Your Favorite Chord Progressions!!

[Nate Will]

Originally Posted by credentialed

I think a better title for a topic would have been "How do I learn chord progressions?" You would not have come off as if you were looking to take short cuts. IMO nothing will tick musicians off more than someone who wants to be a musician but without the pain and sacrifice.

Giving you my favorite progressions is not going to help you. Mainly because I have many of them, and they may not all fit your style.

You've been given sound advice, but you discredited it. For example, Tibbon said :

"...just get The Beatles Complete Scores and just basically play straight through the entire thing on piano or guitar. It does everything, from super basic stuff, to some pretty smart and complex key changes, etc."

This is invaluable advice. Why do I say you "discredited" it? Because when you responded to Joemamma, you said:

"Thank you. That was the most helpful post thus far"

And in Joemamma's post he clearly says:

"If you're new to this, study producers and artists you like. Then once you have a foundation, you'll be able to make your own unique stuff", which is the same concept as what Tibbon said. But you missed that part of his response because he gave you an actual progression and you zeroed in on that.

If you want to work better with session musicians, you have to dive all the way in and make the sacrifice that others before you have made. Then you'll be able to have an ear for what's in your head, be able to communicate it, and back it up with theory if you need to. If you only want three or four progressions and a sampled groove to carry you through your music career, you may not go as far as you hope. AFAIK, James Brown never sampled anyone and...wait, I digress...sorry.

As far as the circle of fifths, this is a necessity, but again you've discredited the advice. If I find a song has moved to, for example, C minor, and I was originally in E flat, how do I get back to E flat? Circle of fifths will help you.

So my advice is not that different from those who have posted before me. Get a hold of as much music of various genres as you can, and try to pick up the progressions by ear while studying theory. Sheet music will help, too. Also, pick up a copy of Mark Levine's "The Jazz Piano Book" and "The Jazz Theory Book", not to necessarily learn Jazz, but to get a foundation for progressions and scales. Scales are the foundation of music and progressions. Learn as many scales as you can in all keys.

Arthur

Thnx for setting me straight. i didn't necessarily discredit him in my head but I didn't want to give him credit because he came off a little offensive. But i found alot of information throughout everyones post, I just picked and choose which people I wanted to thank. Sry for the confusion, but I truly am a sponge and have learned alot from this thread.

Thank you to all who have posted. Hope to see you guys in the studio one day

[amp]

dont sweat it nate, in a little while melodyne will release a product that will let you cherry pick all your favorite chord progressions from some of the monster hits of the past, present and maybe even the future. in the meantime you can learn a little bit more from here: Ricci Adams' Musictheory.net this might help you a little bit as well

http://www.ravenspiral.com/ravenspiralguide.pdf

[Nate Will]

Originally Posted by amp

dont sweat it nate, in a little while melodyne will release a product that will let you cherry pick all your favorite chord progressions from some of the monster hits of the past, present and maybe even the future. in the meantime you can learn a little bit more from here: Ricci Adams' Musictheory.net this might help you a little bit as well

http://www.ravenspiral.com/ravenspiralguide.pdf

I heard about that plug in. That should ruffle alot of feathers lol

BTW that site ou showed me is super helpful.

[tonymission]

Originally Posted by Justice

I was told a long time ago from someone very talented, and rich...

dont learn to much about music theory, you'll start to sound like everyone else.

good luck!

maybe that's why i havent chimed in on this thread!! you start talkin all this triad and IV shit, i dont know a thing lol... i def feel out my chords tho... i couldnt play mary had a little lamb on sheet music to save my life but you can loop a beat for 30 minutes and ill rock to it the whole way with natural progressions that i cant explain.

and hey, be easy on my boy nate... ive jammed with dude in the studio for a week and he came with sick riffs on every track if not comin with the main lead that we based everything around. he's young and can play... he was a pleasure to work with. you'll hear from him.

keep askin questions bruh.... you good.

[Trell Blaze]

You could do like I often do and take a simple progression and "express" the hell out of it.

I'm a "feel-my-way-though-till-i-get-the-chord-i-hear-in-my-head" kind of guy. Needless to say, I'm no Chopin. My gift lies in my ability to deceive the listener through style, expression, and dynamics. Basically, I take a basic progression (once I've blindly stumbled it into memory...lol) and freak it to death.

If you can play "Mary Had A Little Lamb" with flare/flamboyance and impress a few people then you know what I'm talkin' about.

[psrock]

Originally Posted by Joemamma

I-VII-VI-V

Maybe just semantics, but this is a chord progression based on a major scale. I think you mean I-bVII-bVI-V. I know you specified minor, but those are two very different chord progressions. Sorry to be a nitpicker.

