Composing Disco Music

[get2sammyb]

Hey guys,

I need help composing disco. I have searched Google, Amazon (for books) and even this forum and the best description I've found of disco music in on Wikipedia.

I can do the bass lines and drums pretty easily. Lots of reverb on drums. Pretty straight to the floor KICK - SNARE - KICK - SNARE stuff. And for the bass I tend to go ROOT - OCTAVE - ROOT - OCTAVE kinda stuff. I wondered how I should layer this with other instruments.

I obviously appreciate there is no kinda formula - I just want to get a basic understanding of how the genre kinda fits together sonically. I mean should I be using the piano as rythmn or lead? Again I know that is down to preference but I'm trying to find what fits. Anything I do sounds - wrong. Basically not like the records being played at school discos and such.

What combination of instruments works best in disco? Drums, bass, horns, piano? Should I be looking at layering lots or keeping things simple?

Are there any articles on the net on writing disco music? I sure as hell can't find any.

Basically - the stripped down version to my question is: share you information on disco composition, mixing etc.

I want to write things people will dance to. I appreciate this will take time but I'm trying to find a starting block.

I'm not expecting the perfect song within 5 minutes - it's just I've got some decentish bases for songs in bass and drums now - and I never know where to go with it.

Thanks in advance for the help,

Sammy.

 

[sevenways]

hi

for dance music, I found a book called 'Dance Music Manual' at amazon. It seems the way to compose today dance music. But I havn't that book

 

[knightfly]

Try listening to almost any episode of Alias - Sydney tends to go to disco's on a fairly regular basis.

I'd forget acoustic instruments for that genre; more synth's, synth bass, synth horns, maybe an organ... Steve

 

[get2sammyb]

Hey thanks for the responses.

I don't like the horns I have but I have some great basses in my collection.

I've been listening to lots of ABBA lately and am learning some great stuff off them. They tend to always have strings, bass, drums, piano and guitar. Sounds great.

I'm gonna check out that book now Sevenways.