit songs during sets. This part may consist of risers and repeating melodic motifs leading up to a drop.
Once a song’s drop has been established, its outro serves to smoothly transition into its next track within a set. Here, producers can give audiences an indication of what lies ahead by offering previews or offering closure on this particular one.
Learn everything you need to produce top-quality dance music with this comprehensive, self-paced tutorial by multi-platinum producer Jonas Blue. He guides you through every stage of writing, recording, and producing a dance song from its conception all the way through its release – techniques which have earned him over 18 billion streams on hits such as ‘Perfect Strangers’ and ‘Fast Car’!
Verses
The verse in a song is where lyrics begin to reveal emotion and story. Typically lower in energy than its counterpart – the chorus – this section allows lyrics to take center stage and set the scene for what the song is about while setting up what it may become known for later in its lifespan (it often lasts four or sixteen bars, where each beat represents “beats per minute”).
Some songs feature pre-chorus or bridge sections to keep listeners engaged while providing a break from dance music’s heavy rhythms. Furthermore, these parts provide opportunities to experiment with instrumentation and style variations that add variety.
Once a song has progressed beyond verses and choruses, it typically begins building towards its drop. This may involve anything from decreasing bass line heaviness, changing drum pattern patterns or adding synth chords / risers / or simply working to add more energy into the track overall. For many genres of dance music such as EDM / Trance etc, this build up to drop is integral part of its success, making its final drop that much more unforgettable!
As songs build to an all-out drop, listeners may become bored. To prevent this, dance songs usually incorporate a middle eight, which is typically composed of short sections that modulate into different keys or introduce new chord progressions and don’t contain song titles; this allows listeners to take a breath before the drop takes place and also adds an anthemic quality to the track.
Fills
Fills are short rhythmic variations that mark the end of a musical phrase and prepare it for what comes next, often used to build anticipation for new sections in songs. They can range from quick snare or tom fills to more complicated techniques like white noise swells or tonal risers.
Fills can be achieved in dance music production through various techniques, including equalization (EQ) and compression. Equalization involves altering a track’s frequency spectrum in order to produce more balanced and full sound while compression involves manipulating its dynamics to increase or decrease loudness.
Not only should emerging producers possess fundamental production techniques, they must also gain an in-depth knowledge of typical song arrangement. Most popular dance songs use a four-to-the floor beat with intro, verse, chorus, bridge and outro sections; familiarizing yourself with this structure enables you to craft tracks like those produced by established dance music producers.
Outro
Outros are similar to intros in that they allow DJs to seamlessly transition in and out of your song, usually using only minimal percussion instruments such as drums. An outro can build energy towards its peak point before gradually dissipating out or being cut completely off – giving producers an opportunity to experiment with various ideas or introduce parts they may not have been present before; just like how conventional song genres utilize bridge sections.
Breakdowns and builds are often employed in dance music to lower the energy of a song before its most crucial point – the drop. Producers use this opportunity to demonstrate their talents by crafting something more than just another repeat of the chorus but rather an unmistakably musical highlight for their tracks.
Though some may view standardized song arrangements as restricting to emerging producers, it can be invaluable for beginners to become familiar with how dance songs are typically constructed and which parts make up their core components. Knowing this will also allow you to reference tracks from more established producers to learn their arrangements and study how their structures differ from yours. Understanding standardized song structures provides you with a solid framework from which to compose original dance tracks – having this outline will ensure your final masterpiece will be both captivating and well-structured!
Bass
The bass is an essential element in dance music. The rhythm and timing of drums is balanced out by its counterpart – creating an irresistibly catchy groove that encourages you to move! Many genres of EDM such as dubstep, trap and bass house utilize heavy bass usage – dubstep being particularly bass heavy! Additionally, its role as melodies or chords in songs as well as using distortion can add intensity and depth.
In the 1980s, Detroit DJs Juan Atkins, Derrick May and Kevin Saunderson pioneered techno music. This style combined Chicago house-influenced electronic with Detroit (including Motown) funk sounds for a mechanical feel; four-on-the-floor beats featuring kick drum on quarter notes with snare or high hat hits on second, fourth or eighth notes; this was then further defined by using Roland TB-303 bass line synthesizer and minimal vocals.
BPM (Beats Per Minute) refers to the tempo of a track; generally 120bpm for most dance music genres.
Breakdown – An atmospheric section at the end of a track that offers a respite from dancing and allows listeners to focus their attention back onto the final chorus. It may have no drums at all or feature sampled rhythms that don’t conform to standard four-on-the-floor styles.
Distortion – Distortion is a type of audio processing which increases harmonic content and loudness with effects such as tube, tape, distortion, overdrive and fuzz. Distortion may change the sound timbre from aggressive or soothing.
FL Studio, produced by Image-Line and widely used for electronic production. MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface), an industry standard protocol used for connecting electronic instruments and devices to computers, forms the backbone of most modern software-based music production systems.