[ghyt wembpang]

Originally Posted by Reg Reginald

Noodling and music theory are not mutually exclusive. Here are the two ways I learning to make chord progressions:

[snip]

Whether you come up with your personal music theory by studying formal music theory, or by noodling around, or both... it doesn't matter, as long as you pick a set of your personal rules for the sound you want and follow them consistently.

you win the IDMf post of teh year award

for next year. fuck everybody posting in teh next year. stop trying, go home. :U

[mnkvolcno]

here's another thing..

Even if you don't know what the hell's going on theoretically, it's VERY good to develop a sense of, moving, arriving, anticipating, cruising, postponing, etc. What I mean by this is: at what point in the cycle of tension and release are you at?

Whether you are aware of it or not, this is what you're thinking about/sensing when you're composing. It can help to say to yourself "this section is kind of just chuggin along.. I could start building some tension to make the listener anticipate a change... but then I could delay that change for a moment just to mess with them"

This is what music theory ends up describing in a precise fashion, once you start to understand the vocabulary of it. It's building up to describing form, not just little chord progressions. It's (hopefully) about the big picture.

[thekhanofficial]

Lots of excellent music theory info.
Any opinions on how chord progressions change throughout a track?

ex) pads play progression in beginning, lead plays different progression

[Sapling]

Originally Posted by thekhanofficial

Lots of excellent music theory info.
Any opinions on how chord progressions change throughout a track?

ex) pads play progression in beginning, lead plays different progression

go with modes, I like the Aeolian mode.

but thats because its the best mode.

*beast mode activate*

KYAAAAAA

[harpeer]

Originally Posted by ckiiln

But you do have all the ingredients. You want a certain type and colour of chord? Fix it up, because you know the notes, key and scale - voila.

And I'm not saying that it's wrong to use that kind of software - I do it as well, sometimes. It's just nice not to have to rely on it, I feel. Also when just playing regular instruments - it's just more fun to play when you know what you're doing.

Is it easy for you to modulate though? Like for a bridge or turaround. That's what throws me. If you could shed some light i'd be appreciated.

Its a little easier for me with that software, since I can check out the out-of-key suggestions it lists (using midi).

Is there a trick for doing it the traditional way with a regular instrument?

[keysersozeh]

Trick i used before getting to learn chords.. i still use it:

- Try to get your first chord down and even maybe a rhythm cause they can set a mood for your follow up chords
- Of each note in the chord try to figure out the follow up note seperately (as long the sum of the follow up notes give a harmony or maybe a passable dissonant sound.. its ok) and try to get a melody line for each note while overseeing the overall feel of the chords together
- when still not happy try different root-notes for your follow up chord (so if your highest note i a "c" while your lowest is.... lets say.... "a", try switching them or even switching all notes while keeping the same chord
- Finally try modulating / changing octaves / voicing, to see if you can get a better feel/sound of the total package


I have always had much fun doing the above.. just try it .

[statisticquill]

Originally Posted by harpeer

Is it easy for you to modulate though? Like for a bridge or turaround. That's what throws me. If you could shed some light i'd be appreciated.

Its a little easier for me with that software, since I can check out the out-of-key suggestions it lists (using midi).

Is there a trick for doing it the traditional way with a regular instrument?

I think you have a slight misconception about instrumentalists....
We practice scales and arpeggios and chords and play all sorts of different sheet music and practice fingering and theory etc... So that when we sit down to play we don't have to think about it! It becomes natural.

On real instruments its all about going with the flow... I might need to stop for a second and try a few different ways to do a key change but it won't take me more than a few seconds and I'm just playing along again. I don't think "OK I need to change from this tonic to this one, using a deceptive cadence here, keeping in mind these chords and then I'll suspend this blah blah blah..." Its more of "OK I need a touch of melancholy here and some excitement, I'll add some anticipation and give this part closure..." And about 90% of the time I get exactly the results I want. The "trick" is that its natural, as cliche as it sounds its pure expression. When I sit down in front of a piano and I start improvising; THAT is musical freedom.

[keysersozeh]

Originally Posted by statisticquill

I think you have a slight misconception about instrumentalists....
We practice scales and arpeggios and chords and play all sorts of different sheet music and practice fingering and theory etc... So that when we sit down to play we don't have to think about it! It becomes natural.

On real instruments its all about going with the flow... I might need to stop for a second and try a few different ways to do a key change but it won't take me more than a few seconds and I'm just playing along again. I don't think "OK I need to change from this tonic to this one, using a deceptive cadence here, keeping in mind these chords and then I'll suspend this blah blah blah..." Its more of "OK I need a touch of melancholy here and some excitement, I'll add some anticipation and give this part closure..." And about 90% of the time I get exactly the results I want. The "trick" is that its natural, as cliche as it sounds its pure expression. When I sit down in front of a piano and I start improvising; THAT is musical freedom.

Sounds so good.. wish it was second nature to me to... so many ideas, much easier to draw out. Too bad I have to go with what you call "blah blah blah..." cause of my incompetence .

I used to assumed music theory could inhibit you in musical freedom, how much of this is true?

[statisticquill]

Originally Posted by keysersozeh

Sounds so good.. wish it was second nature to me to... so many ideas, much easier to draw out. Too bad I have to go with what you call "blah blah blah..." cause of my incompetence .

I used to assumed music theory could inhibit you in musical freedom, how much of this is true?

You can't break the rules if you don't know what they are first ; )

I posted a really good guide to music theory in the tutorials section, if you really want to learn theory you guys should go check it out. It has plenty of information on chords and such too; i.e. not only how a chord works but why it works that way, why certain things happen in certain places etc.

EDIT: Here's a link actually, to get you started. I was just reading this so I thought I'd pass it along.
[Only registered and activated users can see links. Click here to register]

[keysersozeh]

Originally Posted by statisticquill

You can't break the rules if you don't know what they are first ; )

I posted a really good guide to music theory in the tutorials section, if you really want to learn theory you guys should go check it out. It has plenty of information on chords and such too; i.e. not only how a chord works but why it works that way, why certain things happen in certain places etc.

EDIT: Here's a link actually, to get you started. I was just reading this so I thought I'd pass it along.
[Only registered and activated users can see links. Click here to register]

A great! Thanks! (i also pushed the "Thank button"). If you can spare time, im very curious if you can tell me what i wouldve probably have done different in my chord usage in the song in my signature if I wouldve mastered a bit of theory? Maybe some quick learning points? When a chord sounds ok to my ears i move on, Im very sure ive made enough mistakes on the way .

Thanks again, will use your article.

[Divash]

Originally Posted by AndyMcG

Posted a few other places for people asking, this website helped me a bit -

very helpfull thank you