Stylistic Overview
- Disco music usually sticks to a time signature of 4/4, this helps accommodate the 'four on the floor' drum patterns. This is where the bass drum plays every crotchet beat in a bar, and the snare drum will play mainly on 2 and 4 beats, while the hi-hat plays off-beat quavers. This strong drum beat in a fast tempo makes the music extremely catchy and easy to dance to, which made it so popular in this era.
- There's also added percussion instruments, like drum machines and hand claps, these create
- Has a verse-chorus structure, with the addition of a middle 8th. The middle 8th is often replaced for an instrumental section. This structure makes the song sound catchy and familiar.
- A key element to disco is the lead and rhythm guitars. The lead will often play solo's on top of the music, while the rhythm plays chords along to the beat of the music in a muted way. The strings are muted by pressing down on it with the side of the hand, this will stop the sound of the chords from having feedback and will make it sound a lot more percussive.
- The bass big feature to disco as it plays very prominent and syncopated bass lines, that is the basis for the rhythmic element of disco music. The baselines often work in octaves, where they are played an octave lower than everything else.
- Lots of effects are usually used on the vocals - reverberation.
- Often the lyrics express people's love for dancing and romance, which is good for the era of music as people could feel they could relate to the music and it's upbeat and easy to listen to.
Harmonic Overview
Guitar usually plays the tops of the guitar on the higher end, to produce prominent higher notes. Most guitar melodies in Disco are played using triads.
Based on rhythm -keeping wrist loose
mostly based of triadic
In regards to chord extensions, major 7ths and minor 7ths (not dominant 7ths), and an occasional added raised 4th degree passing tone.
The lead guitar will often play solo's on top of the music, while the rhythm guitar plays chords along to the beat of the music in a muted way. The strings are muted by pressing down on it with the side of the hand, this will stop the sound of the chords from having feedback and will make it sound a lot more percussive.
Harmonies - two notes
often use blues scales - pentatonic is regularly used. Odd note outside of the key (creates tension)
usually in minor - very similar to funk music - sometimes slides from major to minor
often play chords with different root notes
Based on rhythm -keeping wrist loose
mostly based of triadic
In regards to chord extensions, major 7ths and minor 7ths (not dominant 7ths), and an occasional added raised 4th degree passing tone.
The lead guitar will often play solo's on top of the music, while the rhythm guitar plays chords along to the beat of the music in a muted way. The strings are muted by pressing down on it with the side of the hand, this will stop the sound of the chords from having feedback and will make it sound a lot more percussive.
Harmonies - two notes
often use blues scales - pentatonic is regularly used. Odd note outside of the key (creates tension)
usually in minor - very similar to funk music - sometimes slides from major to minor
often play chords with different root notes
Rhythmic overview
Disco music usually sticks to a time signature of 4/4, this helps accommodate the 'four on the floor' drum patterns. This is where the bass drum plays every crotchet beat in a bar, and the snare drum will play mainly on 2 and 4 beats, while the hi-hat plays off-beat quavers. This strong drum beat in a fast tempo makes the music extremely catchy and easy to dance to, which made it so popular in this era.
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Above is a classic four-on-the-floor drum groove. As you can see in this 4/4 bar, the bass drum (the crotchet beat at the bottom of the stave) is playing on all four beats in the bar. The snare drum (represented as the crotchet in the middle of the stave) is playing on the 2nd and 4th beat of the drum. And the hi-hat (at the top of the stave, marked with an x) is playing off-beat quavers.
An example of how this is played is shown in this youtube clip on the left. It can be modified by opening and closing the hi-hat or to make it more interesting you can add toms. |
A classic disco song where this is prominently used is in 'I Feel Love' by Donna Summer.
Now on to that disco bass. The bass usually sounds very sequenced or scalic. A popular scale that is used frequently is the minor pentatonic scale.
And example of where this scale is used on the bass line is in this song:
And example of where this scale is used on the bass line is in this song:
Structural overview
Disco has a Verse-chorus structure. This is much like in rock music where the (AB) structure is used. With the verse-chorus form, it usually starts off with an intro. The intro to the song usually takes the best part of the song in general and sets the mood for the whole song and grabs people's attention. The structure then goes into a verse, which usually has the same melodies and tune, but the lyrics change for each verse. The chorus then has a different melody and vibe, and the lyrics are often fairly catchy. In a lot of rock music of this form, the verse and chorus are usually 8 or 16 bars long.
Often a middle 8th or bridge is added within the song that contrasts to the rest of it. This stops the song from sounding too repetitive and usually has a new set of chords, lyrics and a new vibe. With the addition to the AB structure, with the added middle 8th or bridge, it becomes ABC. The song ends with a coda/outro that sounds different to the verse/chorus, and fades out gradually.
Often a middle 8th or bridge is added within the song that contrasts to the rest of it. This stops the song from sounding too repetitive and usually has a new set of chords, lyrics and a new vibe. With the addition to the AB structure, with the added middle 8th or bridge, it becomes ABC. The song ends with a coda/outro that sounds different to the verse/chorus, and fades out gradually.
Case study
There's a verse-chorus structure to the piece, which is a stylistic and recognisable feature to modern music.
The introduction is the chorus is the same as the chorus, which lasts for 8 bars, before going into the verse. This adds familiarity for the person listening, which makes it easy for them to get a grasp of the song before listening to the rest of it. This is key to the genre, as it was regularly played in clubs and it makes it sound more catchy and easier to get into the mood of the song
Simply the use of the 4/4 time signature is key to the genre.
Within the lyrics there's a key reference to night clubs - "come on down to the 54", this is specific to the audience who may be listening to it and to where it will be played. Night clubs being a specific feature to where Disco songs might be played.
Rhythmic bass line, which sounds very scalic.
The introduction is the chorus is the same as the chorus, which lasts for 8 bars, before going into the verse. This adds familiarity for the person listening, which makes it easy for them to get a grasp of the song before listening to the rest of it. This is key to the genre, as it was regularly played in clubs and it makes it sound more catchy and easier to get into the mood of the song
Simply the use of the 4/4 time signature is key to the genre.
Within the lyrics there's a key reference to night clubs - "come on down to the 54", this is specific to the audience who may be listening to it and to where it will be played. Night clubs being a specific feature to where Disco songs might be played.
Rhythmic bass line, which sounds very scalic.