How to Write Tech House Songs

Want to write tech house that makes people stop texting and start grinding on the dance floor? Good. This guide is your cheat code. We will walk through groove design, bass, drums, synths, vocal usage, arrangement that DJs love, mixing the low end, and finishing a DJ ready export. Expect hands on recipes, real life examples, and language so direct you will feel seen. Also expect jokes. Maybe some mild profanity. You were warned.

This is for millennial and Gen Z producers who want practical steps and no fluffy nonsense. You will get definitions for the jargon, real world scenarios so a DJ or friend will understand, and a workflow that scales from bedroom demo to club weapon.

What Is Tech House

Tech house sits in the intersection of techno and house. Imagine the steady danceable pulse of house combined with the darker, more percussive textures of techno. The result is a groove based, DJ friendly style that thrives in clubs and late night sets. Tech house is often minimalist but hypnotic. It is less about big builds and pop pyrotechnics and more about pocket, swing, and relentless momentum.

Core facts

• BPM usually sits between 120 and 126. BPM stands for beats per minute. Think of BPM like the song heart rate. A higher BPM pushes energy like espresso and bouncing knees.
• Beat commonly uses four on the floor. Four on the floor means a steady kick on every quarter note. It is the skeleton DJs rely on to mix two tracks together without headaches.
• Groove and percussion are central. Hats, shakers, toms, and congas create movement. The groove is the conversation the drums have with the bass.
• Arrangement is made for DJs. Long intros and outros, clear cues for mixing, and phrasing in eight or sixteen bar blocks make the track usable in a set.

Key Terms You Will Need

If acronyms make you feel like a confused plant, here are the essentials explained in plain language and with examples you can nod along to at a party.

• DAW means digital audio workstation. It is the software you use to make music. Examples are Ableton Live, Logic Pro, and FL Studio. Think of a DAW like your musical kitchen.
• VST stands for virtual studio technology. These are plugin instruments and effects that live inside your DAW. Like choosing a synth sausage at an honest deli.
• EQ stands for equalizer. It lets you boost or cut frequencies. If your bass is muddy, EQ is the broom.
• LFO is low frequency oscillator. It modulates parameters like filter cutoff or volume to create movement. Imagine a slow waving hand that changes the synth tone over time.
• Sidechain is a ducking effect where one signal makes another signal get quieter. You usually sidechain the bass to the kick so they do not fight for the same space. In a club scenario this is why the kick punches through the floor.
• FX means effects like reverb, delay, and distortion. These are the spices you sprinkle on a track. Too much and the dish is ruined.

Core Elements of a Tech House Track

Tech house is sculpted from a handful of elements. Nail each and the track will feel like it has a spine. Ignore them and the song will flop like an overcooked noodle.

Groove and Rhythm

The groove is the heartbeat. It is often layered percussion with shuffled hats, off beat claps, and little ghost notes. Groove is not only what you hear. It is what you feel in your knees. Producers often add swing to their sequencers to push certain notes a bit later. Imagine tapping your foot and then delaying every other tap only slightly that is the feel of swing.

Real life scenario

Picture a DJ looping the first eight bars of your track. If the groove is tight the dance floor nods along. If the groove is lazy the DJ will cut it faster than your ex changed their relationship status.

Bassline

In tech house the bass is percussive and rhythmic. It often plays short notes that lock with the kick or plays a rolling pattern that grooves around the kick. You want presence without mud. A common approach is to craft a sub layer for the low frequencies and a mid bass layer for character. Use sidechain to give the kick room and use subtle saturation to make the bass audible on club systems and small speakers alike.

Kick and Low End

The kick is the foundation. Pick a kick that has a short click and a tight low boom. If your kick has too much long tail it will blur the groove. A tight transient gives definition. Many producers layer a clicky top sample for attack and a deeper sample for weight. Align the phase so the layers add not cancel. Keep the sub mono under around 120 Hz so the club subs do not throw your stereo image into chaos.

