How do you make a deep house track

Written by Col Lawton

 

How do I create a deep house track?

Making deep house is about connecting to the feeling and emotion in the track using Rhodes and pads with deep groove baselines making sure you’re using filters and reverb on the elements you’re using as you’re trying to create atmosphere in your music.

 

I like to use vocals in my deep house looking for vocals with a meaning to give the track that little bit more meaning helps to create a nice deep meaningful sound.

 

What kind of equipment do I need to make a deep house track?

You don’t need much as in equipment having the basics with your DAW and using your synths and filters you can create that deep sensual sound you are looking for I tend to use my FL EQs dropping the low end of the Rhodes synths adding filter to create that deep sound.

 

Same with all plug-in equipment or any samples I am using I play around with filters dropping different parts you can make some amazing sounds.

What makes a good deep house track?

For me a good deep house track is about the solid beat and finding a baseline that is heavy and keeps the track grooving along. Finding the right pads using reverb and filling the speakers I love this kind of sound. Make the track a story a journey it’s a deep house music journey for 6 minutes plus add in elements that are sensual such as piano riffs, arp melodies find nice vocals that compliment the journey your producing.

How do you structure a deep house track?

Like any track I always start with a 32 bar demo building the 32 bars with a deep kick, percussion, base and pads. The structure and melody of my pads is what I tend to use to structure my deep house tracks.

 

32 bar demo then a mini 8 bar breakdown this gives me the structure and blueprint of what my deep house track is going to sound like as a full track then it’s a case of being creative with effects and drops I use filters on the structure of the track again to create deep sounds and feelings in the track.

How many bars does a deep house track have?

I tend to make 7min long deep house tracks works out 217 bars, reason I like this space is exactly that the space 7mins gives me in the track to be creative with instruments and breakdowns as I like my deep house to be emotive having a 217 bar track gives me space to build from the first 32 bars being able to add mini breakdowns which helps to add new instruments as the track is building to the main breakdown. Also having a longer deep house track helps it breath as I do like to be able to hear everything working in the track so I can connect to this while I am listening.

How do you make deep house bass?

Baselines are the one thing in my music production which I find difficult I spend time searching for the right baseline sound and sample when I find what I am looking for I chop this up as filters so I can squash and condense the sound into the deep feeling of a baseline I am looking for for my track I tend to add the baseline once I have the melody and the percussion all organised.

I use lots of samples in my music baselines being one of them as this is not my strength.

How do I add vocals to my deep house track?

Vocals in house music can be hard or easy best to build a track around the vocal from the start so if you find some nice vocals get them on a loop start adding in your kicks and percussion then it’s a case of working out what pad melody can complement the vocal not just the words but the tone of the vocals and the feeling inside the words.

 

Keep your baseline deep and simple again using the melody from the vocal and pads.

Where can I buy stems for my deep house track?

Loopcloud is a great place to get your stems from its a great VST which works directly with your DAW plenty of  Deep House stems and packages to work with full of great ideas.

What elements should I consider adding to my deep house track?

To my deep house I like to use meaningful vocals normally female singing about a reason as i see deep house going deep into your soul.

 

Rhodes and deep pads create the nice deep swoosh’s as I call them which helps the track float along I always like a guitar riff or an Arp as these instruments give off emotion in the strings.

 

If you’re going deep jazz which I tend to do I love adding in sax, long riffs and emotive breakdowns with sax works for me in deep house tracks.

 

Keep your elements minimal but use them well meaning get them layered add reverbs and echoes pull the sound out of them and be creative.