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Article on Harmonic Thoery and Free Library Of Chords
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cotec
I just wrote another article on Harmonic theory with the circle of fifths. It goes over the basics of tenstion with harmony and your chord progression.

I also finally got around to making a video that runs through how to use my Library of Chords

http://www.youtube.com/watch?featur...d&v=wzC_p6azIxs

It's a cool free resource I put together. I made a library for ableton live of chords based on the key you are in. Then it's just drag and drop in your DAW of choice. I also set it up with Abelton Live with a cool Clip Color code I put together with the circle of fifths. Wanted to share the resources...
Beatflux
Someone has already made a project extremely similar to what you have made.
cl0ckw3rk
Appreciate your contributions. I'll make good use of this.
cotec
quote:
Originally posted by CalvP
Are you referring to my post?

Free Ableton Live Library of Chords And the Circle of Fifths

It's the same one if so! thanks cotec - this is EXTREMELY helpful:)


Yeah totally. That is my website, and I as asked to make a video so I put it together.
PlasticSoul
thanks, cotec, very appreciated! :)
Looney4Clooney
not sure what this is supposed to do for people

A: they aren't going to learn
B, so they don't want to learn, You've restricted them to root position chords and the whole conception will just yield awkward chord successions. I suppose your intention was nice but you should perhaps learn a little more before spending the time you claimed as this is rather useless for anything really.
C: the circle of fifths, which is just a small part of theory is really how do you say something that would be more relevant if you were writing in Haydn's time. Dominant resolutions, i mean in dance just don't really happen and if you were say trying to spice things up with secondary dominants, well this won't help you.

I would put a big disclaimer on your tool. I mean it is awful in terms of theory and teaching. It teaches horrible habits, and at least if you are going to make a tool that provides harmony, make an effort so that the voice leading isn't a complete disaster.
Evolve140
Were you wasting your time with this garbage when you should be making music? Use your ear, make some ing music. This is some over analytic bull that will help no one.
Looney4Clooney
It isn't even analytical. I mean I cannot think of one track that would use the actual voicings given, any chord transition will have a parallel 5th, I mean it would just take more to change what is there than to just around on a keyboard.

It sucks to have to tell someone this that tried to do something nice.
Evolve140
edit:
Music is a gift. You got it, or you ing do not. This kind of stuff just seems like the kind of drama people bother themselves with when they realize how awesome our EDM is, and how they were so clueless for so long. Hell yeah, house music is the . DUHH!! A sea of s who feel stupid. Let's make some great music for them chaps, isn't this what we've all been waiting for anyway? Let's get it on, then ;)
J.L.
IMO, i always think people without musical training need to understand that unless you have been trained at a young age (9 years old or younger), it is very hard to learn music theory, from a practicing and listening stand point. Sure, you can learn circle of fifths, cadences, suspended notes, counterpoint, and all the chords in the world, but that leads most people to compose music that sounds all too similar. Most people who try too hard to compose melodic type of music end up with harmonically uninteresting music.

IE. The majority of trance/house are still stuck on I, IV, V, VI chords and their variations. I rarely see harmonic shifts or key changes or even use of chords other than those ones.

Now the great thing about EDM is that it's so diverse, and there are so many things for non-trained producers to shine at, such as use of sounds, rhythms, dynamics, tension, danceability of the tracks, arrangement, mixing that cover a wide spectrum of genres and abilities. These are for the most part not things a typical musically trained person will have an advantage over. Wolfgang Gartner doesn't make great melodies, but he sure for some reason can get the masses moving to the music. Carl Cox is no music theory genius, but he sure puts on a good banging set.

Like L4C is saying, you can actually restrict yourself musically when you learn theory like this, because music that follows music theory is formulaic. Make some banging techno, groovy house, or create a progressive track with beautiful sound pallettes. Focus on these things, because frankly there are so many more other things to focus on other than music theory that will get you much further.

Why trance is stagnant is exactly why baroque music sounds the same. Most of it follow music theory.

IMO, the only thing the circle of fifths might be useful for Dj's in identifying good combinations when mixing 2 tracks of different keys together.
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