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What chords do you need?

jefftk.com

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Re: What chords do you need?

#141

Post by tallies »

pythko wrote: post #128
tallies wrote: post #118

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How complex is a song that can be played on entirely different instruments without re-interpretation? When I think of complexity I think of unreconcilable elements that force the transposer to make tough decisions ("intentionally putting their own stylistic spin on it").

I don’t really understand that idea of complexity, but Rick Beato is addressing this song from a music theory perspective, and I think this song would meet anyone’s definition of complex when it comes to theory.

There's no one 'music theory perspective'. Why not analyze it on more axes?

- Rhythmic patterns and variation

- Interplay between instruments

- Instrumentation and arrangement

- Structure

- Vocal style

- Lyrics

- Recording and mixing

By these metrics (and the ears of 99% of its listeners) it's a more or less generic 80s adult contemporary song. Yes it has a weird chord progression. Would it be more complex if it couldn't be boiled down to a series of chords?

Re: What chords do you need?

#142

Post by tchock23 »

ARandumGuy wrote: post #106
TrueTom wrote: post #49

"In this video, I describe a common problem with the way guitarists cover popular songs by using open chords far too regularly. The trouble with open chords is that they often ignore important melodic and harmonic features. Hence, zombie chords. So dull they sound dead. It's spooooooooky!" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEWQNKbXHQk

I was going to link that exact video. That video does a good job of explaining the problem with simplifying more complicated chords. Yes, you can get rid of the "extra" bits and the song is still recognizable. But those extra elements are what give a song character, and simplifying it down to just a handful of chords causes a song to sound bland and generic.

It explains the problem, but doesn’t really offer any solutions for those of us stuck on ‘campfire chords.’ Any suggestions for videos that do offer solutions?

Re: What chords do you need?

#143

Post by lb1lf »

jancsika wrote: post #76

Another way to put this is that for most pop music , you could often degrade gracefully to three triads of major or minor quality. But even for something discussed previously on HN-- the Beach Boys "God Only Knows"-- this doesn't work. Wilson really wants a half-diminished seventh chord at the high point of the melody. One could perhaps degrade to a diminished triad in the accompaniment, but he's literally singing th…

Francis Rossi, of Status Quo fame/notoriety, depending on who you ask, quipped when presented with some award or other - "Wow! Twenty-five years. Three chords. Thank you!"

I love it when people do not take themselves too seriously.

Re: What chords do you need?

#147

Post by and0 »

adamnemecek wrote: post #9

I’m working on an IDE for music composition. Chords and music theory will be very much front and and center. Launching next month. https://ngrid.io Join the discord https://discord.gg/a5ttYuG

Subscribed (not on Discord). Glad to see! I've bounced off music theory but part of me knows that I would learn the hell out it if I tried to implement an engine (and corresponding interface) around it. I know many exist and I'd probably find through even shallow research that it'd be 100x harder than I'm imagining, but I wouldn't know half of what I know if I thought ahead like that :P

But as with reading this article, as an avid music lover I'm afraid to ruin how I feel about some of my favorite compositions.

Re: What chords do you need?

#148

Post by rizzaxc »

TaupeRanger wrote: post #120
moron4hire wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't know. After watching a lot of Adam Neely videos on YouTube, I get the impression that music theory has an incredibly rich language to describe music and does have a good understanding of why certain songs sound good, why certain arrangements sound better than others, especially regarding specific emotional cues they are trying to convey. That's one of the things I love about his videos, he does an excellent j…

Most of Neely's stuff is just wrong or misleading. I once tried to watch his video about why minor chords sound "sad" and major chords sound "happy" and it was just laughable how unsupported his claims were.

citations needed

Re: What chords do you need?

#149

Post by adamnemecek »

and0 wrote: post #147
adamnemecek wrote: post #9

I’m working on an IDE for music composition. Chords and music theory will be very much front and and center. Launching next month. https://ngrid.io Join the discord https://discord.gg/a5ttYuG

Subscribed (not on Discord). Glad to see! I've bounced off music theory but part of me knows that I would learn the hell out it if I tried to implement an engine (and corresponding interface) around it. I know many exist and I'd probably find through even shallow research that it'd be 100x harder than I'm imagining, but I wouldn't know half of what I know if I thought ahead like that :P But as with reading this artic…

That’s the problem, not that many actually exist.

Re: What chords do you need?

#150

Post by h2odragon »

moron4hire wrote: post #131
TaupeRanger wrote: post #120

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Most of Neely's stuff is just wrong or misleading. I once tried to watch his video about why minor chords sound "sad" and major chords sound "happy" and it was just laughable how unsupported his claims were.

I have never heard such a complaint about his videos. Most? There are enough musicians in the world, on YouTube, and in my family that they would have called it out. I call shenanigans and say it is you, sir, who are wrong or misleading

> it is you, sir, who are wrong or misleading

Or your opinions just differ.

The meaning of music is in the listener. what you hear may not be what others do.

even the Brown Note doesn't hit everyone.

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