Chord Progressions

It seems Isaac Hayes and Barry White are remembered as masters of artistic sexy seduction. I don't know much about Barry White; it seems I should spend a week listening to his discography on the u-turb after which I just might post something here.

However, I have spent much more than a week listening to Isaac Hayes, and I gotta tell ya; this guy's musical head is HUGE! He knows how to dramaticize events, change chords in ways you may not have expected, and bring things all together like Serge Gainsbourg. It's a sound I like to fill the room with; my computer goes right into my stereo.

If you're new to Isaac Hayes, in addition to the song linked in the title, I recommend giving volume and attention to the hit that launched his big-time days, his cover of Burt Bacharach's Walk On By. He has done a lot of covers like Wes Montgomery, but Hayes' covers imo are remarkably noteworthy on account of how he dramatically adds beautiful psychological elements to these otherwise simply pop songs, elongating them into opportunities for us to relax and enter his warm vision of a romantic experience.

This guy has a rather lengthy discography. Seems he grew up in Texas, and started recording in the 50s. He became known for his bass voice and storytelling. He recorded songs for like 15 years before he recorded this with Nancy Sinatra. I already know that "One Velvet Morning" is trippy; Hazlewood keeps talking about "when he's straight", which suggests gay stuff, but these are 1968 (or thereabouts) lyrics; so, Hazlewood imo is probably referring to moments of sobriety. He eventually even named his daughter "Phaedra". I'm hoping this song will motivate some of you to get into his other songs. As far as song composition is concerned, check out the liberty he enjoys in changing tempos and/or time signatures.

If you're in this sublemmy, imo you have already disqualified yourself as mainstream. The mainstream has a casual relationship with music; it's basically like my relationship with a napkin; I use it, but don't care to know too much how it came to be. I know that napkin production is a complicated affair from tree to final product, but I have no motivation to learn how things happen in that world. There are probably people who dream of making the ultimate 21st century napkin, and I bet they have some wild ideas, but that's a discussion I'm not really interested in joining. IMO, this is how the mainstream deals with music; for the most part, they seem ready to discard songs they liked once they no longer provide the buzz they once provided. Once the novelty is gone, the artist and the song s/he made is forgotten.

I suppose you already realize that as far as my analogy goes, you and I are napkin engineers in the eyes of the mainstream. You're here because you have felt the magic that happens upon hearing something truly new, and you'd like to educate yourself further in this regard so you can engineer some of that magic for yourself.

That's why the band I present today is an amazing enigma IMO.

Circles Around the Sun (aka CATS) was never intended to become a band. If you read accounts of their origin here or there, you'll see they came together to make filler music for the last Grateful Dead concerts. They weren't trying to form a new band, but the feedback they received was so positive that they began contemplating what this new ensemble could do.

So, they began composing in earnest, and imo some of these songs are just amazing. For example, plz check out the first song in this performance called "On My Mind". I recommend you expand the video to fill your screen so that you can take note of the interactions between musicians.

IMO it's excessively simplistic to just say, "Well, CATS is just a jam band; staying on a single chord is what jam bands do". However, when they realized they are viable as a group, they made bona-fide compositions with a structure everybody can notice - with long stretches of sticking to a simple chord or progression - just like a "jam band".

Please behold what I consider to be a masterpiece, a song they call "Outer Boroughs". I read somewhere that the title originally was "Ouroboros", which you probably already know is a creature involved in the consumption of itself.

So, in conclusion, I present this band, CATS, as an example of a group that said, "Yes" when asked "Do you wish to be a progressive band with cool chord progressions, OR do you wish to be like a jam band that stays on a chord for as long as you can milk it?" IMO they represent an amazing blending of the two compositional strategies, and for me, they demonstrate that chord changes are not always necessary... until they are, which is when they deliver in that regard as well.

Do you know of bands like CATS? I found them by going to KEXP's u-tube channel and choosing the concert they gave there. What group(s) do you think achieve the perfect balance between simplicity and complexity in regards to their compositions? If any of you know of remarkable standout bands, t'would be nice of you to share.

Best, TD

The temptation to think about songs academically can be a real impediment in my opinion (imo), a real obstacle to making great songs. Isn't knowledge essential? Aren't we all about the business of creating songs that appeal because they have something other songs don't? Isn't it true that we want the credit of making something truly original? If you're subscribed to this sublemmy, it seems reasonable to conclude that you're here to learn ways to add this novelty to your own songs like me.

