French House Songwriting Advice

Want that warm, funky, filter swept club vibe that makes people swing their shoulders and pretend they are cooler than they are? You are in the right place. French house is the sonic soap that makes disco and late night energy slippery and irresistible. It is equal parts groove, texture, and cheeky sampling. This guide gives you songwriting and production tactics that actually work. We will cover groove, chords, sampling, filter motion, vocal treatment, arrangement, mixing, clearance, and a repeatable workflow to finish songs that DJs can drop without apologizing.

This is written for artists and producers who love records that feel lived in. Think Daft Punk, Stardust, Cassius, Alan Braxe and their heirs. We will use plain language, explain every acronym, and give real life scenarios so you do not need a music degree to make something that bangs. Also expect jokes. Good things happen when you stop being boring.

What Is French House

French house is a style of house music that emerged in the 1990s in France. It blends disco samples, warm analog bass, and heavy use of filter movement to create a sense of motion. The vibe is nostalgic and modern at the same time. It smells like a sweaty dance floor and a designer perfume boutique at once.

Key characteristics

• Use of chopped disco samples or live played disco influenced guitar, strings, and horns.
• Filter automation to create tension and release. Low pass and high pass filters are your friends.
• Warm, rounded bass lines that are often octave based so the bottom feels solid and simple.
• Four on the floor kick pattern with syncopated hi hat and percussion that gives pocket.
• Sparse but emotive toplines. Vocals can be sampled phrases, processed chops, or a human singer with subtle phrasing.

Tempo, Groove, and Pocket

Start with tempo. French house usually lives between 115 and 125 BPM. BPM stands for beats per minute. If that range sounds slow for dance music, that is the point. The pocket sits in that middle ground where the groove is sexy rather than frantic.

Real life moment

Imagine a Saturday night at 11 PM. The crowd is warm but not wasted. You want people to move with intention not stumble. That is the BPM you want. If people are sprinting, you missed the mood.

Kick and Groove

Four on the floor means a kick drum on every beat. But groove comes from the hi hats, shakers, and percussion that sit around the kick. Use a steady closed hi hat on off beats and add a swung open hat or shaker pattern to create bounce. Swing is a timing offset where alternate 16th notes move slightly late to create groove. In many DAWs, swing is an adjustable amount you can apply to MIDI grooves.

Practical tip

• Program a tight clap or snare on beats two and four. Keep it short and bright so it cuts through without getting heavy.
• Layer two kicks if needed. One for thump in the sub range and one for click in the top end. Use an EQ to carve space so they are not fighting.
• Use a short delay on a hi hat at low level to create warmth. Use less is more here.

Bass Lines That Sit and Glide

French house bass is rarely complicated. Think in terms of groove and low frequency control. The classic approach uses simple octave patterns that follow the chord progression and lock with the kick.

Techniques

• Play a root note on the downbeat then jump to the octave or fifth for variation. Movement on the off beat creates bounce.
• Use a rounded saw or square wave with low pass filtering to keep the top end polite. Add a subtle sub sine if necessary for low end authority.
• Sidechain compression explained. Sidechain compression is when the level of one sound is reduced briefly by the presence of another sound. In dance music producers sidechain the bass to the kick so the kick punches through the mix and the bass ducks just enough to avoid masking. This creates that pumping breathing feel the genre loves.

Real life scenario

You are DJing and the bass is muddy. A single tap of sidechain makes the kick pop so people feel the rhythm in their chests. That is what a good ducking job does on the dance floor.

Chords and Harmony

French house borrows heavily from disco harmony which loves sevenths, ninths, and extended chords because they add color without sounding needy. Use chord voicings that leave space for bass. Avoid dense clusters in the low register. Play higher inversions for shimmer.

Chord palette

• Major seventh for warm uplifting moments. Example C major seventh is C E G B.
• Minor seventh for richness that still moves. Example A minor seventh is A C E G.
• Dominant seventh for tension that wants to resolve. Use it sparingly on turnarounds.
• Sus chords for funk feeling. Sus stands for suspended. Suspended chords are where the third is replaced with a second or fourth. They create unresolved motion and fit well as passing chords.

