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I analyzed the chords to 1300 songs for patterns. Part 3 – Interactive Discovery

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Re: I analyzed the chords to 1300 songs for patterns. Part 3 – Interactive Discovery

#21

This is awesome, but I kind of wish that it matched progressions with progressions . Right now, if I give it I V vi IV, it'll show me "Complicated" by Avril Lavigne. While that song does contain those chords, in that order, they function very differently - because the actual progression is vi IV I V.

This is something we considered.

Part of the problem is that sometimes when people analyze a section of a song, they include a pick up, etc. Other times the song doesn't have a strong resolution, so it's not clear where a progression begins or ends.

We thought this was the best compromise for now. The tool will show you all songs that start with the progression, as well as songs that use the progression in a phase shifted manner (which is also interesting).

Re: I analyzed the chords to 1300 songs for patterns. Part 3 – Interactive Discovery

#23

1. Start with any key. 2. Look up the relative minor. 3. Go one step to the right and/or one step to the left in the Circle of Fifths. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circle_of_fifths There, you have the most popular and pleasant-sounding chord progressions in any key. If you want funkier progressions, go further in the circle. Edit: The chords sound more jazzy when you go counter-clockwise (it is the circle-of-fourths)…

The circle of fifths and fourths are the same circle. Clockwise is a fifth, counterclockwise is a fourth.

It's more like it's a circle of both fifths and fourths, in both directions.

For example, C-G is a fifth if you go up, or a fourth if you go down. C-F is a fourth if you go up, or a fifth if you go down. So it can be a circle of fourths clockwise or counterclockwise.

Re: I analyzed the chords to 1300 songs for patterns. Part 3 – Interactive Discovery

#25
post #21

This is awesome, but I kind of wish that it matched progressions with progressions . Right now, if I give it I V vi IV, it'll show me "Complicated" by Avril Lavigne. While that song does contain those chords, in that order, they function very differently - because the actual progression is vi IV I V.

This is something we considered. Part of the problem is that sometimes when people analyze a section of a song, they include a pick up, etc. Other times the song doesn't have a strong resolution, so it's not clear where a progression begins or ends. We thought this was the best compromise for now. The tool will show you all songs that start with the progression, as well as songs that use the progression in a phase sh…

Makes total sense. I figured it was due to practical limitations, and wasn't just an oversight.

Thanks for the reply. And for making this. I'm a huge fan.

Re: I analyzed the chords to 1300 songs for patterns. Part 3 – Interactive Discovery

#26

1. Start with any key. 2. Look up the relative minor. 3. Go one step to the right and/or one step to the left in the Circle of Fifths. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circle_of_fifths There, you have the most popular and pleasant-sounding chord progressions in any key. If you want funkier progressions, go further in the circle. Edit: The chords sound more jazzy when you go counter-clockwise (it is the circle-of-fourths)…

That might be the clearest explanation of the circle I've read.

Re: I analyzed the chords to 1300 songs for patterns. Part 3 – Interactive Discovery

#28
10/10, not least because MIDI export has been added to the editor sine the last time I looked. Now if only there were some way to redirect the MIDI under Windows 7 to something other than the Microsoft Wavetable synth, like an external MIDI port so I don't have to hear everything on that bad piano...

One minor thing is that there could be a better way to browse by songs than just the top 10 and 10 most recent. Most of my searches come up empty, so I'd like some way to browse the list of songs for something I do like rather than to keep drawing blanks.

Re: I analyzed the chords to 1300 songs for patterns. Part 3 – Interactive Discovery

#29
Though a bit more on the "actual implementation" side of things, there's an Australian group called "Axis Of Awesome" who did an interesting song called "Four Chords". It shows the use of a set of four common chords in a lot of different songs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOlDewpCfZQ

Re: I analyzed the chords to 1300 songs for patterns. Part 3 – Interactive Discovery

#30

10/10, not least because MIDI export has been added to the editor sine the last time I looked. Now if only there were some way to redirect the MIDI under Windows 7 to something other than the Microsoft Wavetable synth, like an external MIDI port so I don't have to hear everything on that bad piano... One minor thing is that there could be a better way to browse by songs than just the top 10 and 10 most recent. Most o…

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