Genre boundaries can often blur and musicians may create new forms of music altogether.
An early example was the rise of house music during the 1970s. This form of music evolved by remixing disco-era tracks with faster tempos to form house, along with adding an infectious four-to-the-floor beat.
Drums
The drums are the centerpiece of any track and an integral component in many styles of electronic music. Their style varies widely depending on genre and producer preference; however, many will share certain commonalities:
Tempo is often an essential factor in how fast or slow the beat sounds, with four, eight and 16 bars providing the necessary structure to create consistent rhythmic patterns for songs. This structure also makes finding the desired sounds straightforward as each part can easily be altered in terms of volume and tone to fit seamlessly into an overall arrangement.
Drum sounds are usually created by layering together acoustic and electronic instruments with samples of various percussive elements to add texture, but too much may make the sound too busy if overdone. One of the most widely-used drum sounds in electronic music is kick drum sound which can be generated using any number of methods including synth or an acoustic instrument like bass guitar – sometimes this kick can even be altered with tube distortion to give a gritty, clubby character!
Techno and house dance genres rely heavily on syncopated breakbeats and hard hitting drums to generate their signature energy and drive. These can come from any source; one effective starting point might be sampled cymbals and percussion sounds which can then be altered according to tempo while also being pitched adjusted so as to change tone without losing groove.
Many genres will also incorporate some form of handclap sample, often synthesized rather than recorded live. Filtered and processed to add some grit while eliminating unwanted resonances, yet can still sound natural when used sparingly. Many producers then layer these claps with some kind of vocal loop either live or prerecorded to complete the soundscape.
Bass
Rhythm is at the core of all musical genres, including electronic. Many electronic genres originally stemmed from nightclub and dance music environments, so many electronic tracks begin with an irresistibly rhythmic drum beat before adding chords or melodies – it gives songs their momentum!
Most producers begin the creative process by searching online audio libraries for an original drum sound to build their track around. Services like Splice allow musicians to quickly audition thousands of sounds until one captures their imagination. This highly technical process requires both creative and technical acumen as a producer must recognize patterns within noises they hear.
Designing drum sounds can be accomplished using various techniques. Producers frequently turn to digital and analog synthesizers as well as drum machines – which allow for complex rhythms with just a few button presses! While live drummers might provide more aesthetic satisfaction, drum machines save both time and energy during production processes.
Additional instruments and effects may also be utilized to add depth to a beat, including white noise swells and tonal risers as lead-ups for songs with drum fills providing dynamic punch. Overall, the goal is to produce sounds that complement each other harmoniously.
Many producers draw inspiration for electronic music production from an eclectic variety of musical genres and artists. Hip-hop pioneers Grandmaster Flash, Afrika Bambaata and Run DMC are frequently mentioned as sources of influence while jazz pioneer Miles Davis has also garnered much attention as an influence. Blues musicians such as Muddy Waters, Lead Belly and Robert Johnson may provide further motivation.
Other artists who have made significant contributions to electronic music include Futurist painter Luigi Russolo, who proposed that new instruments should be developed to express industrialized society. He devised a set of mechanically activated noise-making devices known as Intonarumori that grated, hissed and scratched to produce music representative of industrialization.
Leads
No two songs must sound alike, but many do use similar drum beats and synth sounds with heavy reverb effects. Although this might cause them to sound similar at first, it gives each track its own individual identity and you’ll easily recognize when listening to new tracks.
Electronic songs contain various components to complete them; one such component is the lead or melody, typically played on keyboard instruments such as piano, guitar or even synth. The melody serves as the heartbeat of any track and can have a significant impact on whether or not people like it.
Leads can add movement and momentum to a song by adding a repeating bassline with periodic drops or changes in rhythm or pace; usually this can take the form of synth sounds; however it may also include guitar riffs or drum patterns.
Another key component of a lead is its effect, such as reverb, compression or delay. Once applied to a sound’s signal path, mixing transforms its texture and tone – an integral step towards producing professional-sounding tracks.
Post-production is the final stage of production and involves bringing all the elements of a song together to form one coherent track, including editing, mixing, and mastering. While these processes were traditionally separate from music creation itself, more producers today are taking control over every aspect of production in-house; not only can this help reduce costs but it ensures all parts work harmoniously together for live DJ sets as well.
Percussion
Percussion-driven rhythms are integral parts of many electronic music genres, especially those associated with nightclubs and dance music. Producers will often begin their tracks with a steady drum beat before adding chords or melodies on top. Some genres like ambient, experimental and IDM may rely less on regular beats but still use rhythmic patterns to convey energy.
Electronic devices have revolutionized music in terms of both sound timbre and pitch. Their first developments began between World Wars I and II with electronic frequency generators (which produce sine waves with no overtones; sawtooth waves contain fundamental tones as well as their respective overtones), then in 1920 with electrical recording technology that amplified and recorded mechanical instruments before replaying them back again electronically.
Synthetic percussion instruments have become a versatile element of electronic music. Synthetic percussion refers to electronic versions of traditional acoustic percussion instruments like bass drums, snare drums, claps and hi-hats – often programmed for longer sustain and higher frequencies than their more muted acoustic counterparts.
Electronic dance music typically employs Roland TR-808 and TR-909 drum kits as the backbone for its beats, comprising bass drum, snare drum, toms (low, mid, high), rim shots, claps and open/closed hats that have been processed into numerous polyrhythmic patterns.
An effective kick drum is essential to any song, and can make or break its groove. In order to find the ideal combination of tone, attack, and decay it’s often beneficial to layer different kick samples both acoustic and synthesized until one finds their optimal combination.
Snare drums are another integral element of rhythm, and can be produced using any number of techniques from simple rolls to complex sequences of hits. Varying its tempo ensures it never feels repetitive.