How BPM Affects House Music
Discover how BPM can affect the sound and feeling of house music, and how DJs can use this to their advantage.
Introduction
In electronic dance music (EDM), the tempo is usually expressed in beats per minute (BPM). The average rate is around 128 BPM, but the range can extend from 50 to 200 BPM or more. How does tempo affect house music?
The answer lies in the relationship between the BPM and the human heartbeat. At rest, the average human heartbeat is 60-80 BPM. When we exercise, our hearts beat faster, and when we are calm or relaxing, our heartbeat slows down. House music usually falls into the range of 110-130 BPM, which is slightly faster than the average resting heart rate. This range is sometimes referred to as the “sweet spot” because it encourages a sense of euphoria and energy without being too overstimulating.
However, tempo is not the only factor that determines the feel of a house track. The rhythm, melody, and harmony also play important roles. For example, a track with a fast tempo but slow-moving chords will have a different feel than a track with a slow tempo but fast-moving chords. In general, though, house tracks tend to have medium to fast tempos and positive, uplifting vibes.
What is BPM?
BPM stands for beats per minute, and is a measure of the tempo of a song. In general, faster songs have a higher BPM, while slower songs have a lower BPM. However, there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to BPM, and many songs straddle the line between two tempo ranges.
How does BPM affect house music?
The simple answer is that faster BPMs tend to produce more energetic, uptempo tracks, while slower BPMs tend to produce more laid-back, downtempo tracks. However, there are exceptions to every rule, and there are many great house tracks with slow BPMs and many great house tracks with fast BPMs. Ultimately, it all comes down to personal preference.
How BPM Affects House Music
The Tempo
In music, the tempo (speed) is measured in beats per minute (BPM). The average human heart rate is 60-70 BPM, so a song with a tempo of 80 BPM would be considered fast. House music is generally between 110 and 135 BPM, so it falls on the faster end of the spectrum.
Faster tempos tend to create a sense of urgency, excitement, and energy, while slower tempos are more relaxing and laid back. The tempo of a song can also affect its emotional tone. For example, a sad song might have a slow tempo to reflect the melancholy mood, while a happy song might have a faster tempo to reflect the excitement and joy.
The tempo of house music can vary depending on the subgenre. For example, deep house is usually on the slower side (around 110 BPM), while tech house is usually on the faster side (around 130 BPM).
The Energy
The first thing to consider is the tempo, or beats per minute (BPM) of the track. The average human heart rate is somewhere between 60 and 100 BPM, so anything below that range will generally feel slow and relaxed while anything above it will feel more energetic. Most modern pop music falls between 80 and 120 BPM though there are definitely exceptions to this rule. For example, The Beatles’ “Hey Jude” is a very popular song but it has a slow tempo of only 72 BPM.
So what does this have to do with house music? A lot of people feel that the best house songs have a slightly faster tempo than other genres, usually around 115-130 BPM. This range seems to be just fast enough to get your heart pumping without being too overwhelming. Of course, there are always exceptions to this rule as well; some of the most popular house songs have tempos that are slower or faster than this range.
The Feel
The feel of a piece of music is determined by its tempo, or the number of beats per minute (BPM). The tempo of a piece can be slow, fast, or anywhere in between. The faster the tempo, the more energetic the music will feel. The slower the tempo, the more relaxed the music will feel.
The BPM of a piece of music also affects how difficult it is to play. For example, a piece with a very fast tempo may be difficult to play because the musician needs to be able to move their fingers quickly enough to keep up with the beat. A piece with a very slow tempo may be difficult to play because it requires a lot of patience and control to play each note correctly at such a slow speed.
Different genres of music often have different feels. For example, classical music is usually pretty slow-tempoed, while pop and rock songs are often fast-tempoed. This is one reason why some people prefer certain genres of music over others; they simply prefer the feel of that particular genre.
Within each genre, there can also be a lot of variation in tempo. For example, some rock songs are very fast (200+ BPM), while others are much slower (70-90 BPM). And within classical music, there can be even more variation; some pieces are extremely slow (20 BPM or less), while others are relatively fast (80-120 BPM).
House music is usually in the 110-130 BPM range, which falls somewhere in between pop and classical on the tempo spectrum. This moderate tempo makes it easy to dance to, but it isn’t sofast that it feels overwhelming or too energetic.
Conclusion
The impact of beats per minute on house music is largely dependent on the subgenre. In general, however, higher BPMs tend to create a more energetic and uplifting feeling, while lower BPMs can be more relaxing. Of course, there are always exceptions to this rule – it ultimately comes down to what you as the listener enjoy most. Experiment with different BPMs and see what affects they have on your emotional state.
