Breakbeat vs Drum and Bass
By Alan More
Breakbeat is the broader family, built on sampled drum breaks since the late 1980s.[1] Drum and bass split off in the early 1990s UK as a faster, bass-heavy specialization of that same sampled-break foundation.[2][4]
| Breakbeat | Drum and Bass | |
|---|---|---|
| Origins | Late 1980s, in both the US and UK, as an electronic genre.[1] | Emerged in the United Kingdom in the early 1990s.[2] |
| Sound | Uses drum breaks, often sampled from early recordings of funk, jazz and R&B.[3] | Fast breakbeats with heavy bass and sub-bass lines, layered with samples and synthesizers.[4] |
| Tempo | Ranges from 110 to 175 beats per minute.[5] | Typically 165 to 185 beats per minute.[6] |
Sources
- [1] Wikipedia: Breakbeat (accessed 2026-09-24)
- [2] Wikipedia: Drum and bass (accessed 2026-09-24)
- [3] Wikipedia: Breakbeat (accessed 2026-09-24)
- [4] Wikipedia: Drum and bass (accessed 2026-09-24)
- [5] Wikipedia: Breakbeat (accessed 2026-09-24)
- [6] Wikipedia: Drum and bass (accessed 2026-09-24)
Frequently asked questions
Is drum and bass a type of breakbeat?
Yes, in lineage. Drum and bass emerged in the United Kingdom in the early 1990s as a faster, bass-heavy specialization of breakbeat's sampled drum-break foundation.
What is the tempo difference between breakbeat and drum and bass?
Breakbeat spans a wide 110 to 175 BPM range. Drum and bass sits at the fast end of that range and beyond, typically 165 to 185 BPM.