Music THeory Tip

POST something you know about music theory, wheter it be large or small.

Anyways I was at the bookstore and opened a music theory book and found this: I thought i would post it because it really helped me out.

To create your own chord progressions use this table:

I........any chord
II.......Iv, V, VII
III......II, VI
IV.......I,V,VII
V........I
VI.......II, IV
VII......I, III

The above are the names of the 7 chords in regular major scale, basically the above is a map for chord progressions. In the first column are the 7 chords, in the second column are chords that sound good after the the leading chord is played, i.e. chord V, sounds best when followed by chord I.

How to do it: Start with a chord, follow that chord with another that is in the second colum (and same row). NEXT, go to that second chords row, and repeat (use a chord from that chords second column) EXAMPLE: start with chord I, column 2 says i can pick any chord, so i pick IV, then column two of IV says i can pick I, V, or VII-i pick VII, then I will repeat with VII, and pick V.

it looks like this I-IV-VII-V that is my progression! now all i have to do is play it, and it should sound good (add a little creative timing and i have a progression) you can get tons of good combos using this method.

Here are the notes of the chords (basic music theory) If you dont already know this, learn it, everybody should at least know this.

I=c-e-g
II=d-f-a
III=e-g-b
IV=f-a-c
V=g-b-d
VI=a-c-e
VII=b-d-f

BTW. realize that just because you use the chart, it isnt the end all of rules, but it is a good guide line to start with-especially if you dont know too much about making chord progressions. On that note, simple is best with chord progressions, and dont forget to be creative.

good tips... whats the name of that music theory book you have and would you recommend it?

good stuff, i bet it would be even better, if i knew what you were talking about.

damn this is tight. i really appreciate it!

and what you'll realise is that your playing just the white keys which is the c major scale.....you can change the start and end notes of the scale to get modes.....so if you play the c major scale but use d as your 'root' or 'base' note you'll be playing a mode.....modes are often used to get a different melodic flavour....

greg

bboy wrote:good tips... whats the name of that music theory book you have and would you recommend it?

actually i didnt buy it, i just wrote down what i posted above, i knew the rest that was in the book, and actually have other books that overlap the information.

Anyways the book was "idiots guide to music theory". Suprisingly it was probably the best one ive read so far, just because it covers everything. I have 2 others and its like reading a manual.

Science wrote:good stuff, i bet it would be even better, if i knew what you were talking about.

you would be suprised what you actually know. If you pick up a basic music theory book and read it......i bet you would say to yourself, "damn, i knew that."

dubmunkey wrote:and what you'll realise is that your playing just the white keys which is the c major scale.....you can change the start and end notes of the scale to get modes.....so if you play the c major scale but use d as your 'root' or 'base' note you'll be playing a mode.....modes are often used to get a different melodic flavour....

greg

yeah, thats why the notation above uses roman numerals, so that you can actually take any scale, with any root, then apply the same thing to the chords. I.e. the I chord in any major scale is the scales root note + 3rd + 5th step. All you have to know is how to build chords.

or you can just use the c major and transpose your keyboard.

or you can toss in 7ths, and augmented chords, etc.

damn yall sound like teachers and shii. he lost me back when he started talkin bout roots and bases.

you cant learn this sh*t in a night but take oneday at a time. just read 30 minutes a day and you still have time to make beats. if you just take 10 lessons (ten weeks) and get to the point of learning leading tones (leading tones ties the scales and chords together. you may not know how to play it yet, but you will learn the key to making songs and not just beats) you will be set. this is only true if you want to add melody and harmony to your beats. if you just want drums and samples this is a TOTAL waste of time.

i forgot this point, some of the stuff you learn you may know already but instead of trail and error just read the next paragraph and see what is next.

mwalker wrote:you cant learn this sh*t in a night but take oneday at a time. just read 30 minutes a day and you still have time to make beats. if you just take 10 lessons (ten weeks) and get to the point of learning leading tones (leading tones ties the scales and chords together. you may not know how to play it yet, but you will learn the key to making songs and not just beats) you will be set. this is only true if you want to add melody and harmony to your beats. if you just want drums and samples this is a TOTAL waste of time.

mwalker, i totally disagree with you. knowing thoery and sampling is a NASTY combination. by practice, that will improve your ear and then you will be sampling melodies from various sources for one song. your samples will be 5x as hard to spot and the way that you flip them will be origional because you are creating a new melodical composition from various sources. when dudes ask what record you got that from, or bust you on one sample, they are still in the dark (hopefully) with where the other sounds originated from.

yeah sampling also has roots in theroy. With the sixteen levels mode you can play scales and chords. It the same thing as using a piano, fretboard or anyother melodic instrument. People think sampling is just straight takin a loop and replayin back un altered. It can be used like that, but you are gonna limit yourself. If you learn some basic theroy, scales, mode, timing, harmony, melody, chords, you will become a better producer. Even tuning your samples to the right pitch or key as your other samples and bass is a step in the right direction. I do believe this is a valuable attribute that heads shouldnt sleep on.

sensewondah wrote:

mwalker wrote:you cant learn this sh*t in a night but take oneday at a time. just read 30 minutes a day and you still have time to make beats. if you just take 10 lessons (ten weeks) and get to the point of learning leading tones (leading tones ties the scales and chords together. you may not know how to play it yet, but you will learn the key to making songs and not just beats) you will be set. this is only true if you want to add melody and harmony to your beats. if you just want drums and samples this is a TOTAL waste of time.

mwalker, i totally disagree with you. knowing thoery and sampling is a NASTY combination. by practice, that will improve your ear and then you will be sampling melodies from various sources for one song. your samples will be 5x as hard to spot and the way that you flip them will be origional because you are creating a new melodical composition from various sources. when dudes ask what record you got that from, or bust you on one sample, they are still in the dark (hopefully) with where the other sounds originated from.

exactly

I picked up "Piano for dummies" and learned some mad scales.
If you can tell what key your samples are in you can match tones better.