First of all,
define a '16th Note based' Bass Groove Pattern (with 2 or 4 bars length) for your track..
(As inspiration, you can pick 1-2 of the following 8 Pattern, that have been used in many famous 90s Eurodance Hits and combine it with several Patterns, change it slightly, to give it your own character etc.) If you're unsure, just choose the most proven "Pattern1" for this time and continue with Step 1) below:
***************************1-+-|2-+-|3-+-|4-+-***************************
Pattern1: Into the Snare Groove -> x--x|x-x-|x--x|x-x-
<- (Maybe the most succesful Gr.Pattern of 90s Eurodance)
Famous songs using this pattern: Culture Beat - Mr. Vain [*a], Dr. Alban - Its my Life, DJ Bobo - Love is all Around, Fun Factory - Close to you, Masterboy - Everybody needs Somebody [*a] and many more.
Pattern2: Straight Forward Groove -> x-xx|x-xx|x-xx|x-xx
<- (Definitely the most used Pattern, maybe bit 'overused')
Famous songs using this pattern: La Bouche - Be my Lover, DJ Bobo - Take Control, Ice MC - It's a rainy Day, Culture Beat - Got to get it, Twenty 4 Seven - Is it Love, Maxx - Get Away, Masterboy - Show Me colours, TH Express - I'm On Your Side, etc.
Pattern3: Double Impact Groove -> xx-x|x-x-|x--x|--xx
<- (My Fav, the 1st two 16th notes in a row are characterizing)
Famous songs using this pattern: Intermission - Piece of my heart, Masterboy - I got to give it up, Loft - Hold On (The latter moves Beat 2 of this pattern only one 16th forward)
Pattern4: Slow Eurodance Groove -> x---|x--x|--x-|--x-
<- (Often used for slower songs at 124 Bpm!)
Famous songs using this pattern: Snap - Rhythm is a Dancer, Haddaway - What is love, DJ Bobo - Somebody dance with me
Pattern5: Mr. Vain's 2nd Groove -> xxx-|x-x-|x--x|x-x- [*b]
<- (2nd Pattern of Mr.Vain)
Famous songs using this pattern: Culture Beat - Mr. Vain (2nd Bar of its Two-Bar-Groove)
Pattern6: Into the Strong Beat Groove -> x-x-|x--x|x-x-|x-xx
<- (Added 16th notes directly before beat 1 and 3 are characterizing for its name)
Famous songs using this pattern: La Bouche - Sweet Dreams, ..
Pattern7: Scatman's Groove -> x--x|--x-|-x--|x-x-
Famous songs using this pattern: Scatman John - Scatman, ..
Pattern8: Alternating Bass Groove -> x-y-|x-y-|x-y-|x-y-
<- ("y" stands for it's specific alternating bass note)
Famous songs using this pattern: Mr. President - Up'n Away, ..
1) Setup a typical Eurodance 2Bar-Drum Groove in your TR909 Drum Machine at about 132 Bpm (add
additional Elements later, like Riffs etc) and duplicate it to build up a 4bar Loop-Groove, first.
Use the Eurodance Standard-Drum Groove below, if you're unsure how to define it in 90s
Eurodance style. (In lots of Eurodance-Tracks you will hear this Basic Drum-Groove exactly that
way!)
Typical Eurodance Basic Drum-Groove ->
-------------------- 1-+-2-+-3-+-4-+- -----1-+-2-+-3-+-4-+- ----
Closed HiHat-------xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx------xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx-- <-16th based
Crash*-------------O*-----------------------------------------------
Open HiHat-----------o----o----o----o---------o----o----o----o--- <- On Offbeats
Snare+Handclap--------x---------x----------------x---------x-x**--- <- Beat 2, 4
Kick----------------x----x----x----x----------x----x----x----x----- <- Beat1,2,3,4
*Occurs only on the first bar of a certain part (like Verse, Chorus, Bridge for ex.)
**Depends on the Rhythm of the Bassgroove Pattern on where to set LoopRiffs, if you have a
Bassbeat Accent on Beat "4+" it's guaranteed, that the snare/clap Riff Accent sounds good here on
Beat "4+".
Layering / Velocity Rules Order in Eurodance:
Kick & Hihat Velocity of BEAT1 strongest > BEAT3 > BEAT2and4 > OFFBEAT 1+ > OFFBEAT 3+ > OFFBEAT 2+ > OFFBEAT 4+ > ALL OF THE REMAINING 16TH OFFBEATS!
(A good layering is of great importance, to feel the groove later, it is not necessary, to layer the Snare & Open HiHat though) In proportion to other Drum Elements, Kicks are very loud. So, let it Boooooooooom booom boooooooom booom! :DD
Btw, 99% of famous 90s Eurodance Songs were made with a TR909 Drum Machine, so if you need one, here's my Best Free TR-909 Recommandation: Use SFZ Soundfontplayer as VSTi in Combination with NTonyx Soundfontbank/:128 /Preset: TR909 (Dl on NTonyx.com)
It includes all Elements of the real TR-909, sounds pretty accurate, is easy to handle, & all Drum Elements are mapped in your DAW!!! This is most likely the best free virtual samplebased TR-909 Drum machine Alternativ around the web. In my opinion absolutely a Musthave!
