Lesson 12 — Electronic Genres & Tempo
Genres are starting points, not cages.
Genre Tempo & Feel
Tempo and groove define the dancefloor feel. House sits around 120–130 BPM. Techno pushes 125–140. Hip-hop and trap drift 85–110 (often written as double-time). Drum & bass runs 160–180. Dubstep lives around 140 with half-time drums.
MONAKAI GENRE-EX
Pick a genre and listen to its 16-step drum pattern. Adjust BPM and swing. Use the 808 machine below to build your own grooves.
MONAKAI BEAT-808
Click pads or sequence steps to build your own beat. Watch the half-time cheat sheet for how feel changes when you half the perceived tempo.
🎧 Monakai Pro Tip
Genre is a starting point, not a cage. Some of the best tracks break a genre rule on purpose — but you have to know the rule to break it well.
Key Takeaways
- Tempo and drum pattern are the fastest ways to identify an electronic genre.
- House is usually 120–130 BPM with four-on-the-floor kicks.
- Hip-hop often sits between 80–100 BPM with swung grooves.
- Drum & bass is typically 160–180 BPM with broken beats and heavy bass.
Practice This
Open your DAW and apply one idea from this lesson to a 16-bar loop. Don't worry about making a full track — just experiment until the concept feels natural in your hands.
Try Monakai's free VST3 plugins to hear these ideas in action, and check the music production blog for more tips.