Drum & Bass Structure & Arrangement

the-rippa

I'll Kill You Bastard !!!
Joined
May 15, 2009
Location
Coventry, England
Dont get me wrong, im new to the game so im not questioning everyones advice. Its all really helpfull.

What i dont understand is how can u have a 48 bar intro ??

I mean a 32 bar intro (what i use) is 8x4's or 2x16's if you understand me.

But a 48 bar is 12x4's. You think it would be 16x4's to make a 64. (Rounded off).

I thought that with producing aswell as mixing everything works in equal sets of 4', 8's, 16's, 32's etc, so how can a 48 work ???

I hope you understand what i mean.

So a 48 bar intro is 4x4's short of an equal amount.

All reply's welcome.

This subject has been doing my head in for a while now.:confused:

The reason i placed this as a new thread is to get it noticed and talked about again
 
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it doesnt have to be equal otherwise it would sap all the fun out of mixin.
plus if its 48 bars just drop the tune u want after the 16th bar
 
The human brain eventually rejects sameness. What was fresh is now stale. New is old. New logical thinking is old outdated belief.
Stick to the same rules and you too will be rejected with rest.
LOL anyway. Don't rely on the maths or the rules. Just make what sounds good.
 
The human brain eventually rejects sameness. What was fresh is now stale. New is old. New logical thinking is old outdated belief.
Stick to the same rules and you too will be rejected with rest.
LOL anyway. Don't rely on the maths or the rules. Just make what sounds good.

Yeah sweet i understand what ya sayin, but there has to be a basis that u use (then alter to ur own taste):wave:
 
Alright mate. What arrangement do u use ????:rinsed:

i usually tend to stick to 32 bar intros!lol
but i have made sum tunes with 48 an 64 bar intros.
with a 48 bar u can have a nice steady intro for 32 bars then a quite bit with risin synths to give sum oomph on the drop.
 
i usually tend to stick to 32 bar intros!lol
but i have made sum tunes with 48 an 64 bar intros.
with a 48 bar u can have a nice steady intro for 32 bars then a quite bit with risin synths to give sum oomph on the drop.

Ahhhh I get ya. Yeah nice one mate. Just nice to know what other people use. Just tryin to make sure the tunes ive made aint all fucked up structure wise :D
 
Ahhhh I get ya. Yeah nice one mate. Just nice to know what other people use. Just tryin to make sure the tunes ive made aint all fucked up structure wise :D

intro dont really matter on length (obviously best to stick to 16 32 48 or 64 bars) if its a sick intro u shud have it for at least 64 bars.
 
intro dont really matter on length (obviously best to stick to 16 32 48 or 64 bars) if its a sick intro u shud have it for at least 64 bars.

What about the rest of the tune structure etc..

I use a 32 bar intro (usually, sometimes 64)

Then i go 48 bars with the last 16 bars as a build up to the next 64 (So a total 64)

Then a another 48 with the last 16 just a bit of sub etc leading to the middle of my tune (So a total 64)

Then repeat my intro.

Then repeat the first two steps the end of my tune.

Does any of that make sense ?????????:rinsed:

If not sum advice would be gooood
 
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What about the rest of the tune structure etc..

I use a 32 bar intro (usually, sometimes 64)
Then a 48 with the last 16 bars as a build up to the next 64 (Total 64)

Then a another 48 with the last 16 just a bit of sub etc leading to the middle of my tune (total 64)

Then generally repeat this till formula the end of my tune.

Does any of that make sense ?????????:rinsed:

i tend to go for 32 intro 64 chorus or watever lol 32 middle bit lol 64 chorus bit then 32 bar outro or sumtimes just end the tune but thats cos i usually make jump up tunes so i make em for wat i wanna mix em with.
 
i tend to go for 32 intro 64 chorus or watever lol 32 middle bit lol 64 chorus bit then 32 bar outro or sumtimes just end the tune but thats cos i usually make jump up tunes so i make em for wat i wanna mix em with.

Thank fuck for that. Very similar to me then.

I appreciate the help mate. Makes me feel alot better now lol. !!!!

Safe G. Keep makin them tunes !!!!!!!!!!!:boom:
 
Thank fuck for that. Very similar to me then.

I appreciate the help mate. Makes me feel alot better now lol. !!!!

Safe G. Keep makin them tunes !!!!!!!!!!!:boom:

no problem mate i remember wen i started i dint no me arse from me elbow!lol
 
I'm really pissed off by the fact that every track is the same structure. first 1 minute intro, then a breakdown at 3 minutes and another drop, more the same. It gets old really quick. It's all well for the DJ but even tunes clearly targeted to more 'home listening' have this kind of structure. It's BORING. Next track I make will have a 4 bar intro, 28 bar rinse-out, then a 65 bar full force thing. Settled.

Warp and Ninja tune here i come.
 
lol i hardly ever use bars to count in an intro. i'll just drop the beef when it feels right. every now and again i'll add a little micro drop to throw the ears off. yeh.. my structure is mainly experiments really i dont conform though sometimes i should. i'll sometimes add a change up or switch up to a track just for a bit of fun
 
I'm really pissed off by the fact that every track is the same structure. first 1 minute intro, then a breakdown at 3 minutes and another drop, more the same. It gets old really quick. It's all well for the DJ but even tunes clearly targeted to more 'home listening' have this kind of structure. It's BORING. Next track I make will have a 4 bar intro, 28 bar rinse-out, then a 65 bar full force thing. Settled.

Warp and Ninja tune here i come.

Lol! Interesting point.

A mate of mine is making tunes at the moment, and as he is an ex circuit DJ, he makes tunes he can mix. His justification is that if it doesnt get played in a club it won't get as much exposure as a crowd pleasing smasher.

Whereas I'm no dj. I am currently making tunes that are a reflection of what is in my head but using his methods as a guide..

He has helped me get my head around the basic arrangement that he had come across as a DJ (1-16b intro, 16-32b drop, 32- 64b main hook, 64b second drop- also drop an octave for 16bar phrase, then play out tune using 8/16 bar phrases).

I'm slowly getting to grips with it all.. slowly.

I'm trying to use that as a base from which to explore.
 
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you normal mix it on the 16th or 32nd bar naturally. Yes you mix off beat mess around with it a bit.
 
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