yeah, right.....

Stupid? I thought it was a rather interesting story.

Yeah right.


This guy doesn't use that progression I can tell you that.
But go ahead and play it. Th article is dead on.





\\got me a mandolin for xmas. yipee

Not stupid, subby. Actually a well-written article. I've never taken any music theory, but I'm facinated with the fact that there are a finite amount of notes, chords and progressions. They've all been used. You can't make new ones. Yet original-sounding music is still being made.

Where does that chord progression of I-IV-V₇ that the White Stripes use on half their songs? What do we call that because I know it's not original. I just can't remember from music classes when I was younger what it was called.

Umm...preview...

I meant to ask where that specific progression came from.

GOD DAMNIT.

Don't listen to the audio track unless you want Joan Osborn's "One of Us" stuck in your head all day.

JAIOO(!UIH!)#J

Fark.

Great headline, not sure if I've listened to that song enough times, but the discussion is pretty simple. Pop songs rarely have more than 4 or 5 chords, simply because there are only seven chords that fit (and sound nice) in a diatonic system. I, IV, V, vi, and ii are the most common, with some small variations to the upper structure. The laws of physics make certain "progressions" from one chord to another sound more natural, and musicians have used them for decades. Specifically, the dominant progression is very prevalent and natural sounding to the ear. Which means, a V7 chord makes everything in the room want to play a I chord. 3 points to 6, 6 points to 2, 2 points to 5, and 5 brings you back to 1. That's what many jazz musicians and composers do, experiment with dominant progressions in many different keys, then play the notes from cool scales on top of those extended 3-6-2-5 changes.

The reason why experimental music sounds so "weird" is that composers (think Frank Zappa) experimented with breaking all of these rules. And that's why God gave him cancer.

"There's not a lot of testosterone in it, even though ['One of Us'] was written by a man. But it was written by a man to impress a girl. Think about that."


Um...aren't ALL songs written to impress girls?

jaylectricity

I-IV-V is the classic standard chord progression of Western music. It's what I learned in music theory when we did four part harmony based on centuries-old principles. Adding the seventh is ornamentation.

I don't remember if it has a specific name.

the_be_sharps: And that's why God gave him cancer.

+1

Came here for the "Lick My Love Pump" reference, and was greatly saddened.

the_be_sharps: The reason why experimental music sounds so "weird" is that composers (think Frank Zappa) experimented with breaking all of these rules. And that's why God gave him cancer.

lol

jaylectricity: Umm...preview...

I meant to ask where that specific progression came from.

12 bar blues.

If you want to make a song sound Radioheadish, throw in a I-v progression (MAJOR TONIC to a minor dominant 5)

Yay! my first green!

Jesus the 33rd: Yay! my first green!

Congrats, man!

ZAZ: jaylectricity

I-IV-V is the classic standard chord progression of Western music. It's what I learned in music theory when we did four part harmony based on centuries-old principles. Adding the seventh is ornamentation.

I don't remember if it has a specific name.

Yes, it does. It's name is Ricky Nelson.

And now you owe his estate $5.00 in royalties. US Postal Money Orders preferred.

/could be worse
//you could have picked a Bee Gees progression
///Then Barry Gibb would put you in the ground...

It's why Nickleback is so popular. Emotional chord changes.

I'm more of a 1-4-5-4 kind of guy.

mitchcumpstein: If you want to make a song sound Radioheadish, throw in a I-v progression (MAJOR TONIC to a minor dominant 5)

Har, I was wondering why their stuff sounded sorta familiar. Looks like they went to school on Walter Becker.

the_be_sharps: The reason why experimental music sounds so "weird" is that composers (think Frank Zappa) experimented with breaking all of these rules. And that's why God gave him cancer.

I had a theory teacher make us listen to late Romantic music for a couple days and forbid us from listening to anything else, even the radio. Then he hit us with Scott Joplin (played in the correct time and key) and it was amazing how "weird" is sounded.

FTFA:It's simple enough for the music theory-inclined: vi-IV-I-V. No good? Well, for a song in the key of A minor, it would be Am-F-C-G.

Maybe I'm musically illiterate, but wouldn't that progression in Am be F-Dm-Am-Em? Isn't what the author listed I-vi-iii-vii?

FTFA: "So what is the Sensitive Female Chord Progression, exactly? It's simple enough for the music theory-inclined: vi-IV-I-V. No good? Well, for a song in the key of A minor, it would be Am-F-C-G."

Has anyone mentioned that it should be "a song in the key of C" yet? No?

/in the key of C, vi is Am, IV is F, I is C and V is G, right?

Fark Lord of the Sith: FTFA:It's simple enough for the music theory-inclined: vi-IV-I-V. No good? Well, for a song in the key of A minor, it would be Am-F-C-G.

Maybe I'm musically illiterate, but wouldn't that progression in Am be F-Dm-Am-Em? Isn't what the author listed I-vi-iii-vii?

