House Music BPM: The Ultimate Guide For DJs

House music remains one of the most popular electronic music genres worldwide. It has a rich history and an eclectic range of subgenres to explore.

Understanding the BPM of house music tracks is vital for performing smooth sets where each track effortlessly blends into the other.

This guide will improve your ability to play house music by breaking down the typical tempo ranges between subgenres so you can mix at the same tempo.

What Is BPM?

BPM stands for beats per minute, providing a numerical description of a song’s tempo that is essential for DJs to understand.

For example, a track with 120 BPM will include two beats for each second of the track, while 60 BPM will consist of just one beat per second.

BPM rates are the foundation of many standard DJing techniques. They help DJs manage their libraries and instantly select compatible songs.

Most modern DJ controllers include a BPM display counter to help identify and blend tracks within a compatible tempo range.

Adjusting the BPM slightly on the incoming track can help match exactly the same tempo as the current track and blend with the EQ.

What Is House Music?

The history of electronic dance music begins with house music, which originated in the clubs of New York and Chicago during the 1970s.

Inspired by the disco music scene, house music evolved to incorporate repetitive beats and driving basslines, which are still present today.

Pioneers of the genre, such as Larry Levan and Frankie Knuckles, developed many of the production and mixing techniques that became the genre’s template.

The enduring appeal of house music is evident in its continued popularity, and the unsung heroes of the New York scene are finally receiving the attention they deserve.

What BPM Is House Music?

While the BPM of house music tracks varies depending on the house subgenre, the general range is between 115 and 130 BPM. 

Anyone with experience DJing in clubs will be familiar with this range, which can be expanded to include other genres, such as EDM.

House music’s BPM range makes it an excellent genre for experimenting with faster genres such as drum and bass or incorporating elements of hip-hop tracks.

Since it sits within the middle spectrum of BPM, gradually pitching tracks up or down throughout a set allows DJs to beat match styles with different tempos.

The Importance Of BPM In Electronic Dance Music

Understanding BPM’s role in DJing is essential for mastering all electronic dance music genres and delivering professional mixes.

Some of the ways BPM can be used to improve DJ sets include:

• Enhancing energy and mood: Playing with different tempos effectively builds anticipation and establishes an energetic sound during a DJ set.
• Experimenting with mixing skills: BPM doesn’t have to be fixed at one level, and the best DJs know how to shift gears by increasing the tempo range as a mix evolves.
• Playlist organization: Another critical aspect of BPM is its usefulness in swiftly organizing playlists and filtering large archives to locate tracks with a similar tempo range.

Mastering BPM and using it as another tool for DJ sets can be a valuable method for changing the psychological impact of your music.

House Music BPM Range By Subgenres

House music recently celebrated its 40th anniversary, showcasing a wealth of subgenres that highlight its universal appeal among DJs.

Here’s an overview of the most common house music genres, covering the BPM range and other elements DJs can experiment with.

1. Chicago House

BPM range: 120 to 130 BPM

Chicago hosted the early house tracks that would inspire countless DJs and producers over the decades since the 1980s.

Its average BPM range makes it a versatile style for DJing house music across other subgenres and branching into techno.

Chicago house pioneers like Frankie Knuckles and Ron Hardy produced many tracks in this range, making it a good entry point for new DJs.

2. Deep House

BPM range: 110 to 125 BPM

Deep house is a more soothing and laid-back genre of house music, which lends itself to DJ sets in bars or warmup sets in nightclubs.

It’s a fun genre for experimenting with harmonic mixing because of its mellow vibe and liberal use of soulful vocals and melodies.

As with Chicago house, deep house music emerged in the 1980s and fused elements of the former genre, notably its approach to drum patterns.

3. Progressive House

BPM range: 125 to 130 BPM

Another hugely popular subgenre of house music is progressive house, which emerged on the music scene in the United Kingdom during the 1990s.

Popularized by some of the best house music DJs, like Paul Oakenfold, it continues to have enduring appeal with artists such as Deadmau5 and Martin Garrix.

Progressive house tracks are a club-friendly subgenre of house music characterized by rising buildups, energetic peaks, and breakdowns that excite the crowd.

4. Acid House

BPM range: 120 to 130 BPM

The Roland TB-303 synthesizer is at the heart of the acid house genre, with its distinctive synth stabs and squelchy percussive hits.

It evolved from the Chicago scene during the 1980s and would play a significant role in the rave movement that emerged in the UK.

The artists of the time fondly remember this music genre, although its popularity has waned in recent years.

5. Tech House

BPM range: 120 to 130 BPM

Another popular subgenre of house music is tech house, which, as its name suggests, is a middle ground between house and techno.

Tech house avoids the melodic soulfulness of other house genres, opting instead for minimal grooves and futuristic DJ samples in its production.

The genre exploded on London’s club scene in the late 1990s and early 2000s, notably at Fabric and The End venues.

It’s an overall darker-toned subgenre of house music that continues to be played by the best underground DJs worldwide.

6. Electro House

BPM range: 125 to 135 BPM

Like progressive house, electro house is another subgenre widely adopted by the best EDM DJs in their performances.

It’s faster than some house genres, featuring aggressive basslines and distortion, making it ideal for energetic parties and club gigs.

The energy and speed of an electro-house track also make it compatible with other club-ready genres, such as a breakbeat and bassline.

Other common genres, such as techno and electro, also work well in sets alongside electro-house music, delivering an intense mood overall.

7. Bass House

BPM range: 110 to 130 BPM

Another current subgenre of house music that gets plenty of air time is bass house, which shares the high-energy vibe of electro house.

Bass house shares similar roots to garage music and dubstep, all of which emerged in the UK’s underground clubbing scene.

It uses heavy basslines and booming kick drums, pushing the limits of low-end frequencies on club sound systems.

Bass house tracks often incorporate elements of hip-hop, trap, and speed garage, making it a highly danceable genre for DJs.

8. Hard House

BPM range: 135 to 165 BPM

An outlier in the house music subgenres is hard house, which rose in popularity in UK nightclubs in the mid-to-late ’90s.

This intense genre is known for its rave-like qualities, which are evident in its faster tempo, which aligns with drum and bass and hardcore music.

The tempo range of hard house highlights the importance of organizing your music library by BPM so that you can use appropriate tracks in a DJ set.

While hard house has fallen in popularity since its peak, DJs who enjoy upping the intensity and tempo can find plenty of classic tracks to use in their sets.

How To Determine The BPM Of House Music

Determining the BPM of house music tracks is essential for optimal DJing and quickly lining up the next track so you can perform the mix.

New technology is emerging, including a web extension for adjusting BPM on Bandcamp, and plenty of tools exist to help with the process.

Many of the best DJ controllers will include an LED display for BPM on each channel, which updates as the tempo is manually adjusted.

If you’re DJing with vinyl, you can record and convert the tracks into digital files, then check the BPM count with your preferred software.

You can upload a house track and determine its tempo using online BPM counters. If these tools are unavailable, manually counting the beats as a backup method also works well.

Summary

Familiarity with the BPM of house music is a solid foundation for DJs’ building an eclectic electronic music library for their sets.

The house music genres in this guide represent a great starting point, branching into other genres such as minimal house and funky house.

In addition to helping DJs dominate the dance floor, music producers need to understand BPM when creating unique tracks.

As house music continues to shape new genres, understanding its BPM improves DJ performance and ensures it stays central in the global music scene.