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Understanding the Dubstep Structure

Nothing says energy and attitude like Dubstep music. The throbbing “wobble bass,” ear splitting synths, quarter note triplet figures and of course, the mandatory “drop” are popular elements found in true Dubstep. Combing this music with action footage (not necessarily shot with a Steadicam® btw) edited with quick cuts and some bizarre graphics or photo inserts is a perfect recipe for testosterone driven video.

But what you might not know: there is a particular structure used in Dubstep song construction. First, the tempo is typically 140 bpm (beats per minute) with the first 32-35 bars being a unique audio soundscape. This “intro” can be a beautiful, light sequencer-based introduction, establishment of a theme or a collage of sound effects and voices.

If you do the math, 35 bars of 4/4 music at 140 bpm equals one minute. After this opening comes the obligatory “drop.” If you think in terms of conventional music, the drop would be equal to an explosive percussion build that leads into exciting, driving music.

In Dubstep, the drop is usually a gigantic synthesizer fall-off that is enhanced with God-knows-what audio snippets quickly edited that just grabs you by the ears

After the drop, the screechy ear-bleeding music begins. Then tempo might change from a fast four to a pulsing half-time feel. While synthesizers are often used, the metamorphosis of the Dubstep genre now includes power guitars typically found in action video gaming music.

If you want to test drive a Dubstep track, give “Watch Your Step Mr. Bond” on CSS Music Target Trax “Contemporary Styles” a whirl. You’ll find the “meat” of the track really begins about one minute into the track. And we believe your pulse rate will definitely go up! J