How to Make House Music Beats

The Four-on-the-Floor Foundation

House music is built on the simplest kick pattern in music: a kick on every beat.

That's steps 1, 5, 9, 13. This relentless pulse drives the dance floor. The tempo is 120-130 BPM, with 124 being the sweet spot for deep house.

The Offbeat Hi-Hat

The signature of house music: hi-hats on the offbeats.

That's steps 3, 7, 11, 15. The hat lands between every kick, creating a bouncing push-pull feel. Use an open hi-hat for this and put it in a mute group with a closed hat for realistic choke behavior.

Claps and Snares

Backbeat clap on beats 2 and 4. Use a clap sound rather than a snare — house uses claps almost exclusively. Layer a snare underneath the clap for extra body if needed. For deep house, keep the clap subtle. For tech house, make it sharp and prominent.

Adding Percussion Layers

House music loves percussion. Load these on additional pads: • Shaker: on every 16th note (XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX) at low volume for texture • Ride cymbal: on the offbeats with the hat for shimmer • Conga or bongo: syncopated patterns for groove • Rimshot: accent hits on unusual steps for flavor The art of house drumming is layering these elements so they create a complex, hypnotic rhythm from simple parts.

Swing in House

House music uses subtle swing — around 52-56% in 1/16 resolution. Too much swing makes it sound like hip-hop. Too little makes it sound like techno. The sweet spot gives the four-on-the-floor a slight organic bounce. Some sub-genres (garage, jackin' house) use more swing (58-62%). Techno and minimal use no swing at all.