Submit your Week 3 compositions HERE!
Added 2025-01-14 20:45:30 +0000 UTCThis week's goal was to write a piece in the major key that features at least one borrowed chord "from" Aeolian, and also use at least two seventh chords.
Here's my submission that I showed at the end of the last lesson. I added a lead on top since then, and here's how it works:
Cmaj7 - Am7 - Dm7 - Dm7b5
Over the first three chords, I solo using C major scale. Then over Dm7b5, I switch to C Mixolydian b6. Basically, I lower Ionian's 6th and 7th but preserve the 3rd. The next time the Dm7b5 occurs, I opted to only lower the 6th (this creates C harmonic major).
Then the following progression occurs:
Cmaj7 - Ebmaj7 - Fmaj7 - Abmaj7 ( I - bIII - IV - bVI)
This is funny because it's all parallel motion upwards and constant structure - simply take a major 7th chord shape and keep lifting it. Over the Cmaj7 + Fmaj7 I mostly play C Ionian or C Pentatonic Major. Then I switch to C Aeolian for the Ebmaj7 and Abmaj7 which are both from C Aeolian.
I can't wait to hear your submissions! I intend on listening to them all again :)
OH- ALSO- The very last note was a mistake and I'm glad I made it! I wanted to end on the major 3rd but accidentally hit the minor 3rd instead, but quickly slid it upwards. This is a common trick in blues/jazz/swing (chromatically approaching the third from below) and here it fits in perfectly to accent the change of the minor 3rd to major 3rd.
Comments
Very detailed replied! Given me something to think about. I'm guitarist first, and really haven't done anything drumming wise. I usually download drum loops from whatever I can find and use them. I'm using Studio One Professional but am still nowhere near understanding or using it's full potential. TBH, I've been very slack in creating music of recent . That was until this course came and along and reinvigorated me. And I think this small community is helping someone who has for too long just hidden away a room thinking their a musician but not really doing it and getting it out there. So appreciate the info. Time to get it into action.
Sole Brick
2025-01-24 21:18:24 +0000 UTCPlugin wise, I usually just use basic multi-sampled acoustic kits, but I twist and juice them to my liking. The magic is in pre "mixing" with compressors, saturators, EQ, and sometimes limiters and transient designers. This includes on the overall kit, but also on individual components, especially the snare. It's all about designing the transient, just like how you would set the ADSR on a synthesizer. Ableton has some free multi-sampled drum kits on their website that you can download for free if you have Ableton. You can learn to design the transients to make the kits sound like whatever you want really. I've also worked in logic, which has a plug-in called drum kit designer. It's a multi-sampled drum kit. It sounds lame on its own, but again the magic is in the pre-mixing. Incidentally, this is basically what Superior Drummer is. Multi-sampled raw kits with effects added to them.
Iron Octopus
2025-01-23 06:56:57 +0000 UTCRecording wise, I alternate between using a cheap electronic drum kit and a weighted or semi weighted MIDI keyboard. I am a guitarist first, and definitely not a drummer. But I know enough to write with a kit. I will sketch out ideas, and get a good idea of the feel. At this point I usually won't be good enough at my own ideas so I will either practice and good enough, or quantize it temporarily until I can practice. When I have a good take, I may still nudge a note here or there for a better feel. But I'm not really looking at the grid.
Iron Octopus
2025-01-23 06:52:51 +0000 UTCSuperior Drummer, EZ Drummer’s big brother.
Alan Zeleznikar
2025-01-21 01:42:35 +0000 UTCI've been using GetGoodDrums loaded into Kontakt and just program the MIDI in FL Studio's piano roll. Before I bought this one I was using the one that came with FL Studio, I think it was called FPC
Znernicus
2025-01-20 04:54:35 +0000 UTCAddictive Drums was recommended. I liked the samples I heard and ended up getting a discount deal on it a few years back.
Gamp
2025-01-20 03:40:44 +0000 UTCOK - for this week's assignment, I moved from the Ionian to the Dorian mode in C. The borrowed chords from the Aeolian mode were the flat 3rd (E flat) and the flat 7th (B flat). Preserving the 6th as a natural allowed me to drop into Dorian very conveniently. Intro: single note drone (CCCC) x 4 measures - establishes and makes the tonal center obvious. Ionian: (C G Am/A7 F, C G F Am/A7) x 2, Am G F Dm G/G7 then Dorian: (C F/F7 Bb Eb-C-A-Bb C ) (F) x 2, C F/F7 Bb Eb-C-A-Bb C then back to Ionian: Am G F Dm G, (C G Am/A7 F, C G F Am/A7 same as beginning until fade). Note: I did manage to include both the M3 and m3 (E and Eb) in the Dorian F portion. I think the E was used as a passing tone? Perhaps that's why they don't clash. Looking forward to your analysis. Thanks Jake! https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qpTNe97prVjn-LkfykeEdOoqvRL73_8I/view?usp=drive_link
Rhfactor76
2025-01-19 22:52:39 +0000 UTCThe GarageBand/Logic Drummer is both an excellent sequencer as well as a nice library of drum samples. If you are on Windows the aforementioned Superior Drummer, NI’s Studio Drummer, EZ Drummer and Steven Slate Drummer all do similar functions (but aren’t free with your computer unfortunately!) What style(s) are your primary ones you write/record?
