What is the difference between House and Techno?

At times, trying to differentiate between House and Techno music will leave you with no other conclusion than to think both are referring to the thing. This is because both forms of music are in some ways related. House and techno music are most times played on music styles like synthpop, post-disco, funk, electro, etc. This alone is why most people think they are the same. However, techno music can easily be differentiated from house music because it is played in other music styles like industrial music, Chicago house, etc.

Another difference is that house music came earlier than techno music. House music started early in the 1980s, while techno music started very late in the 1980s. While techno and house music use the same types of instruments, but the differentiating factor here is that the keyboard is used only in techno music, while house music does not use the keyboard.

Techno and house are both comparable forms of music generally played in nightclubs and dance clubs. Both are believed to be a piece of electronic dance music. Techno is rooted in funk, synth-pop, electro and post-disco music. House music is derived from similar music forms. Techno is different from house music because of it’s stylistic origins, such as Chicago house, industrial music, and Hi-NRG.

House music, on the other hand, came from disco, soul, electro-pop, and a vibrant blend of funk, synth-pop, electro, and dance. House music came before techno music. House came around in the early eighties, while techno music was born in the mid-eighties. Both forms of music may be similar, but they have very distinct styles. Techno and house use similar instruments; however, techno isn’t shy about using the keyboard. House originated in Chicago, while techno started in Detroit.

House and techno are considered to be the pillars or foundation of electronic dance music. They are both very recognizable genres that are often used interchangeably. House music is associated with Chicago that started in the early ’80s while Techno with Detroit. House is a piece of very melodic music, has simple beats, and uses real voices. It often uses piano riffs, inspirational raps, and gospel diva samples.

Techno music, on the other hand, has variable and complex beats that can vary from 4/4 to 2-step. Many agree that techno sounds like futuristic and some even believe it sounds psychedelic as it is not really melodic. If in house music gospel is more prominent in the background, in techno jazz is more prominent.

Some people think that house and techno are the same but there are some differences between the two. Techno is known to be faster than the house because it starts at 125 bpm. House starts at 115 bpm. There are instances when techno music will be as fast as 150 bpm which means that it can go very fast.

Some people assume that techno only started recently but it has been around since the 80s. People who create techno music are also very careful about calling this type of music with its proper name probably because there are some similar types of music available. House is just one of them but other similar types are electronic and trance.