Practical voicing tip

Play the chord higher on the keyboard and leave the low octave for the bass. This prevents mud. In a mix you want the chord energy in the mid range so the vocal or sample can ride above it.

Sampling and Chopping

Sampling is the heart of classic French house. You take a disco record or session recording and chop, loop, and filter until it becomes your hook. But sampling has rules and workarounds.

Finding Samples

Dig in record stores or in paid sample libraries. When you hear a loop that gives you goosebumps, that is your starting point. If you want to work fast, use royalty free disco sample packs that are cleared for commercial use. If you sample a copyrighted record you must clear it with the rights holders or face legal trouble. Clearing samples can be expensive and slow. If you love a sample it can be worth clearing. Otherwise recreate the vibe with studio musicians or MIDI instruments.

Chop and Recontextualize

Chopping is taking a small slice of audio and repeating or rearranging it. The trick is to make the chopped phrase become something new. Stutter a vocal snippet, loop a horn stab, reverse a cymbal for a transition. Use time stretching to match tempo. Be creative. Small edits can change genre and emotion quickly.

Real life example

You find a one bar disco guitar phrase. You chop it into four pieces and reorder them. Suddenly the phrase becomes a rhythmic instrument with a new melody. Add a filter sweep and the club thinks you are a genius.

Filter Motion and Automation

Filter automation is the signature motion of French house. The classic move is a low pass filter opening and closing to reveal or hide harmonic content. Instead of thinking of filters as technical tools think of them as emotional levers.

Terminology and tools

• Low pass filter lets low frequencies through and cuts the high frequencies. Use it to create warmth and mystery.
• High pass filter cuts low frequencies and lets the top end pass. Use it for builds and to create anticipation.
• Resonance increases the emphasis around the filter cutoff frequency. Be careful because too much resonance sounds ringy or cheesy.
• LFO stands for low frequency oscillator. An LFO can automatically modulate a parameter like the filter cutoff so you get rhythmic motion without drawing automation by hand.

Practical automation recipes

• Intro build. Start with the filter cutoff low on the main sample and slowly open it over eight or 16 bars. Add subtle resonance to flirt with frequency peaks.
• Chorus energy. Open the filter fully on the drop and then close it slightly between repeats to create push and pull.
• Rhythmic gating. Use a sidechain or LFO synced to tempo to make the filter pulse with the kick. This can be more musical than simple volume pumping.

Vocal Chops and Treatment

Vocals in French house are often used as textures rather than lyric carriers. That means you can get away with tiny phrases, repeated words, and heavy processing. But when you use a full lyric, make it count.

Processing steps

• EQ. Remove mud under 200 Hz unless the vocal needs body. Add a gentle boost around 3 to 6 kHz for presence.
• Compression. Use a compressor to control dynamics so the vocal sits consistently in the mix. A ratio of 3 to 5 to 1 is a good starting point for pop style control. Ratio is the amount of compression applied relative to the incoming signal.
• Pitch correction. Use subtle pitch correction for character. Too much sounds robotic unless that is the effect you want.
• Filtering. Apply the same filter automation techniques to vocal chops. A low pass sweep on a repeated vowel can become the hook.
• Vocoder and talkbox. These devices blend synth tone with vocal content for a robotic and nostalgic vibe.

Real life tip

If you found a funky vocal phrase on a record you sampled, try isolating the vowel and repeating it into a rhythmic pattern. Layer a soft synth under it to give it weight. It becomes both hook and pad.

Synths, Keys, and Live Elements

French house does not require massive synth armies. One or two well chosen elements are more effective. Vintage gear like the Roland Juno and Jupiter series and filters from analog consoles helped define the genre. Today you can emulate that warmth with plugins.

Sound choices

• Warm pad in the mid range for chords. Keep it slow moving and not too bright.
• Bright pluck for rhythm. Use envelope settings with short attack and medium release to give life.
• Analog modeled bass synth for low end control. Use saturation to glue it to the mix.
• Electric guitar licks or clean rhythm guitar with chorus effect to add organic disco flavor.

