SONGWRITING: Chords from a Textural Point of View

[COOLBIAN57]

"Sudden" Modulations, Chromatic Mediants and subsequent modulations, and Jazz chords are typical of this style. Learning these patterns/chords can help writing in this style a lot. Also inversions

[SirApolloFC]

I actually have the opposite problem, I'm used to writing like this.. but I have/had trouble writing for standard pop/rock tunes. I didn't like music theory because there were too many rules. I'd always start out writing with an "open key" and ignore the rules.

[cragnog]

that piece in the beginning was really great, reminded me so much of final fantasy especially FFX.

[Linqua2112]

ha i come from pretty much the opposite point of view as the guy who sent the question

[Killmesomepenguins]

Is that bass in the background an MB-4? :D

[steveo27545]

Thanks for sharing

[DanGM123]

Andrew, you're the best guitar teacher on youtube.

[jacobtheguitarfreak]

I play slightly progressive rock and this is exactly how I compose. I just sound out each note until I hear a sound or texture I like, then I go from there. I won't understand the theory of it until after I compose it. I still don't know exactly what I'm doing on some particular compositions... They just come together with the songwriter's most important tool, the ear.

[sangolt88]

Sorry for this n00bish question, but what determents what key a song is in? Like how do you know if a song is in the key of E instead of the key of A or Bm? And whats a 1 - 4 - 5 progression?

[boogyman19946]

@sangolt88 if you're writing a song, the key is for you to choose. 1-4-5 progression refers to the progression of chords based on their root notes. So, for a C major scale a 1-4-5 would be C F G because those are the 1st, 4th, and 5th notes of the C major scale.

[Brianawaken]

@sangolt88 Any major scale is constructed by intervals of whole and half steps. 2,2,1,2,2,2,1. Here is a simple explanation. In the key of C you would start with C as your root. Start at the C note on 5th string 3 fret. go down to the 5th fret (same string) and you have D. Next go to the seventh fret and you have E. From E to F is going to be fret 7(E) to 8(F). <-=-=this is what the 1 is expressing in the intervals I gave 2,2,(1),2,2,2,1. G is going to be fret 10 and so on. And here is the...

[Brianawaken]

@sangolt88 Here is the answer to your question. When you observe the half steps between the 3rd and 4th, 7th and 1st scale degrees in all major scales. The necessity of keeping this interval relationship accounts for the presence of flats or sharps in the various keys. Hope this all makes sense..

[Seagerash]

not 100% on what it is, the open Dm7 with the open A in the bass played and then moved up a fret, but it sounds super good, like this vid a lot, unconvential :)

[6265ash]

alf stewart would be proud thumbs up

[NewMetallica]

Andrew is the man! Thumps up if you agree :)