[author]

Originally Posted by credentialed

Tibbon said :

"...just get The Beatles Complete Scores and just basically play straight through the entire thing on piano or guitar. It does everything, from super basic stuff, to some pretty smart and complex key changes, etc."

That's the best possible advice.

+ If you play all the songs in the the same key -- C Major will be the easiest one on piano -- you'll get a clear picture of the harmonic function of each chord.

When you've been doing that for a few months, you'll WANT to learn what that weird and mysterous circle of fifths is all about. It's truly magical stuff!

[lllubi]

Wait for Melodyne DNA to come out later this year.
what you will have to do is find the parts you like in the record and cut the
cleanest parts of audio by ear.
Melodyne will then transform chords in single notes free for your creativity.
Moreover it will give you midi files.

Time is on your side.

[Phil Cibley]

Whatever fits the melody, harmonic rhythm, and my whims at the moment.

[Methlab]

Originally Posted by lllubi

Wait for Melodyne DNA to come out later this year.
what you will have to do is find the parts you like in the record and cut the
cleanest parts of audio by ear.
Melodyne will then transform chords in single notes free for your creativity.
Moreover it will give you midi files.

Time is on your side.

Or you can pick up a bass or guitar and actually learn chord progressions by ear. It could be done starting now, and by the time Melodyne DNA comes out, we may have another beatmaker who has become a real producer.

Relying on software to do everything is a black hole to fall into.

[KeMiKaL]

Virtual Piano Chords <--- go read and follow! My only question is how do you play these Minor 13 Chords?

[phillysoulman]

e-min 7flat 5/ a7sharp9/
a7 flat 9/ a -9/-cmaj9

[otarb]

one thing you can use as a trick up your sleeve when in the studio making tracks for an artist on the spot is thinking of chord progressions commonly used in punk rock and a lot of popular music. there are many combinations but here are a couple very simple examples in the key of c.

c, g, a min, f

f min, c min, eflat, bflat

c min, aflat, eflat, g min

the list can go on and on but chords progs like those are timeless and will never stop being used. its all in how they're put together, what countermelodies are used to make the sound your own and of course sound selection.

but heres a little progression with a smooth n soulful feel...one of my favorites rite now

Amin 7/9, Dmin 7/9, F6, Fmin maj7/D, Amin 7/9/11

[Nate Will]

Originally Posted by otarb

one thing you can use as a trick up your sleeve when in the studio making tracks for an artist on the spot is thinking of chord progressions commonly used in punk rock and a lot of popular music. there are many combinations but here are a couple very simple examples in the key of c.

c, g, a min, f

f min, c min, eflat, bflat

c min, aflat, eflat, g min

the list can go on and on but chords progs like those are timeless and will never stop being used. its all in how they're put together, what countermelodies are used to make the sound your own and of course sound selection.

but heres a little progression with a smooth n soulful feel...one of my favorites rite now

Amin 7/9, Dmin 7/9, F6, Fmin maj7/D, Amin 7/9/11

That is the coolest right there!! those progressions sound nice!! I knew there were progressions ha were common to certain genres.

[Nate Will]

Thnx to all who have helped me with some new chords. I put some of those chords to work. And here is one of the tracks I whipped up cause of your help. Thnx guys.

It's a pop Joinit.

[credentialed]

Originally Posted by Nate Will

Thnx to all who have helped me with some new chords. I put some of those chords to work. And here is one of the tracks I whipped up cause of your help. Thnx guys.

It's a pop Joinit.

Now...where are you going go from there? What progressions are you going to use for the chorus/bridge that will fit in with what you started?

Don't give me a just a loop. My ears want to hear movement.

Arthur

[Nate Will]

Originally Posted by credentialed

Now...where are you going go from there? What progressions are you going to use for the chorus/bridge that will fit in with what you started?

Don't give me a just a loop. My ears want to hear movement.

Arthur

There was a couple of different progressions in it already but I think I can freak some new Chord progressions.

Imma make it move lol

[MYAMS]

you need drums homie....
SonicSpecialists grab whatever sized package u can afford.

Also, if ur trying to make a euro type pop track ur working in the wrong tempo range, those tracks are between 110 and 120. The tempo ur using is more for fast dance.

Instead of trying out all these new progressions, start by banging out a hot melody or hook with a synth, instrument whatever and then working a progression around it. U sound like ur trynna force music out u don't want to do this.

[Nate Will]

Originally Posted by MYAMS

you need drums homie....
SonicSpecialists grab whatever sized package u can afford.

Also, if ur trying to make a euro type pop track ur working in the wrong tempo range, those tracks are between 110 and 120. The tempo ur using is more for fast dance.

Instead of trying out all these new progressions, start by banging out a hot melody or hook with a synth, instrument whatever and then working a progression around it. U sound like ur trynna force music out u don't want to do this.