Practical patching

Set a pad with a slow filter envelope so when the filter opens it breathes with the track. For plucks set a short filter envelope to give each note a bite. Small envelope movements create much of the groove.

Arrangement and DJ Friendly Structure

French house tracks are often loop based. That means your arrangement needs to keep DJ interest. DJs want tracks that are easy to mix. Give them long intros and outros, consistent rhythm reference, and clear points for mixing in and out.

Arrangement map you can steal

1. Intro 16 to 32 bars. Start with drums and a filter muted sample that will open gradually. DJ can beat match here.
2. Build 16 bars. Introduce bass and main chopped loop. Open filter slowly and add percussion for forward motion.
3. Main section 32 bars. This is the body of the song. Keep energy and add vocal highlight every 8 bars to give the ear landmarks.
4. Breakdown 8 to 16 bars. Drop drums or strip to a filtered sample. Use this moment to rewrite expectation.
5. Return 16 to 32 bars. Bring everything back with slight variation like a new chord change or a harmony layer.
6. Outro 16 to 32 bars. Gradually remove elements to give DJs clean mixing points.

Real life DJ moment

When a DJ needs to mix into your track they appreciate a long intro with drums and the main tempo element so alignment is simple. If your intro fades in with a vocal only your track might get passed over at clubs.

Mixing Tips for Clarity and Groove

Good mixing is invisible. Focus on clarity and pocket. French house loves texture so treat saturation and analog emulation as spices not the whole meal.

• High pass everything that does not need sub. That keeps bass tight. High pass filter is a filter that removes low frequency energy below a set point. Use it on pads and guitars so the bass has room.
• Use gentle compression on the mix bus for glue. A mix bus is the channel that all tracks route to before the master output. A small amount of compression can make the whole track feel like a single instrument.
• Parallel compression on drums keeps attack and body. Parallel compression is when you blend a heavily compressed copy of a sound with the original uncompressed sound. This gives punch and sustain simultaneously.
• Automation is your friend. Automate filter cutoffs and reverb sends to create motion instead of trying to print everything at once.

Mastering Basics

Mastering prepares your song for release. You want consistent loudness without killing dynamics. Use EQ to fix any global tonal problems. Limiters control peak levels. A limiter is a tool that prevents audio from going beyond a set threshold so you avoid clipping. Aim for loudness that fits the streaming platform targets without squashing life out of the track.

Real life check

Upload a test to a streaming platform private link. If the track sounds lifeless after the service normalizes loudness you pushed the limiter too hard. Back off and preserve groove.

Sample Clearance and Legal Reality

If you used a sample from a copyrighted recording you need to clear both the master and the publishing. Master refers to the actual recorded performance. Publishing is the underlying composition like melody and lyrics. Clearing means getting permission and often paying a fee and agreeing on credits. Do not ignore this. Getting slapped with a lawsuit is a bad party.

Workarounds

• Use royalty free loops or sample packs that include a license for commercial release.
• Recreate the part with musicians or MIDI instruments so you own the recording.
• Use very small micro chops and heavily process them. This is not a guaranteed legal safe path. If it is recognizable you are still at risk. Clearance is the safe path.

Songwriting for French House Vocals and Hooks

French house vocals are often minimalist. Think phrases repeated like mantras. When you write your own toplines keep it simple and singable. One line repeated with subtle variation can be more effective than complex storytelling.

Vocal writing exercises

• One line chorus. Write one short sentence that conveys the feeling. Examples: I feel alive tonight or Keep your love on the low. Repeat with a small twist on the last pass.
• Vowel focus. Because filters and chops often manipulate vowels try to sing with strong open vowels like ah or oh so processing stays musical.
• Micro narrative. Use two verses that are snapshots not full explanations. Let the texture do much of the emotional work.

Real life scenario

You are at home writing and you find one line that hits like a cigarette in the rain. Repeat it and try moving one word each time to see how the meaning shifts. Often the small change is the hook.

