Emu XL-7 & MP-7 User's Group

Ala my first startment that there are more exceptions than rules.  :)  I 
spin the weird shit too, like Download and Plateau, and that stuff 
definitely doesn't fit into my descriptions below.  But, you should know 
how most people do it, to gain a better understanding and appreciation of 
the more esoteric stuff.

rEalm





infradead <infradead@...>
02/12/2004 09:48 PM
Please respond to xl7

 
        To:     xl7@yahoogroups.com
        cc: 
        Subject:        [xl7] Re: Song Structures


what if you're a dj who spins the exceptions?
IDM and such :D
dunno where i was going with this..

--- In xl7@yahoogroups.com, erik_magrini@B... wrote:
> Well this is one of those things that I'm going to have be broad 
in my 
> explainations, so feel free to ask for any clarifications.  And of 
course, 
> these are all just generalizations, there are more exceptions to 
the rules 
> than there are rules!
> 
> I think at the most basic level, popular dance songs are organized 
around 
> 8 bar sections (as you pointed out below).  It provides the 
dancers with a 
> point of reference, a feeling of being able to anticipate the 
changes and 
> adapt their dancing to that.  That's not to say that you have an 8 
bar 
> chorus, then an 8 bar verse, but certainly I think you'll find a 
lot of 
> the fills and changes happen at the end of every 8 bars.  Drops in 
songs 
> expecially seem to be multiples of this, you don't want to build 
people up 
> and then hit them with the full on track before they feel it 
should hit, 
> you get a dance floor full of people stumbling to catch up.  The 
oppposite 
> can be used to good effect with skill, drawing out a build up 
until you 
> think it just can't get more intense.
> 
> In general I don't think dance music follows a set verse chorus 
type of 
> progression, unless perhaps it's remix of pop song where the 
vocals 
> actually dictate that.   I think it tends to be more like the 
following 
> (loosely):
> 
> Intro - DJ friendly to facilitate mixing (don't get me started on 
this 
> one)
> Body - Introduce the main elements of the song, establish the 
groove.
> Drop/build - Strip away parts of the track, and then build it back 
up.
> Body 2 - The full on version of the track, all of your main 
elements are 
> going on, though probably with some slight variations fromt eh 
first bosdy 
> to keep the interest up.
> Outro - Again, somewhat DJ friendly to give them time to get the 
track in.
> 
> I think the number one thing that makes a good dance tune, other 
than a 
> great hook of course, is variations.  You want to avoid repetition 
as much 
> as possible, without leaving the groove.  Drum fills, dropping out 
beats 
> for 8th measure, anything so that you're not listening to the 
exact same 
> loop over and over again.  Avoid static presets, make use of 
really slow 
> LFO's to keep your sound constantly evolving and interesting, yet 
still 
> recognizeable.  IF you're coming up on large change to the 
structure of a 
> song, give the audience some indication of it.  An often overused 
trick is 
> the snare roll, or reversed cymbals.  Surprise in a song can be 
used to 
> great affect, but not if it happens all the time, then it's just 
> disconcerting.
> 
> rEalm
> 
> 
> 
> 
> To take my stuff to the next level (and try to make up for some 
time) I 
> want to hear artists describe their process and try to verbalize 
what they 
> think makes that elusive difference. Sure, playing tfor the crowd 
takes 
> you many 
> places and there are no real rules to follow. But when I sit down 
and 
> count-out the parts of the songs that I like and see the multiples 
of 8 
> bars and how things come and go, I want to know why the artist or 
the 
> producer decided on this structure.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
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