So, I decided that I'd make a quick tutorial about chord progressions, as I suppose some of you either don't study music theory, or simply haven't got that far yet.
This tutorial is primarily directed towards those of you wanting to compose and create your own songs, but this can definitely come in handy when trying to transcribe a song as well. So let's get started!
First of all, you need to know the major and minor scales, but that's really simple, so I hope all of you know it already, otherwise it won't take that long to learn anyway.
So, what I will be teaching you here is the basics of Roman Numeral Chord Notations. Basicly, what you do is that you use Roman numbers to name the chord based on the internal to the root note, so the chord progression "C F G C" will be "I IV V I". Here's how it works:
As you're starting on C, that will usually be your root note, which makes in number 1 (I), then you're moving up to F, which is the forth note of the major scale, which makes it number 4 (IV), then you go to G, which is the fifth note of the major scale, which makes it number 5 (V).
This method will make it a whole lot easier to transpose a song, if you learn to think this way. Let's say we want this progression in F# instead, that would be a whole lot of thinking to transpose every note 3 whole steps while playing, but if you start thinking "I IV V I" instead, you just have to remember the F# major scale, and you're good to go
I've quite recently started to trying the find the "most usual" chord progressions, so I haven't really found that many yet, but I will give you the ones I know, here are the ones using the major scale:
I IV V IV (example)
I IV I V IV I (example)
I IV V I (haven't found any example yet)
Unfortunately, I'm having a hard time finding songs using the major scale, with other chords than just I IV and V <.<, but if I find one, I'll update it
Now it's time for the minor scale! It's pretty much the same thing actually, but you're using the minor scale, instead of the major scale! (duh), here are a few examples:
Im VI III VII (example (best noticed at 3.37-4.47))
Im III VII V (example)
That's pretty much all examples I have atm, will update if I find some new ones, or some others on these forums might know a few more than I do
Another thing that is rather common, and (imo) sounds quite good, is when you're playing in the minor scale, and want to get back to the root chord (I), you can put a MAJOR V chord right before. The reason it is major is because the major third of the fifth chord is a half step below the root note of the root chord, which makes it "want" to go back to the root note. You can actually even play major V with the third in your left hand.
Unfortunately I didn't really find a very good example of that, I hope this one (0.45) will do.
That's about it with the roman numeral thingie. However, I just learn something myself just a few minutes ago, that I would like to share
This one, however, is rather different than what I've just showed you, this is more like a very dark and evil black metal-style of chord progress, that sounds quite terrifying actually.
So, if you start out playing your root note minor chord (ALL the other chords will be minor as well, so I'll skip saying it every time).
From there, you can either move up a minor third, or down a major third, or you could go to the flatted 5th, which is the same no matter if you go up or down, always playing minor chords, and then you just keep doing it like that, moving a major third down or a minor third up from your current chord. Here's an example of what it may sound like:
YouTube - Dream Theater - Black Clouds & Silver Linings - ANTR Ending Keyboard Madness - Korg Oasys
I really tried to find the piano in the very beginning of the song, but it was nowhere to be found on youtube... The song is called A Nightmare To Remember, if you want to search for it somewhere else than on youtube.
That's all for this introduction. I will update this as I find new things, and might keep doing other similar tutorials if you're interested
I will be a happy owner of a Korg M50-88 in less than a month, and I will be experimenting A LOT with sound programming, so there might be some tutorials coming up in that section
This tutorial is primarily directed towards those of you wanting to compose and create your own songs, but this can definitely come in handy when trying to transcribe a song as well. So let's get started!
First of all, you need to know the major and minor scales, but that's really simple, so I hope all of you know it already, otherwise it won't take that long to learn anyway.
So, what I will be teaching you here is the basics of Roman Numeral Chord Notations. Basicly, what you do is that you use Roman numbers to name the chord based on the internal to the root note, so the chord progression "C F G C" will be "I IV V I". Here's how it works:
As you're starting on C, that will usually be your root note, which makes in number 1 (I), then you're moving up to F, which is the forth note of the major scale, which makes it number 4 (IV), then you go to G, which is the fifth note of the major scale, which makes it number 5 (V).
This method will make it a whole lot easier to transpose a song, if you learn to think this way. Let's say we want this progression in F# instead, that would be a whole lot of thinking to transpose every note 3 whole steps while playing, but if you start thinking "I IV V I" instead, you just have to remember the F# major scale, and you're good to go
I've quite recently started to trying the find the "most usual" chord progressions, so I haven't really found that many yet, but I will give you the ones I know, here are the ones using the major scale:
I IV V IV (example)
I IV I V IV I (example)
I IV V I (haven't found any example yet)
Unfortunately, I'm having a hard time finding songs using the major scale, with other chords than just I IV and V <.<, but if I find one, I'll update it
Now it's time for the minor scale! It's pretty much the same thing actually, but you're using the minor scale, instead of the major scale! (duh), here are a few examples:
Im VI III VII (example (best noticed at 3.37-4.47))
Im III VII V (example)
That's pretty much all examples I have atm, will update if I find some new ones, or some others on these forums might know a few more than I do
Another thing that is rather common, and (imo) sounds quite good, is when you're playing in the minor scale, and want to get back to the root chord (I), you can put a MAJOR V chord right before. The reason it is major is because the major third of the fifth chord is a half step below the root note of the root chord, which makes it "want" to go back to the root note. You can actually even play major V with the third in your left hand.
Unfortunately I didn't really find a very good example of that, I hope this one (0.45) will do.
That's about it with the roman numeral thingie. However, I just learn something myself just a few minutes ago, that I would like to share
This one, however, is rather different than what I've just showed you, this is more like a very dark and evil black metal-style of chord progress, that sounds quite terrifying actually.
So, if you start out playing your root note minor chord (ALL the other chords will be minor as well, so I'll skip saying it every time
).From there, you can either move up a minor third, or down a major third, or you could go to the flatted 5th, which is the same no matter if you go up or down, always playing minor chords, and then you just keep doing it like that, moving a major third down or a minor third up from your current chord. Here's an example of what it may sound like:
YouTube - Dream Theater - Black Clouds & Silver Linings - ANTR Ending Keyboard Madness - Korg Oasys
I really tried to find the piano in the very beginning of the song, but it was nowhere to be found on youtube... The song is called A Nightmare To Remember, if you want to search for it somewhere else than on youtube.
That's all for this introduction. I will update this as I find new things, and might keep doing other similar tutorials if you're interested
I will be a happy owner of a Korg M50-88 in less than a month, and I will be experimenting A LOT with sound programming, so there might be some tutorials coming up in that section