Common Mistakes and How to Fix Them

• Mistake Overly busy top end. Fix Use low pass filtering on textures and carve space with EQ.
• Mistake Bass fighting kick. Fix Use sidechain compression and adjust EQ to keep the kick click and the bass sub separate.
• Mistake Too short intros. Fix Add 16 to 32 bars of DJ friendly intro so tracks can be mixed smoothly.
• Mistake Too much sample recognizable. Fix Re-chop, pitch shift, add effects, or clear the sample properly.
• Mistake Static arrangement. Fix Automate filter and add small instrumentation changes every 8 bars to keep ears engaged.

Finish Faster Workflow

1. Find or create a two or four bar loop that gives you the main vibe. This is your sandbox.
2. Lock tempo and lay down a four on the floor kick and basic percussion.
3. Add bass line that locks with kick. Sidechain the bass to the kick with a fast release so groove remains tight.
4. Add your chopped sample or synth chord. Start with filter cutoff low so you can automate in later.
5. Design a 32 bar main section and place your vocal hook every eight bars to give landmarks.
6. Create intro and outro with filtered versions of the main loop so DJs can mix in and out easily.
7. Mix with focus on low end clarity and mid range presence. Master lightly and test on club systems if possible.

Resources, Tools, and Sample Packs

Essential plugin types

• Sampler or audio clip editor for chopping samples.
• Analog modeled synth for bass and pads. Examples include plugins that emulate classic hardware.
• Filter and modulation plugins that allow tempo synced LFOs.
• Good EQ and compressor plugins for shaping tone and dynamics.
• Limiter for final loudness control.

Sample pack suggestions

• Look for disco and soulful house packs from reputable producers. Many marketplaces exist with royalty free packs.
• If you want to mimic a vintage sound search for packs labeled vintage disco or boogie.

Action Plan You Can Use Tonight

1. Pick a tempo between 118 and 122 BPM.
2. Create a drum loop with a steady kick and shuffled hi hats.
3. Find or create a two bar loop that gives you idea energy. Keep it filtered to start with so you can perform automation later.
4. Write a one line chorus that fits an open vowel. Repeat it across the main section.
5. Design a bass that plays the root and the octave. Sidechain to the kick and set a small release time so the ducking breathes with the groove.
6. Automate the filter so it opens on the main drop and moves back a little every 16 bars to keep movement.
7. Make a 16 to 32 bar intro with drums and a muted loop so DJs can mix in.

FAQ

What tempo should I use for French house

Choose between 115 and 125 BPM. The sweet spot often sits around 118 to 122 BPM for the best balance of groove and danceability. Lower tempos give more pocket and feel less frantic.

Do I need to sample to make French house

No. Sampling is traditional but not required. You can recreate the disco vibe with live guitars, synths, and session musicians. Sampling adds authenticity but also legal complexity if you do not clear the sample.

How do I make my tracks DJ friendly

Provide long intros and outros with steady drum reference and predictable energy. Keep the main groove consistent and give DJs clear points for mixing. Use less extreme energy changes unless you want the track to be a special moment in a DJ set.

What is the easiest way to get the filter sound

Use a low pass filter on your main sample or synth and automate the cutoff. Add slight resonance for character. Tempo synced LFOs can create rhythmic movement without manual automation. Use subtle saturation to warm the signal afterwards.

How should I treat vocals in French house

Less is often more. Use short repeated phrases or chopped vocal textures. Process with EQ compression reverb and chorus as needed. If you write full lyrics keep them concise and emotional and let the groove carry much of the message.

How do I avoid muddy mixes with big samples

High pass pads and guitar parts so the bass and kick have space. Use multiband compression or dynamic EQ to tame frequencies that fight for space. Sidechain bass to kick to avoid frequency masking. Also try to choose sample loops that do not include competing low end.

Get Contact Details of Music Industry Gatekeepers

Looking for an A&R, Manager or Record Label to skyrocket your music career?

Don’t wait to be discovered, take full control of your music career. Get access to the contact details of the gatekeepers of the music industry. We're talking email addresses, contact numbers, social media...

Packed with contact details for over 3,000 of the top Music Managers, A&Rs, Booking Agents & Record Label Executives.

Get exclusive access today, take control of your music journey and skyrocket your music career.

Unlock Instant Access