Aaron Shemon
2025-01-19 19:27:12 +0000 UTCPaul T - Haha! I think that's how'd probably be with my drums - always trying to make things complicated, especially with creating music. Which is why Jake has been a lifesaver for me in making it simple. On looking through loads of VSTs, plugins etc., I've downloaded over the years, I have found a MT PowerDrumKit 2, which looks very similar to EZDrummer, and it was free. So I'll see what I can do with this. If it doesn't provide what I need, then I'll get the wallet out and go for EZD. Then I guess I could get any tips from the rest of you pros.
Sole Brick
2025-01-19 19:27:12 +0000 UTCNice to meet you fellow Scott. I also have EZ drummer 3. I’ll echo what Eric said…I usually let Logic’s drummer create the drum track, but use EZ drummer as the VST to play it. Unfortunately, Logic drummer isn’t an option for you sounds like (windows user), but it’s dead-simple to use.
Scott
2025-01-19 19:18:11 +0000 UTCI've been using EZDrummer for making demos since way back in the mid-2000s. I'm not sure if I've got much further with making it sound "good" but it certainly makes the process of cobbling something okay-sounding together quite pain-free, then I hand it to a real drummer and he tells me he doesn't have enough limbs to play what I've written.
Paul T
2025-01-19 19:15:41 +0000 UTCThanks Eric. I've heard of EZDrummer. Like I said to Scott, I think I need to look at what I might already have hidden in Studio One but EZDrummer sounds like a try. Hopefully it is in fact "EZ" for someone inexperienced with drums.
Sole Brick
2025-01-19 19:09:24 +0000 UTCThanks Scott (I'm Scott too!). Seems pretty popular this Logic. I've got Studio One on Win11, which is feature packed. I'm not half familiar with all that it can do. But drums is my failing. Think I'll have to put more time into it and find out what's available. Thanks.
Sole Brick
2025-01-19 19:07:47 +0000 UTCThe drummer in GarageBand and Logic are pretty dang incredible, if ya got access to a Mac. A few months ago I purchased EZDrummer 3 and it is also incredible and IMO offers better sound quality and control.
Eric Kirwan
2025-01-19 19:02:44 +0000 UTCSometimes play them manually (electronic kit), but more often than not I use Logic’s built in Drummer, which is crazy good.
Scott
2025-01-19 19:00:24 +0000 UTC👍🏻
Alan Zeleznikar
2025-01-19 18:48:36 +0000 UTCFor those of you using drums in your compositions, how are you creating them?
Sole Brick
2025-01-19 18:44:56 +0000 UTCThanks for all the lessons Jake! Been a lot of fun working on the prompts each week. Here's my W3 project...mainly C Ionian with the Fm7 borrowed from C Aeolian... (Cmaj7) * 2 (Cmaj7 Em G) * 5 (C Fm7 G) * 2 (Cmaj7 Em https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/vna8grdgcq8zluexwzy62/MMM_W3_P_Cmaj_mixb.aif?rlkey=h8cthzyqcc8os0z4pr0l5j0wn&st=xp9j97rh&dl=0 (EDIT - shoot I thought/intended to include Fmin7 from C Aeolian but I don't think that's what I actually did. I think I just went to FMaj7 which is still in C Ionian. So my piece missed the mark 'cause it's all C Ionian decorated with two 7th chords. But holy cow I can't believe I've learned enough in 3 weeks to even recognize that & to express it properly to someone else so they'd understand my intention vs my reality!)