Percussion and Hats

Hats and percussion are the seasoning. Use open hats to create open space and closed hats for rhythm. Shakers and congas add human feel. Ghost notes are quieter hits that live between main hits and create micro groove. In tech house use percussive fills sparingly but with intent. A well placed tom roll is more valuable than ten unnecessary reversed impacts.

Synth Stabs and One Shots

Synth stabs are short hits of sound used as rhythmic punctuation. They can be filtered and chopped to create movement. One shot is the term for a single trigger sample. Use stabs to add personality without cluttering the arrangement.

Vocal Hooks and Samples

Vocals in tech house are often minimal. Short phrases repeated and processed with delays and filters work best. Think of a chant you can sing while waiting in line for drinks. Chopped vocal loops and pitched phrases become percussive elements. Always check vocal sample clearance if you plan to release commercially. Royalty free means you can use it without paying later. Not all free samples are safe. Read the license.

Structure That DJs Love

Tech house exists in a DJ ecosystem. Your arrangement should be a tool DJs can manipulate and mix. That means predictable phrasing and long intros and outros for mixing.

• Intro often eight bar phrases repeated for sixty to one hundred twenty seconds. This gives DJs time to mix in.
• Main groove is the body of the track. Keep the hook or vocal minimal but catchy.
• Breakdown removes kick or low end for contrast. Use this space for a filtered vocal or a tension build.
• Build and drop is subtle in tech house. The drop is usually a return to the groove with the full low end and percussion. Do not expect EDM fireworks. Expect a return of the pocket.
• Outro mirrors the intro for easy mixing out.

Phrase counts

• Think in eight bar blocks.
• Common structure example: intro sixteen to thirty two bars, groove sixty four bars, breakdown sixteen bars, groove sixty four bars, outro thirty two bars. This is flexible but DJs will thank you if your track has predictable phrasing.

Drum Programming Recipes

Drums make the difference between a bedroom loop and a club cannon. Here are actionable templates you can use in any DAW.

Kick

1. Choose a tight punchy sample with a strong click and a clean sub.
2. Layer a short click sample to add high end. Place it on the exact same grid as the kick and adjust volume until it adds attack without sounding like two separate kicks.
3. High pass anything above six kilohertz on the kick attack layer to remove unnecessary noise.
4. EQ the sub layer around fifty to one hundred hertz depending on your track. Use a narrow boost to find the sweet spot and then compress lightly.
5. Use transient shaping to tighten the attack if needed.

Hats and Percussion

Program closed hats on eighth notes and sprinkle open hats on the off beats. Add shuffled hi hat patterns to create swing. Use velocity to humanize the pattern and play with micro timing to move items a few milliseconds off the grid.

Claps and Snares

Place claps on the two and four in a bar to preserve the house feel. Layer with short reverb tails for depth but sidechain the reverb to the kick to avoid mud. For more groove, use a layered clap that includes a mid transient and a slightly longer tail for air.

Sound Design for Tech House

Sound design is about character. Tech house needs fat bass and crisp top end without being busy. Below are recipes for common sounds and how to shape them.

Sub Bass Patch

1. Use a sine or triangle oscillator for a clean sub tone.
2. Add a second oscillator an octave above with low volume for presence on small speakers.
3. Use a short low pass filter on the second oscillator to soften harshness.
4. Add subtle saturation and a low pass filter to glue the sound.
5. Rotate the pitch slightly or add tiny detune if you want movement but keep the sub mono.

Mid Bass Patch

Use a saw wave with short envelope modulation on the filter. Drive the filter with an envelope to create a plucky shape that sits on top of the sub. Add compression to control dynamics and subtle distortion for character.

Stab and Pluck Patch

Create short stabs with a sampled pluck or a synth patch with fast attack and medium release. Automate the filter cutoff with an envelope or LFO to avoid static repetition. Sidechain the stabs lightly to the kick to keep them moving with the beat.

Mixing and Low End Management

Mixing tech house is largely about respecting the low end and leaving space for the kick and bass to coexist. Here are practical rules you can apply right now.