Thus, we start down the path that imo eventually leads to Dream Theater (DT). I know some people love DT; so, I must choose my words carefully. Let's just say DT doesn't connect with me. I hear 10 million notes in a short period of time, and I am compelled to honor and respect the accomplishment that it represents.... but it does NOTHING for me. Simply put, I just don't feel it.

Now, there is a group called "Arena" that has a DT-sounding album called "Pepper's Ghost" that really got my octane-a-burning, but I think it's because there isn't a whole tidal wave of unnecessary notes on it. I liked that collection of songs so much that when I bought the CD off Amazon (It was like 10 years ago), I bought a 2nd CD to give away because I was convinced the recipient would dig it. Anyway, while I dig Arena, I just haven't been able to get into DT... yet.

My point is that a composer who thinks that complexity is the key to connecting to the feeling part his/her audience is a composer who imo will fail to make that connection... unless the target audience is a bunch of other musicians. I simply have the impression that as artists, sometimes we have the obligation to honor the feel instead of the academia in our brains, which means having the courage to make simple things when we realize that they work. Who will want to hear our music years down the road when we're all dead?

This is why I suggest directing your attention to the album linked to this post because it DOES connect with me, and suspect it might connect with you too. It's an album by young-ish Canadian artist, Munya. Munya doesn't seem to have any crafty chordal tricks up her sleeve, but before you discount her, I recommend taking note of all the things she does have going on that seem to work very well. There's lots of well-implemented effects, vocal harmonies, charming guitar, dancing bass, and imo it all sounds great. Speakers placed far apart and a subwoofer greatly improve the experience, which is why I don't think that a phone's built-in speaker(s) will convey all these impressions. If you're subscribed to this sublemmy, I sure hope you are playing your streams over a real stereo. You can use the headphone jack to connect with a stereo, and if that isn't good enough for you, you can get a DAC off Amazon for under $50. If you don't have a stereo, you might want to do like me and head to the thrift stores. If you go about it patiently and systematically (in other words, NOT making a purchase during your first visit), I think you'll be very pleased at the amazing values you can bring home.

I'm also starting to think that a huge part of her accomplishment lies in her choice of melody. She obviously isn't scared to fly straight towards the Stratosphere. After all, a chord progression alone is not a sign that composing is finished. Another thing is that she does apply key changes, but they are so subtle that I notice them only when I pay close attention. Maybe there's a lot of chordal progression complexity there that I just haven't noticed!

Her chords strike me as uninteresting, but on the other hand, I got this album on repeat with no plans to stop it. The logical side of my brain is in conflict with the feeling side, and right now the feeling side is winning. What do you expect when it's late at night? That's a time of day ain't nobody trying to impress others. My academic side is protesting, but my a-- and my heart just want to sway and groove with it. Houston, we have a disconnect, and I'm trying to reconcile the two. I cannot deny that I indeed feel this music. It connects to me, and I love it. No fancy chord progressions here THAT I HAVE NOTICED. I can say these appear to be peaceful blissout tunes. IMO, this music WORKS. Why would I be interested in cerebral ideas about songs when sometimes the simple stuff gives me the hit that my soul craves?

Maybe I dig Munya's music because of all the effort applied to the song AFTER the chords were set in place. There is amazing value in reverbs configured just right.... panning tastefully applied... lovely guitar sounds, and, of course, that melody and key changes applied in a way that doesn't distract. It seems to me that sometimes THAT'S WHERE THE MAGIC IS. Maybe we shouldn't be scared to get simple - provided we tweak our knobs to get it to sound in some way that allows US to feel it. After all, if we aren't feelin' our own tunes, why would we hope that others would? I recommend listening to this lady's albums. If you think all of this is an advertisement for Munya, then my recommendation is to simply check out artists who are similar like Le Couleur or Paradis if you like dreampop or whatever they call this. Everybody has $0.02, but if you share a link that demonstrates your point, your contribution increases in value. In your opinion, what songs produce MAGIC? What songs make you want to stop thinking so that you can FEEL? What songs/artists do you play on repeat?