Creating Tom Riffs on Transition-Parts
(endpart of the last bar in a Verse- or Chorus-Part for Ex.) ->
Filling the last bar of your 4 Bar Drum-Groove Loop with Tom Riffs can always increase the energy and dynamic of your music, so let's throw in some additionally "Bam-bam, bum-bumm, bom-boom"-Toms in a defined Rhythm, that is analogue with our choosen Bass Groove Pattern on it's occuring accentuation, in the following order (Don't forget to set the velocity in the previously
described way, otherwise it will sound unauthentic) ->
High Toms first (1-3 in a row as 16th or 8th Notes) ....BAM...(Bam?)...(Bam?)
then Mid Toms (1-3 in a row as 16th or 8th Notes) ............BUM...(BUM?)...(BUM?)
then Low Toms (1-4 in a row as 16th or 8th Notes) ....................BOOM...(BOOM?)...(BOOM?)
Recommand. Free Tom VSTi for Tom Riffs: MT Power Drum Kit 2 (It's crispy Toms are just awes.)
2) Try out some Bassgroove-Pattern above there (maybe change it 'very slightly' to give it your own
character) and combine it with your drum track. If it let's you dance immediately to the groove,
you did well!
(Use this free Bass VST if you unsure which Bass sounds suiting for that style -> TAL Bassline (Emulation of Roland SH-101) Preset: Env Sub Bass for ex. or Steinberg Model E
(Emulation of Minimoog Model D) Snap Bass Preset + Add some OrilReverb
for ex.)
3) Establish a chord progression for your track. My recommandation: For ex. 6415 (1637 in Minor) or
6451 (1673 in Minor) Notice, that Minor Key Signatures are typical for 90s Eurodance Songs.
Tryout this free VSTi for Strings/Pads if you're unsure: "Poly 2106"+ Carpet Pad Magic Preset and
setup whole notes in the "4 notes per bar" method. Make sure you setup the voicing smoothly, so
that it sounds good after looping.
Later, you can make the rhythm more complex for chorus parts etc. (More famous Chord
Progressions of Eurodance are:
6 45 (2 bar), 6456, 6514, 6145, 6245, 6 41 (2 bar), 6135) <- Note, ..
you can always change the order like 1465 instead of 6514 etc., if you need another start-chord
for a certain chord Progression Part.
4) Define a 4 Bar Lead-Synth Arpeggio (for ex. use PG-8X / Original Bank Presets /55: Poly Synth) in
8th Notes with 1-2 empty spaces per bar for 8th note breaks (probably on beats/offbeats where
no Bassnote is playing in your pattern) which will act as a counterpoint melody of the vocals
melody later. (Inspire yourself by the Intro of "Hold On - Loft" or "Piece of my Heart -
Intermission" on youtube for ex., where those typical Lead Synths occure directly from the
beginning on of it's Intro, acting as counterpoint melody)
Piece of my Heart - Intermission (Inspiration A of typical/melodic Lead-Synth Arpeggio's) ->
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6vnYMSuiOg
Hold on - Loft (Inspiration B of typical/melodic Lead-Synth Arpeggio's) ->
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sv0HoBkmEUw
5) Add some more instruments, if you like. For ex., a Rhythm Section that plays mainly the
Bassgroove Pattern by using slightly muted chords only in the defined main rhythm, a Piano Part,
an E-Piano that plays only chords without rootnotes on offbeats at a certain time, a church organ
for the intro, etc etc. and last but not least, just be creative & compose a melody by feel. Make
also sure, you compose at least 3-4 Parts in this order: "INTRO / CHORUS / VERSE / BRIDGE" +
duplicate that stuff for backup-ing & the repeat of Chorus2 etc. later. Letting the instruments
come in one after another in that order for ex. ->
"SYNTH LEADS -> BASS -> DRUMS -> E-PIANO -> VOCALS START OF CHORUS PART"..
..is always a logical process, especially, when doing Bass-Solos, like it is the case for ex. in "Hold
on" by "Loft". A Reverse Cymbal and/or Drum Riff right before the "DRUMS-" and "E-PIANO Come
In" creats even more dynamic to that "Instrument Come In Process" at the beginning, which
means, it is always very important, that you have your "Main Rhythm Pattern", defined via
Bassgroove Pattern, always 'mapped' in your head.
Typical for Eurodance is also, to use often so-called "1-Bar Breaks" at the last bar of a certain
part, for calming down the music (except Bassdrum Riffs) that play only Kicks (and/or Toms) in
the complete Bassgroove Pattern Rhythm for one bar at those moments, to bring more variety to
it's characterizing "4-On-The-Floor" Dance Groove. (The Effect: It can increase the dancers energy
on the dancefloor
) Sometimes, I feel like I'm almost breaking through my monitor when overdoing it with too strong accentuation. :DDD Well, however, what can I say more, Composing
eurodance is fun, so just get your synths, believe in yourself and start a project...happy
eurodance composing !!
Two Eurodance Songs, composed by myself (by using the above mentioned VST Instruments) ->
https://soundcloud.com/user-926227779/s ... briel-west
https://soundcloud.com/user-926227779/g ... -fla-dance
@My message to the world out there:
LET'S BRING BACK 90s EURODANCE, that combined STRONG BEATS, HARMONY, INTENSE SOUL FEMALE VOCALS, REFRESHING OLD SCHOOL SYNTHSOUND & ENERGY so wonderful!!!
Tired of these wannabe- dance-chillmusic of nowadays, that pay no attention to these 5 important characteristics.