Eric Kirwan
2025-01-19 18:42:48 +0000 UTCI got a big smile on my face when the synth arpeggio kicked in. Nice work on the progression and guitar accompaniment too.
drench toast
2025-01-19 17:51:10 +0000 UTCGood job, I felt really pulled into the dark vibe with the Phrygian progression especially!
drench toast
2025-01-19 17:40:50 +0000 UTCSuper job on the melody, I caught myself humming along my second listen through.
drench toast
2025-01-19 17:33:36 +0000 UTCUgh, not enough time in the week! I'm not proud of this one but it meets the requirements and I wanted to get something submitted. I wanted to do a Retrowave thing, but I only made it to cheesy DAW land. If I get time before Jake reviews I might update. I should have tried a major version of last week's! Cmaj7 - Fmaj7 - G - Ab / G7 Cmaj7 - Fmaj7 - Ab - G7 / Bb https://drive.google.com/file/d/11ubfPTjZClT0TKnVadL5yBuxWuQ69OoH/view?usp=sharing
Aaron Shemon
2025-01-19 17:24:49 +0000 UTCTasty chords and melody!
drench toast
2025-01-19 17:23:36 +0000 UTCChord progression audio: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DW4dDq3TnF3SBofwf9ovXLwsHnUyC9Ou/view?usp=sharing Chord progression MIDI: https://drive.google.com/file/d/144wI5N14OEluYltZR5h2aJgQc4WUu_pY/view?usp=sharing Not much spare time this week, but I wanted to post something, as parallel major / minor is such a cool and important thing. My progression is all borrowed chords, in the sense that I borrowed it from someone who really knew what they were doing! It's in C, but the first chord is the bVI: Ab7 ; G7 ; G7sus4 ; Cmaj7 ; C 6 (all repeated) so that's the first 8 bars. The second 8 bar section has a descending chromatic thing going on, courtesy of some cunning secondary dominants and tritone substitutions: F#min7b5 ; Fm7 ; Em7 ; Ebdim7 ; Dm7 ; G7 ; Cmaj7 ; C6 I have posted the MIDI file for the chord progression, as I think that it's interesting to look at the progression on the piano roll, and see how it works (particularly the second half).
Steve K
2025-01-19 14:59:36 +0000 UTCThis is a jam. Very nice playing.
Scott
2025-01-19 10:04:40 +0000 UTCCame for the Dorian and Aeolian, stayed for the Super Mario World. Fantastic!
drench toast
2025-01-19 05:44:02 +0000 UTCGreat work with the chords and time signatures!
drench toast
2025-01-19 05:39:48 +0000 UTCMmm, the retro gamer in me felt called back to the SNES Final Fantasy soundtracks. I dig it, and thank your son for me, what's a lullaby without some rocking?
drench toast
2025-01-19 05:34:24 +0000 UTCLMAO who else can relate? Very nice. You could even stick in a rhyming reference to ibuprofen at the end :D
drench toast
2025-01-19 05:29:41 +0000 UTCSmooth, very smooth!
drench toast
2025-01-19 05:25:59 +0000 UTCspookiest waltz I ever did hear, great stuff
drench toast
2025-01-19 05:22:41 +0000 UTCYou had me in the first 2 seconds and it just got better from there. So sick!
drench toast
2025-01-19 05:15:23 +0000 UTC😂😂 thank you! I love hot stuff, so I respect the analogy 😄
MindStorM
2025-01-19 05:11:43 +0000 UTCOooh that first Dmaj7 caught me like a ghost pepper seed in my burrito. Great work
drench toast
2025-01-19 04:50:17 +0000 UTChttps://drive.google.com/file/d/1JztDlx2aBfqgp5ELYChWFtFx2sSAeylx/view?usp=sharing Life is too hectic so I kept the composition basic this time. I only used a 7th chord once, and everything else is just major triads! Better than not submitting anything, I think. I loved the I - bIII movement from Jake's example so I had to write something with it. My piece is in B Ionian and borrows the bIII chord from B Aeolian/Dorian. I'm primarily a keys player so I used inversions when it would facilitate ease of finger movement between chords. Plus I just like the way they sound. I played everything live except the beats. Chords: intro is just me noodling F#/C# - E/B - B arpeggios, repeated once F#/C# - E/B - B (x3) F#/C# - E/B - B - B7 D - B D - E/B - B (repeat previous two lines once more) F#/C# - E/B - B (x4) RN notation: V - IV - I (x3) V - IV - I - I7 bIII - I bIII - IV - I (x2) V - IV - I (x4) I hope I kept more focus on the tonal center this time. I improvised the bass and lead chime thingy, both of them are confined to B Ionian scale in the A part and B Dorian in the... B part, with two exceptions: bass hits a b7 (A) during the B7 chord, and the lead tops out on a b6 (G) from Aeolian before we come back to the Ionian progression. I really like the way that b6 stands out. After reflecting on this before uploading I started wondering whether it's OK (in the context of this assignment only) to use I7 and my head started to spin so I'm just submitting as-is... I could say it borrows the b7 from Aeolian/Mixolydian (just as the bIII borrows the b7 *and* b3 from Aeolian/Dorian) so I think it's OK. Jake did say any type of 7th! PS - I thought it was pretty neat how the B7 chord - if you forget about the root - makes up a D# diminished triad, and dropping its root one semitone to D while maintaining the flatted 3 and flatted 5 makes it slide so smoothly to the bIII D triad... I don't know enough theory yet to describe those relationships any better but I love the way it sounds!
