Where house comes from
House began in Chicago clubs in the early 1980s, notably at the Warehouse where DJ Frankie Knuckles played. Producers used drum machines such as the Roland TR-808 and TR-909 to extend disco into a stripped-back, machine-made sound.
What makes a track sound like house
- Kick on every beat
- Off-beat open hats
- Repetition with gradual change
- Soulful harmony
Typical structure
DJ intro of 16 to 32 bars, elements added every 8 bars, a mid-track breakdown and a long outro.
Vocals in house
House vocals are soulful and repetitive: one strong line or a gospel-style hook repeated over the groove. Ask for "a soulful diva hook repeated through the track" rather than full verses.
Prompting tips
Name the sub-style: "Chicago house" for raw drum machines, "deep house" for warm and smooth, "tech house" for minimal and percussive.
Asking for "drops" pushes house toward EDM. Ask for a "breakdown and return" instead.
Prompts to start from
Classic Chicago house at 124 BPM, TR-909 drums, gospel piano stabs, rolling bassline and a vocal snippet
Uplifting piano house with a big breakdown, hands-in-the-air chords and a clap on every second beat
Tech house groove at 126 BPM, punchy kick, shuffled percussion, rubbery bass and a filtered vocal hook