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Tempo language: BPM numbers versus feel words
Numbers pin the grid, feel words shape the groove — most good prompts use one of each.
Numbers are a hint, not a contract
Writing "124 BPM" makes the model aim for that region, but it is a strong suggestion rather than a locked clock. Expect to land nearby rather than exactly. That is fine — the number's real job is to rule out the wrong half of the tempo map, so the difference between 90 and 140 matters much more than the difference between 122 and 124.
Because of this, round numbers are as good as precise ones. "Around 120 BPM" and "120 BPM" behave the same. What genuinely helps is giving a number *and* a feel word, so the model knows both the speed and how to subdivide it.
Feel words that change the groove
- half-time — the pulse stays but the backbeat lands half as often; heavy and spacious.
- double-time — busy hi-hats and snare rolls over the same chord rate; urgent.
- shuffle / swung — uneven eighths; blues, jazz, some pop.
- straight / four-on-the-floor — even subdivisions, kick on every beat; dance and house.
- rubato / free time — no fixed grid; ballad intros, ambient, solo piano.
- driving / laid-back / pushed — where the players sit relative to the grid.
Rough ranges worth knowing
| Feel | BPM | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Ballad | 60–80 | piano ballads, slow soul, doom |
| Mid-tempo | 85–105 | hip-hop, R&B, indie, folk |
| Pop drive | 108–125 | mainstream pop, rock, disco |
| Dance | 120–132 | house, nu-disco, synthpop |
| Fast | 135–160 | drum and bass at half-feel, punk, trance |
Example
Practice
Pick one instrumental prompt and generate it three times: once with no tempo information, once with a BPM number only, once with a number plus a feel word. Time the results and note how much the groove changes. You will usually find the feel word does more work than the number.