Make the Kick and Bass Friends

• Choose one to own the sub. Usually the bass owns the lowest octave and the kick owns the punch above it.
• Sidechain the bass to the kick using a compressor or volume ducking. Set attack and release so the pump feels natural and not like an earthquake.
• Use EQ to carve a small notch in the bass where the kick's click lives and vice versa. This is called frequency carving.

Mono Below a Threshold

Collapse everything below about one hundred twenty hertz to mono. Club subs do not like stereo weirdness. If your low end is out of phase it will vanish on certain systems. A simple low pass to sum to mono saves you from embarrassment.

Use Reference Tracks

Load a professional tech house track into your project. Match loudness so you do not trick your ears. Compare kick punch, bass weight, and high end clarity. This will fast track your mixing decisions.

Effects, Automation, and Movement

Automation is the secret weapon. A static track is boring. Move parameters over time to create tension and release.

• Filter sweeps on stabs and percussion create motion without adding new elements.
• Automated reverb sends on vocal hits can make a phrase bloom into the breakdown.
• Delay throws on a vocal before a drop create rhythm and space.
• Micro edits like chopping a tiny slice of a hat and moving it by a few milliseconds can convert a flat groove into a human one.

Remember to avoid automation that conflicts with DJ mixing. Big tempo based effects can be great for your version but unusable in a club when the DJ wants to mix without re-syncing everything.

Vocals and Vocal Processing

Vocals in tech house are more like a percussive instrument than a long verse chorus story. Short lines, pitched chops, and processed hooks work best. Here are techniques and why they matter.

Vocal Chops and Loops

Chop a phrase into slices. Re arrange them rhythmically so they become part of the groove. Pitch some slices up or down for variation. Add reverb and delay tails that are ducked to the kick so the rhythm stays tight.

Spoken Word and Hooks

One short spoken line repeated with a little delay and filter can turn into a crowd chant. Example phrase: "Right now" or "Feel it." Keep it short. Keep it slightly mysterious. The crowd will fill the meaning.

Processing Chain

1. High pass filter at about one hundred Hz to remove rumble.
2. EQ for presence around three to five kilohertz if the vocal needs clarity.
3. Light compression to glue the performance.
4. Delay on dotted eighth notes or triplet feel to add rhythm without cluttering phrases.
5. Reverb tail that is sidechained or lowpassed to keep the mix clean.

Writing a DJ Friendly Track Step By Step

Follow this workflow to move from idea to a club ready track.

1. Start with the groove. Program a kick and a basic hat pattern. Get the groove locked before you write anything else.
2. Add a bass idea. Keep it simple. Repeat a two or four bar phrase and focus on rhythm rather than melodic complexity.
3. Add percussion and fills. Build a pocket. Make sure ghost notes and human timing make the pattern breathe.
4. Design a mid element. A stab, a vocal loop, or a pluck that repeats as an ear worm.
5. Arrange for DJ mixing. Create long intro and outro blocks that strip down elements for transitions.
6. Mix in the rough stage. Sort low end and make sure the kick punches through.
7. Do a breakdown. Spend time designing the moment where energy dips and returns. This is where the dance floor loses its mind.
8. Final mix and master. Keep mastering gentle. Tech house benefits from dynamic life. Loudness is less important than groove and clarity.

Common Mistakes and Fixes

Here are problems producers hit and how to fix them quickly.

Too Much in the Mid Range

Problem: Track sounds cluttered and lacks space. Fix: Remove or low pass some mid heavy synths. Use sidechain and carve small EQ notches. Remember less is more in tech house.

No Groove

Problem: The drums feel robotic. Fix: Add micro timing offsets and velocity variation. Use shuffled hi hats and ghost notes. Humanization makes a loop breathe.

Kicks Not Punching

Problem: The kick disappears on club sound systems. Fix: Layer the kick with a top click sample. Tighten attack with transient shaping and add a tiny bit of saturation for presence.

Bass and Kick Collision

Problem: Muddy low end. Fix: Use sidechain compression. Decide which instrument keeps the sub and carve frequencies with narrow EQ bumps.

Promotion and Release Tips for Tech House Producers

Making a good track is half the battle. Getting it into the hands of DJs and playlists is where the real work begins.

