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I analyzed chord progressions in 680k songs

cantgetmuchhigher.com

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Re: I analyzed chord progressions in 680k songs

#21

> An “interval” is a combination of two notes. Minor nitpick: it's a "dyad" that is a combination of two notes. An "interval" is the difference between two (or more) pitches. And just as you'd measure the space between your eyebrows using a ruler, you'd measure the interval between middle C and concert A using your ears. The bonus, however, is that our listening apparatus is already quantized to octaves-- if you hear…

That's new for me. What's an interval between three pitches called?

That's like asking what's the distance between A, B, and C.

Re: I analyzed chord progressions in 680k songs

#23

Isn’t OP analyzing frequencies of individual chords, not chord progressions? Analyzing individual chords involves counting the frequency of each chord (such as G, C, or D). Analyzing chord progressions would involve counting the frequency of chord pairs (such as D—A or C—G), chord triplets (such as D—A—Bm or C—G—Am), or longer sequences of chords. For an alternative look at the data, you could also normalize chord pr…

i know. I was so disappointed reading that article. I had gone in expecting an analysis of progressions. e.g. VI-IV-I-V instead I got a page of chords analysis.

chord progression != chords.

Re: I analyzed chord progressions in 680k songs

#25
Listing the "most frequent chord" is a weird analysis, I'm more interested in the "most frequent key", or a transition matrix from one key to another, e.g., if I'm in F, what's the chance I go a fifth up to C, or a fourth down to Bb. Just telling me G is a popular chord doesn't do much.

Re: I analyzed chord progressions in 680k songs

#26

> An “interval” is a combination of two notes. Minor nitpick: it's a "dyad" that is a combination of two notes. An "interval" is the difference between two (or more) pitches. And just as you'd measure the space between your eyebrows using a ruler, you'd measure the interval between middle C and concert A using your ears. The bonus, however, is that our listening apparatus is already quantized to octaves-- if you hear…

That's new for me. What's an interval between three pitches called?

Could call them "stacked intervals" like "stacking thirds" to make a triad

Re: I analyzed chord progressions in 680k songs

#28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Two intervals?

A third, fourth, fifth, sixth... Triton... Those are intervals. I ask again, what's an interval between three pitches? Is it a triad? If it's so, than it's not a minor nitpick, OP is just being plain pedantic for the sake of it.

"Interval between three pitches" is not a well-defined concept, just like "distance between three points" isn't. You need additional qualifiers to describe what you mean by that. Maybe you want the shortest path between them, or maybe you want a triangle. In any case, using a term like that makes it seem like you're confused with the terminology.

Re: I analyzed chord progressions in 680k songs

#29
post #4

I find the analysis interesting in terms of a hobby project, but I'd be careful extrapolating too much out of this. 680k is quite the sample size, but my issue lies within the myopic selection of one instrument and the issues that arise from the platform of Ultimate Guitar. 1. I am curious, how many of the 680k songs are unique? It is rather uncommon for massively successful songs to only have one version of tabs out…

> Pachelbel's Canon in D is by no means a complex song and has stood the test of time It was actually mostly forgotten until the 1960's. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pachelbel%27s_Canon#Rediscover... Can anyone find a version without Paillard's changes? Knowing the history, I suspect they have more to do with the song's popularity than the original composition.

> It was actually mostly forgotten until the 1960's.

Correct, much like Bach until Mendelssohn. My point was that, well both, are still around. Plenty more music was lost to the sands of time.

Which one is it? Beethoven's 5th? I think it's his 5th that has been played at least once a month since it was first performed. Now, that is a wild record.

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