Well im not necessarily trying to make a euro pop track. I just named that b/c in Sonar i hav to name it b4 i start.

But if you think the beat is sounding forced or is wack any help would be appreciated lol.

[MYAMS]

yeah i should have been more clear- my point with the tempo issue was that when u make u gotta think about whether someone could actually sing over this and what type of artists would this work for- besides it sounding kinda forced it is in an awkward tempo for pop music.

Can i make a suggestion- take a scale, any scale, u can look some up even... and make a melody and fit some drums to it. If u can fit a good progression to it great, if ur stuck no worries either. Upload it and have people help u out, Ill be more than happy to help.

[Nate Will]

Originally Posted by MYAMS

yeah i should have been more clear- my point with the tempo issue was that when u make u gotta think about whether someone could actually sing over this and what type of artists would this work for- besides it sounding kinda forced it is in an awkward tempo for pop music.

Can i make a suggestion- take a scale, any scale, u can look some up even... and make a melody and fit some drums to it. If u can fit a good progression to it great, if ur stuck no worries either. Upload it and have people help u out, Ill be more than happy to help.

thnx i'll def do that.


(For the record) That means you DIDN'T like the beat right ? lol
I still think i can salvage it tho, maybe scrap the intro sped up the tempo. I was thinking a Justin Timberlake maybe, but I guess not lol.

I'll whip up a melody and some drums put som progressions on it and see wassup.

[Nate Will]

Originally Posted by MYAMS

you need drums homie....
SonicSpecialists grab whatever sized package u can afford.

Also, if ur trying to make a euro type pop track ur working in the wrong tempo range, those tracks are between 110 and 120. The tempo ur using is more for fast dance.

The tempo starts out at 75 then jumps to 110 after the beat drop.

[lastdon100]

Not bad cuz, get some bangin drums, some syncapation, and itll be proper. Also wouldn't be bad to look into dissonances or consonances when used right could cause danger. peace

[MYAMS]

Originally Posted by Nate Will

The tempo starts out at 75 then jumps to 110 after the beat drop.

yeah but ur playing it double time so its like its at 150

[Nate Will]

Originally Posted by MYAMS

yeah but ur playing it double time so its like its at 150

Alright Guys I'm not giving up on this track. Here's what I did to it.

I actually wrote and demoed a verse and a hook for it.
I was thinkin it would be for a Madonna type singer or group that brings something close to her essence. If that makes sense. lol

[MYAMS]

Originally Posted by Nate Will

Alright Guys I'm not giving up on this track. Here's what I did to it.

I actually wrote and demoed a verse and a hook for it.
I was thinkin it would be for a Madonna type singer or group that brings something close to her essence. If that makes sense. lol

watup man... if ur set on working track u should take out ur little add on melodies in the back- u need to leave room for vocals. Be really careful with adding melodies- just cause it works doesn't mean it should be thrown in. be really critically of yourself and always ask, is this really hot? and do I really need this?

A lot of great producers may even do a whole track that doesn't even give the melody straight up, but simply hints at it. Not really a notably great track, but check out Ashlee Simpson "Outta my head". In the chorus there's all these little synth lines that hint at melodies but never play em straight up. Its produced by Timbo and the royal court.

[Tibbon]

Sorry for coming off a little harsh. I don't do well with people who seem to ask for shortcuts at times, and several years of formal music study can do that to you unfortunately.

+1 on Mark Levine's "The Jazz Piano Book" and "The Jazz Theory Book". I'd also say that picking up a book with all of Bach's Inventions isn't a bad idea.

You can never have too many scores or theory books.

[IM WHO YOU THINK]

Originally Posted by Tibbon

Sorry for coming off a little harsh. I don't do well with people who seem to ask for shortcuts at times, and several years of formal music study can do that to you unfortunately.

+1 on Mark Levine's "The Jazz Piano Book" and "The Jazz Theory Book". I'd also say that picking up a book with all of Bach's Inventions isn't a bad idea.

You can never have too many scores or theory books.

Do you like it more than the Pop Piano book?

[CuzCutz]

I Think The Pop Piano Book & The Jazz Piano Book are well suited together.
Both have helped me in many different areas thumbsup

[voicegenius]

Originally Posted by Trell Blaze

You could do like I often do and take a simple progression and "express" the hell out of it.

I'm a "feel-my-way-though-till-i-get-the-chord-i-hear-in-my-head" kind of guy. Needless to say, I'm no Chopin. My gift lies in my ability to deceive the listener through style, expression, and dynamics. Basically, I take a basic progression (once I've blindly stumbled it into memory...lol) and freak it to death.

If you can play "Mary Had A Little Lamb" with flare/flamboyance and impress a few people then you know what I'm talkin' about.

LMAO! There is always ONE song you know how to play like Beethoven...