- How is this different from house?
- The tempo is nearly identical; the groove is not. House pushes an even four-on-the-floor, while garage swings the 16ths and moves the kick off the downbeat so weight falls between beats. The bass differs too — a running line in house, short bouncing sub notes here. Describe the swing and the kick placement in your prompt, because repeating the BPM achieves nothing.
- What belongs in the prompt?
- Work in two passes. Rhythm first: 132 BPM, swung 16th hats, kick off the downbeat, staccato sub. Then timbre and space: chopped R&B vocal samples, organ stabs, short room reverb, no pumping sidechain. Avoid the phrase electronic dance, which drags the output toward generic festival material.
- The result sounds stiff. What now?
- Usually the swing is too shallow or the percussion too thin. Add pronounced shuffle on the hats plus shakers and congas across the 16ths. If the bass returns as one long sustained line, specify staccato sub with notes no longer than an eighth. Still flat? Ask for two or three kicks per bar instead of four.
