Does BPM = "Energy"?
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  1. #1
    Tech Wizard
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    Default Does BPM = "Energy"?

    So I've for a long time been trying to find ways to improve the concept of energy within a set. The concept of starting off with lower energy tracks and suddenly building them up. Ive tried to sort them be perceived "energy" although I find this very faulty. While a track will sound exciting one day it will bore me the next, I realize this whole concept is subjective, but I got thinking about the concept of BPM. Slower minimal tracks ( lets say 122 bpm ) have a nice chugging sound while trance ( 140 bpm ) is full of energy.

    Would simply progressing a set via a tracks natural BPM be an effective way to create and build "energy"?

  2. #2
    DJTT Administrator del Ritmo padi_04's Avatar
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    Not necessarily. Both of these have the same BPM and there energy levels are quite different. It really depends on the tracks and genres you are mixing.

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  3. #3
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    Good Point. In that case is there any non subjective way of judging "energy" perhaps major or minor keys? In my case I usually mix minimal techno, tech house, tech trance, progressive trance, and some classic trance. These BPM's can range anywhere from 122 to 140. Ive had tracks, for exmaple, that perceieved in my mind as a low energy track yet were 136 bpm while the rest of my low energy trance tracks were at 128 bpm which would make the faster track essentially useless.

    It simply got me to thing, there must be some aspect of music that conveys energy
    Last edited by riotto; 10-31-2011 at 02:19 AM.

  4. #4
    DJTT Administrator del Ritmo padi_04's Avatar
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    Both use a major scale

  5. #5
    Tech Guru Bassline Brine's Avatar
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    Start looking into mixing harmonically. Working up scales and notes brings that "energy" your are looking for, from what I've dealt with.

    Some people go crazy about it, some people trust their gut. It can be a useful tool if you want it though. Me? I like to go by my gut.
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  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bassline Brine View Post
    Start looking into mixing harmonically. Working up scales and notes brings that "energy" your are looking for, from what I've dealt with.

    Some people go crazy about it, some people trust their gut. It can be a useful tool if you want it though. Me? I like to go by my gut.
    Thanks for the reply Bassline. I already mix via the Camelot system ( go around counterclockwise, PITA to label all my tracks! ). Its just a music phonemona that confuses me. Music is mathematics and physics, I find it hard to believe that one track just sounds more energetic than another, there has to be a musical theory answer

  7. #7
    Tech Mentor racoon's Avatar
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    the BPM is NO indicator of the feeling how "intense" the track will be.
    it depends on how the track is produced/composed.

    with more experience in djing i made more use of the pitchfader and pick the tracks i mix on the basis of the "feeled intensity"

  8. #8
    Tech Guru Alex Wild's Avatar
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    One part of it is how the drums are produced. Two tracks can be the same BPM, but one might have more emphasis on the 16s making it feel 'faster'.

    Also the timbre of the instruments can affect it. Compare a track with growling distorted bass to one with a filtered bouncy bassline. Different feel and energy.
    Last edited by Alex Wild; 10-31-2011 at 03:33 AM.
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  9. #9
    DJTT Moderator Dude Jester's Avatar
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    I would say no. Once you get good at mixing harmonically and progressing thorough the scales, combined with some nice smooth transitions and drops etc you can build a great energy with some lower bpm tracks for sure.
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  10. #10

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    I have some 130 bpm tracks that have massive amounts of energy compared to some of my 140bpm tracks

    some 132bpm tracks that sound much faster due to how they worked the basslines.
    I have a whole slew of stuff. I dont pay attention to bpm much. Only thing bpm allows me to see is the bars and time and when to start a track.
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