This is clearly not the original version, but it doesn't sway my point. This song, in all renditions, begins in one key in the verses and changes key twice during the chorus, ascending by two whole tones and then one whole tone. In this Eurythmics version, the verses are in G major, the first two lines of the chorus are in B major, and the last two lines of the chorus are in D major. The song ends in G major.

It's almost like the excitement level ramps up as the singer talks about getting married. Notably, there are no minor chords in this song, which makes it feel artificially happy, which to me makes sense because this song is whimsical.

But what I find most fascinating is the transitions. We jump from G major straight to B major: the G descends to F# while the D ascends to D# and the B stays put. Then we jump right into D major: the F# remains as the D# descends to D and the B descends to A. Then we have a V-I to G again to restart the cycle.

Illustrated: G B D/ F# B D#/ F# A D

While it has no bearing on anything, I'd like to point out that all three keys share the chord Esus2 (E F# B.)

The verses have a progression of A, G, F, E, and the choruses go A, G, E.

I think that the verses are subtly clever because A leads to E in a I V I motion, but in A Mixolydian, G is part of the scale, and I think that descending to F#m would make it sound too "major." So they opt for F instead, which is a half step above E, the target. You still have the line cliche, but with that Talking Heads wit thrown in. I also find it fascinating that, in root position, we have the backwards alphabet in the fifths (E D C B A) with F and G occurring in the root notes during the sequence. The song is about the absurdity of being an infant, so it makes sense.

A C# E / G B D / F A C / E G# B

E5 (Em?), G, C, A, D, E5... are the chords to mostly the entire song until the outro sticks to D5, C5, D5 to the end. My question is: what is the key center? Assuming E5 is a stand-in for Em, we have the following options:

E: i III VI IV bVII i... or i III VI V/bVII bVII G: vi I IV ii V vi... or vi I IV V/V V C: iii V I VI II iii... or iii V I V/ii II A: v bVII bIII I IV v... D: ii IV bVII V I...

I am leaning toward G personally because it looks the most natural with Roman numeral analysis in mind. Thoughts?

The intro has the following progression: A E / F#m E / D B / E (2x) > D / Dm / C#m Cm / B7

This precedes a line cliche chorus: line cliche of F#m, E, D#m, D

Then we have a bridge with a jazzy twist: F#m / E / D#m7 / Dadd9, E7add6/D

It took me multiple listens to constrict the bridge chords namely due to that last chord. I didn't hear an F or an F# but it was definitely over D, so that was my best guess based on E's relationship with the tonic, which I believe is F# in F# minor. A couple of intriguing points:

1: The V/VII in the intro to a dance hit? Mesmerizing.

2: The diminished sounding bridge with the VII7 adds some spice to the track.

The chord progression is mellow and traipsing, yet a bit unsettling.

Abmaj7, Bb6, C, Bb6, C, Dmadd9/F, Esus4/B, Cmaj7, Emadd9, Gmaj7

I find it odd that this song starts in what sounds like F major for literally only the first ten seconds before it modulates into Ab major for the verses and Db major for the choruses. You never hear any inkling of the F major tonality again after the first seconds.

Hello, My Favorite Song of the Day is Loquat's Shaky Like The Flu. It's main progression is G, EbMAJ7, Bb, D7. I have been trying to understand this from the perspective of the Circle of Fourths and Fifths. After the initial G, I'd expect a C or a D, but they go to a EbMAJ7, which I think sounds lovely especially because of how the bassist emphasizes it; however, I don't understand theoretically why these chords work. Are all of these chords in a particular key? Perhaps someone strong in music theory can offer insight. Thanks.

The verses are in G minor, and the pre-choruses and choruses are in A major; the bridge is in Bb major and then the song ends in A major. Weird but smooth transitions.

Do you know of any other songs by other artists that change keys into the tritone? This track has verses in E major, choruses in G major, and a coda in Bb major.

https://github.com/ldrolez/free-midi-chords here is a free collection thats just as good

The verses don't feel like they reach a cadence at all and it's unsettling.

What are your thoughts on these chords?

What's the deal with that second chord in the verses? It's like a weird v/VI thing going on. I love the mediant at the end of each chorus.

I have always been fond of 6add9 chords because they wrap you in a warm blanket on a trip to dreamland. lol

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