Dance floor BPMs

[MarkOne]

Ok, I know I’m old. So I’m happy to accept I don’t get it.

Opposite our new place this weekend is a beach rugby tournament, each night followed by a beach party. (Well the beach party seems to be continuous tbh)

Throughout this afternoon the DJ has kept up a steady mix nailed at 120bpm and a continuous 4 to the floor beat. I mean, since about 1pm and it’s 6 now.

But, really when does this get boring for people. (For me it was about 1:15)

I thought variety was supposed to be the spice of life.

[The Elf]

Probably for similar reasons that a boss I once worked for decided that all our external correspondence was to standardise at 12 point Times New Roman - because that was the default when it came up, and he couldn't figure out how to change it.

[Wonks]

Picking songs with the same tempo makes it easy to beat match and fade one song into another

[The Elf]

Picking songs with the same tempo makes it easy to beat match and fade one song into another

Never understood this... Is there some sort of problem with younger people's feet that stops them beat matching for themselves?

[OneWorld]

People know what they like, they like the familiar, it's almost like some form of indoctrination to the extent that life itself becomes formulaic and anyone trying something different is a pariah, although that doesn't bother me in the slightest, as long as we don't become neophiles and do something different for the sake of it but for the novelty of it. That being said, if we take another period of time in music, say the BeBop era - wouldn't all those tunes be set to a template maybe?

[Dave Rowles]

So club tempos can vary from 120-130. Most songs/tunes meant for club/dance are standardised at this tempo. Our hearts are supposed to rest at 60-100 bpm, so tunes that are 120 might encourage your heart rate to rise, thus you feel like moving. The strong bass attributed to dance tracks would also get the heart pumping. That's probably why those that like dance music like that sort of tempo.

As to why it's constant? That's to do with the drone/mantra/meditation aspect. Surprisingly, perhaps, though loud and annoying, the repetitive nature of dance music can help you "zone out" and enable a sort of meditative state where you can forget worries and not concentrate on anything.

Then of course...there's the drugs.

[N i g e l]

the vicinity of 120 bpm is one of the natural physical resonant frequencies of the human body

In sports, there have been various studies to findout what bpm is the best for music enhanced trainning.

"120" also makes the maths easy for LFO syncing

[ManFromGlass]

furthest thing from a club track expert here, although a good tune is a good tune even if it’s a club track, but from what I understand club music genres (and there are many) have carved out specific tempos for themselves.
I’m not sure what would happen if a DJ would mix genres at a gig. Perhaps those who have didn’t survive the experience.
( I think this creature is 120 aren’t they? )

[OneWorld]

If I am correct, I think the ideal heartbeat is 120bpm, though anything up to around 140bpm is considered healthy, as of course the bpm increases with strenuous physical activity

[ManFromGlass]

My resting heartbeat is around 80. When I first starting exercising seriously it would climb to 180. As I got more in shape over the years the 180 number kept lowering even with strenuous activity. Not having medical grade measuring equipment I take the numbers with a grain of salt, but if I keep moderately in shape 120 seems to be about my highest rate when working out. I’ve heard Lance Armstrong’s is something like 70.
My mum used to say if I was any more relaxed they would start piling dirt on me. I’m old and my current mantra is Exercise or Die but I barely get to it twice a week. Maybe if I hit the clubs my heart would sync with 120 but then I’d have to listen to that music, most of which is crap but some is good!

[Drew Stephenson]

Resting pulse should be a lot lower than 120!
Think you might be confusing that with blood pressure.

[Folderol]

Mine hovers around 60, so I'd already be in sync - just half time