Beats Per Minute, is it an issue?

[Pazu]

In trying to add additional instrument arrangement to 6 string acoustic phrases that I have developed, it came to light that in failing to play with a metronome, my BPM is nonstandard. Steady, but not 120BPM. Somehow I have been composing these phrases at 100BPM, in some instances.

This is prep work in order to present completed work on ReverbNation, with the intention of getting the work out and appreciated in the mainstream.

How does choice of BPM, fit in these days, in terms of general mainstream pop acceptance? I have no knowledge here and wish to avoid an ignorant mistake now rather than work a dozen tunes with no mind to BPM as an element of composition, only to have my good work fall flat as a result. I would appreciate the benefit of others experience in this regard!

Thank you for any thoughts on the matter.

Pazu

[Richie Royale]

BPM is about personal taste, or if you are composing for a specific genre of music it may be directly linked over a certain span, say 120 to 130 for most house music.

If you are trying to judge whether one BPM will be more popular than another, I don't think there is any way of proving that one will succeed over the other, unless it is genre specific and you are working far too fast or slow for it to fit in.

[damoore]

Is it dance music? If so what sort of dance? The bpm needs to match that. Don't expect people to pogo at 80bpm, or waltz at 160.

[Pazu]

I am trying to draw interest on Reverbnation, which appears to be heavily pop-oriented. What bpm do girls like to dance at, is I suppose the question. Like, girls who are at work during the day, not girls not at work but instead wasted on mushrooms and designer drugs out at night in a field with crop circles in some rave situation. I know many girls, but they are not going to be able to answer this question for me. They like to dance, and talk, but not about bpm! They know what they like, probably based on some pecking order or other (forgive me women on here, don't mean to offend).

I had wondered if there might be some psychologically comfortable bpm rates that should be adhered to whereas others might be off-putting. Maybe my 100bpm is fine; I could always double or quadruple it, in an intro to gain interest. Perhaps I just need to be sure that the beat is easily identifiable, standing out throughout the song. If there's 'no bad beats' then I should be fine. If the predominant beat out there is 120, I should probably stick to that for a majority of tunes, I suppose that composing in a bpm that women are quite familiar with, would make my music more accessible to them. In the end, if my songs don't capture interest, I can always change the beat, or go new age and forego beat altogether... I expect I'll have bigger issues to work through before beat becomes a limiting factor for me. I'll figure it out. Thanks for the thoughts - Pazu/John

[Richie Royale]

http://www.tonaltrends.com/bpms-musicians-use-most/4580116161

I think the answer is: variable. I would focus on making something catchy if you are aiming for the pop arena and simply reference popular tracks to see what tempo and arrangements they use.

[Pazu]

Thanks for the link Richie, it hadn't shown up in my search. It seems not a big issue as long as everything else in the song works, and as long as nothing else in the song, doesn't!

[The Red Bladder]

Just listen to the charts in the type of music you want to create!

[Pazu]

I merely wish to avoid pitfalls in bpm. I do not want to jump on the bandwagon of pop, but I do want to ride those rails in my own way - by that I mean, danceable beat. The problem is, I *can't stand* the crap that I hear on top 40 radio. I can't take it! It's the lyric, the messaging is so horrid, songs about drugs and crack and bad decisions, it's almost as though pop is pushing younger people into this direction and I don't like it. Now, I've nothing against self-medication but pushing it as a societal philosoply is not a good direction. I read way too much into everything, it's who I am, and I should say that arguably due to my distaste for it I've not listened to a lot, but it's on radio where I work (I put on CD's when I get a say). I'm just trying to sneak in the back door with the right beat and some sonic elements, but with a differing perspective I guess. You know upon reflection it's probably the same exact damn thing... & I'm nobody, just trying to assemble quality indie songs without enough understanding as to structure, without knowing what insiders know cold. Today at work I'll listen some more. I'm trying to use light acoustic strums with a heavy sub-bass beat, but I've got to get more drum beats in there to capture interest, have something at the begin of the tune like a lead lick or staccato drums. I learn every day that I browse this forum, thanks for the thoughts, really. It's quite obvious I am sure to you folk, where bpm fits into things.

[Richie Royale]

I have no interest in pop music so I cannot comment with certainty, but I still expect that the majority of popular music is based around relationships with the odd alternative song coming through.

I know you are in the US, so this may not work for you, but this is the UK chart at present and it appears to be playable (I'm at work so can't tell)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/chart/singles

I expect you will find that they vary in tempo considerably. I would be aiming for 100+BPM if you want something danceable, but there is no hard and fast rule.

[Worldklock]

Whatever you do...

Don't forget your DOOP DOOP DOOP DOOP.

[Richie Royale]

Whatever you do...

Don't forget your DOOP DOOP DOOP DOOP.

Ah yes the Pharrellizer 2000™ plug-in at work there.

[Pazu]

Funny! Some days wishing that I were over there, my family got kicked out a couple hundred years ago... No hard feelings though

Thanks for the link, I would not have thought to check that but it is of course an excellent reference for me at this time.

[Richie Royale]

Wiki some of the tracks because some have loads of detail about the composition (well, big tracks I guess)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_About_That_Bass#Composition for instance.

[Pazu]

what the... How deep does this rabbit hole go!! This is good stuff, I had no idea... Mind expanding... I like this tune as well for some reason and it gets steady airplay over here. THanks Richie.

[Cargo]

Not all popular music is meant to be danced to. And it's not always obvious what works that way. Went to an electronica/dj concert a while ago, which seemed to involve a lot of swaying and fist pumping. Alt rock is not for the most part dance music. So you probably need to tighten your search research up some. Or just do what works for the piece.