Blast you, and my habit of previewing and proofreading and such.

downstairs: Not stupid, subby. Actually a well-written article. I've never taken any music theory, but I'm facinated with the fact that there are a finite amount of notes, chords and progressions. They've all been used. You can't make new ones. Yet original-sounding music is still being made.

Hard to find it though.

A lot of new bands sound the same unfortunately.

DeathByGeekSquad: A lot of new bands sound the same unfortunately.

It's because of lack of onions

"It's all the same song."
- a famous non-chick

DeathByGeekSquad: downstairs: Not stupid, subby. Actually a well-written article. I've never taken any music theory, but I'm facinated with the fact that there are a finite amount of notes, chords and progressions. They've all been used. You can't make new ones. Yet original-sounding music is still being made.

Hard to find it though.

A lot of new bands sound the same unfortunately.

Some forms of music, like the blues, is all about the fact that is the same chord progression. The point is to be original and moving within the structure, not to reinvent it.

People like familiar progressions and melodies, in original ways. It's a lot like food -- using familiar tastes and ingredients in new ways.

You could do this same exercise with the progressions of nearly every pop and rock song ever written. I am not a jazzbo or a nashville studio cat, but if I were, I would be laughing at the guy who is yelling "there's gambling at ricks" when he thinks he's yelling "solylent green is people!"

DeathByGeekSquad A lot of new bands sound the same
unfortunately.

You ever listen to these guys?

I'd like to add "Dinner Bells" by Wolf Parade to that list.
[well the chorus anyway]

[i'm pretty sure it has a very similar chord progression to "one of us" or whatever else they listed]

[*ducks*]

/ "apologies to...." is a great record. [yes i own it on LP]
it's a grower, took a while, but it's great.

Music is none of my business.

the_be_sharps: The reason why experimental music sounds so "weird" is that composers (think Frank Zappa) experimented with breaking all of these rules. And that's why God gave him cancer.

Frank Zappa is my most favorite musician of all time, but this still made me laugh.

Well hell I have a song that uses that progression extensively. Should I care or care not? No one can sue me for rocking out in my bedroom so farkem I say. farkem indeed.

Candygram4Mongo: /could be worse
//you could have picked a Bee Gees progression
///Then Barry Gibb would put you in the ground...

Chord progressions by themselves cannot be copyrighted (copywritten?). Only written or recorded arrangements, melodies and lyrics.

the_be_sharps: Candygram4Mongo: /could be worse
//you could have picked a Bee Gees progression
///Then Barry Gibb would put you in the ground...

Chord progressions by themselves cannot be copyrighted (copywritten?). Only written or recorded arrangements, melodies and lyrics.

The RIAA would like to talk with you about your crazy ideas.

MFL: DeathByGeekSquad A lot of new bands sound the same
unfortunately.

You ever listen to these guys?

Ghostland Observatory? That Austin City Limits performance was quite memorable....

GurneyHalleck: Came here for the "Lick My Love Pump" reference, and was greatly saddened.

Well, to be fair that was in D. Minor.

/the saddest of ALL keys

I though what make a 'chick' song was all the endless whining?

Add RHCP's "Otherside" to the list.

/am I still a slut?

Reminds me of the Pachelbel Rant.

WE all live in the same museum.

we all rearrange the same old song.

I always thought Joan Osborne's "One Of Us" was influenced by Nirvana, songs like Lithium, who was influenced by The Kinks, songs like "All Day and All of the Night".

my only question is why haven't these people sued George Harrison yet for ripping them off ?

/always thought he got screwed

RHCP> don't forget me

bbernardini: the_be_sharps: The reason why experimental music sounds so "weird" is that composers (think Frank Zappa) experimented with breaking all of these rules. And that's why God gave him cancer.

Frank Zappa is my most favorite musician of all time, but this still made me laugh.

Same here. So matter of fact and scholarly....

As a songwriter, articles like this make me laugh, as does the Pachelbel Rant - after watching that I went through my folder and found at least three songs that use that damn progression.

danduran: As a songwriter, articles like this make me laugh, as does the Pachelbel Rant - after watching that I went through my folder and found at least three songs that use that damn progression.

Yeah, that's a great one.

Also I would like to proclaim that I enjoy playing in the key of Em when composing/freestyling on the piano.

HAI! Where are all the music snobs? All I see are music nerds.

I would like to point out that my favorite band never used that girlish chord progression E.V.A.R., nor did they ever use the Pachelbel "Canon in D" progression.

R.F.T.C.R.I.P.

/ten seconds until someone proves me wrong?

Not stupid at all. Good article!

Praise Gsus!

/nothin

I-V(6/3)-vi-IV needs to DIAF. NOW. Whoever figured out that if you make that the chorus of song it --> instant hit, as well as the people who keep buying songs with that in the chorus are evil, evil people.