How to arrange a Dance Music track (Mixed in Key)

If you’re writing music for nightclub DJs, there is a formula you need to employ if you want them to play your tracks to a dance-floor. Here’s how to set up your tracks for success.

Dropping science

The term ‘Dance Music’ can relate to anything from Techno to EDM, House Music to Drum n’ Bass. Each sub-genre places different emphasis on certain sections – for example Drum n’ Bass is all about the initial drop, while House Music tends to steadily build through its arrangement. Yet the actual arrangement almost always adheres to the golden rules.

It’s basic human nature – dancing requires confidence, and confidence is gleaned from making minor, short-term predictions about what is going to happen next. So for example as we reach the end of a verse, a good producer will signpost the forthcoming hook by adding parts to the end of the verse, such as a drum fill. The audience predict what’s coming next, and when they’re proved correct, it’s satisfying. If the music is exciting too, it encourages the endorphins that make us want to dance. It’s science, baby!

Template for success

There are sections of a song that need to be present if you want to create a danceable track that DJs can mix with. The below table is a good reference point – make a song modelled on this structure and you’ll have an arrangement that will definitely work. While most dance music tracks will employ most of these sections, certain genres use more or less of each to create that genre’s vibe. Many genres follow the intro with a chorus instead of a verse, for example.

So, rules are made to be broken, but this template is a solid reference point all the same:

• Intro: An intro is typically a multiple of 16 bars in length, and often introduces a new instrument or sound every 32 beats. Some intros open with drums and gradually add layers of instruments. A buildup or other aural cue lets you know the next section is arriving.
• Verse: In songs with lyrics, each verse is usually different from the next. The verse sets up the theme of the song and naturally progresses to the chorus.
• Chorus (or ‘Hook’): This contains the main message or theme of the song. It’s built around a melodic “hook” and is the most catchy and energetic part of the song.
• Breakdown: This is a transition from the end of the chorus to the beginning of the next part of the song. Dance tracks tend to have very sparse Breakdowns, allowing lots of room to gradually build to an epic Drop.
• Drop: In Dance Music, breakdowns are traditionally followed by a Drop, which is a super exciting part. It’s common for this to also be the Hook or Chorus, maybe with even more exciting added elements.
• Chorus 2/Hook 2: Usually a repeat of the 1st Chorus, sometimes with some subtle differences.
• Bridge: This is an optional transitional section near the end of a song. A bridge will occur only once, and musically and lyrically it’s different from the rest of the song.
• Chorus 3: Some tracks will repeat the chorus a third time.
• Outro: This is the closing segment. Usually the same length as the intro and often very similar in its arrangement. Where the Intro adds parts to build, an Outro gradually loses parts to fade the energy. DJs love to mix out of these sections as there is more space for a new track in the mix.

Get sectioned

As you can see from the table above, producers can choose the length of each section, depending on taste and genre. Questions to ask yourself might be “Do I want Section X to be 8 bars long, or 16 bars long?” or “Do I want my breakdown to come in straight after the Intro, or do I want a verse or hook instead?”

The reasons to choose one or the other really depend on how quickly you want the song to reach its apex. You might want to really drag out the intro to build the tension. However, if you’re hoping for radio play, you might want to use shorter sections to keep the overall track length down. Radio tracks, even on Dance music shows, tend not to go over 3 or 4 minutes, while many club tracks are 6, 7 or 8 minutes long. This extended length gives DJs more material to mix with.

8-count

You’ll notice that any dance music arrangement needs sections with lengths that are divisible by 8 bars. Some music, like Pop music, uses 4 bar sections for some effects, but dance music is almost always in 8 bar phrases, even if there is a lot of repetition within each phrase. The reasons for this are simple – dance music is invariably in 4/4, and moves in loops. If your changes are too fast you’ll disorientate the listener. Likewise, if your arrangement change lands on the wrong bar you’ll lose momentum and people won’t want to dance.

Check out the audio clips below. Compare the two, and listen to how rushed and unsatisfying the track sounds when the arrangement is wrong.