DJ Promo Pack

Prepare a promo pack with a WAV of the original, a radio edit if needed, and stems if the label asks. Stems are separate tracks like drums, bass, synths, and vocals. Labels and DJs love stems for remixes and tools.

Networking With DJs

Find DJs who play tech house in your city or niche. Send them a private unlisted link with a short message. Example message: "Hey name, love your last set at venue. Made this track with that groove in mind. If you like it drop me a line." Keep it personal. DJs receive a flood of messages. Be memorable for the right reasons.

Label Submissions

Read label submission rules. Some want WAV only, others accept links. Always include BPM, key, and a short paragraph about the track. Stating the BPM is like telling a bartender what drink you want. It saves time and gets you served.

Tools and Plugins Worth Your Time

Plugin lists can become cult worship. Here are pragmatic tools that show up in many tech house productions.

• Serum or any wavetable synth for bass and stabs.
• FabFilter Pro Q for surgical EQ moves.
• Valhalla Supermassive or similar for wide delays and weird space effects.
• iZotope Neutron for quick mix balancing and assistive analysis.
• Soundtoys Decapitator or any saturation for glue and presence.

None of these are mandatory. Your ears are the real plugin. Use tools to solve problems not to impress people on forums.

Practice Plan to Level Up in Thirty Days

Follow this schedule if you want habits that move you from hobbyist to reliable tech house mainstay.

1. Week one: Create a one minute groove each day. Focus on kick, hats, and a bass idea. Export thirty loops at the end of the week.
2. Week two: Pick five favorite loops. Turn them into two minute tracks with basic arrangement and one stab or vocal hook.
3. Week three: Mix and refine one track per day. Practice sidechain, EQ carving, and reference mixing.
4. Week four: Finish one track to export quality and create a DJ friendly intro and outro. Send it to two DJs for feedback.

Real Life Scenario Examples

Example one: You are DJing a small club and want a mid set track that keeps people moving. You make a tech house loop with a tight kick and a rolling bass. You add a chopped vocal saying "right now" on the off beats and filter it into the breakdown. The DJ loves it because the long intro blends with mix outs and the vocal hook is club friendly.

Example two: You are producing for streaming playlists. Shorter tracks sometimes perform better. Keep arrangement tight. Make sure the hook or the groove is obvious within the first thirty seconds. Clubs and streaming have different needs. Know your release target and adapt.

FAQ

What BPM should I use for tech house

Use a BPM between one twenty and one twenty six. One twenty four is a comfortable sweet spot for both house energy and techno drive. Think of BPM as the dance floor temperature. Warmer tempos are friendlier. Faster tempos push urgency.

Do I need expensive plugins to make a good tech house track

No. Good sounds, arrangement, and mixing taste matter more than shiny plugins. Many producers make club ready tracks with stock DAW tools. Buy plugins when a tool solves a problem you cannot solve any other way.

How long should a tech house track be

Tracks commonly range from five minutes to eight minutes. DJs appreciate longer versions because they give more mixing space. For streaming or radio edits create shorter versions around three to four minutes.

How do I make a bass and kick work together

Decide which element owns the sub. Use sidechain compression to duck the bass when the kick hits. Carve small EQ notches so important frequencies are not competing. Check the mix in mono below about one hundred twenty hertz to confirm phase stability.

How do I make my track DJ friendly

Use long intros and outros, predictable phrasing in eight bar sections, clear drops and breakdowns, and avoid sudden tempo changes. Provide stems if a label or DJ asks. DJs prefer tracks they can mix without additional editing.

Action Plan You Can Use Today

1. Open your DAW and set BPM to one twenty four.
2. Make a four on the floor kick and lay an eight bar closed hat pattern with slight swing.
3. Create a two bar bass loop that grooves with the kick. Sidechain the bass to the kick lightly.
4. Add a chopped vocal phrase or a short stab. Automate a low pass filter into the first breakdown.
5. Arrange intro and outro as sixteen bar blocks for DJ mixing and export a one minute loop for feedback.