drench toast
2025-01-19 02:36:08 +0000 UTCBeautiful
Scott
2025-01-18 20:49:25 +0000 UTCThat's s beautiful piece of music. Not only are you a monster metal maestro, but a pleasant piano player!
Sole Brick
2025-01-18 20:18:08 +0000 UTCI really enjoy your playing! Super unique and cool chords
Znernicus
2025-01-18 20:05:53 +0000 UTCThank you! I appreciate it! It definitely can be a challenge. Joe Satriani has always been my favorite guitarist, so modal interchange is something I was interested in from a young age. Trying to connect different modes/keys that go smoothly is like a puzzle, but it’s fun!
MindStorM
2025-01-18 18:22:22 +0000 UTCThis is by far the sappiest thing I ever composed. I ended up using all three borrowed notes from aeolian so it strays a little far from "Major" at times, but the major tonic still always felt like home to me. https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/v4zoabaqhkff1q5qibdwe/Lesson3MajorMinor.mp3?rlkey=5t1ntrhnrjd1q634y1ss8s8qa&st=kx4a1bm4&dl=0 Key of B major (borrowing D, G, A) B D# G#m E B F# B F#/C# B D# G#m G D A B G#m F# E B G#m D#7/G Emaj7 B D#m Dmaj7 Amaj9 Gmaj7 C#m9 F#aug F# B D# G#m Em B F# E Em/C# Bmaj7 Numerals I III vi IV I V I V I III vi bVI bIII bVII I vi V IV I (Ionian) vi III IV I (Harmonic Major) iii bIII bVII bVI (Dorian and Aeolian) iim9 Vaug V (Super Mario World) I III vi iv I V IV iim7b5 I
Znernicus
2025-01-18 17:46:23 +0000 UTCInspired by a bunch of Mr. Potatoheads from Ohio, might have gotten a little out of hand with the Aeolian. But here goes: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1U0gUN2f3nJI8BkTOok_Ltt2E-gzGV8Id/view?usp=sharing In D/Dm: D-A-Em (I-V-ii) D-A-Em-G (I-V-ii-IV) D-A-Em (I-V-ii) D-A-G-Gm (I-V-IV-iv) Bb-C7-D-Dm7 (bVI-bVII7-I-i7)* FMaj7-Dm7-Bb-A (bIIIM7-i7-bVI-V) D-A-G-Gm-DMaj7 (I-V-IV-iv-IM7) *When I was putting some of the pieces together some discordant things sounded cool and kind of apropos so I kept them. For example the organ going to the D instead of Dm in the Aeolian section. I did the guitar lead last, originally did it by ear and it came out with a bunch of notes that weren't in Aeolian, so I made the conscious decision to force it. Conscious decision? Yes. Good one? Perhaps not.
Gamp
2025-01-18 17:07:35 +0000 UTCGreat stuff. I like how you managed to fit all those scales to fit. I'm still struggling with that,
Sole Brick
2025-01-18 14:30:41 +0000 UTCSome of the lead bits reminded me of Mike Oldfield, circa Moonlight Shadow for some reason (not a bad thing). But great work from a metal head!
Sole Brick
2025-01-18 14:28:11 +0000 UTCCombines everything I loved about the 80s. Great guitar work.
Sole Brick
2025-01-18 14:23:11 +0000 UTCThat's a great mix of all those scales/modes! Nice job.
Sole Brick
2025-01-18 14:20:55 +0000 UTCOK, I’ve done the easy bit - the music. Now figuring out what I did and putting it into theory words! Forgive if my theory is not quite up to scratch. There was a lot of Googling going on (shout to www.scales-chords.com for helping figure out what chord shapes were). Started this off in E Lydian and then added in Aeolian here and there. There’s a change in time signature between 4/4, 6/8 and 5/4 (if I've got that wrong, please let me know). Wish I was better at getting drums included which may have highlighted this better. I’ve added some bass too which hopefully helps instead. The solo might be a bit rough around the edges (I think there’s a bum note in the middle). There’s a Harmonic Minor Scale run over the diminished section. And some volume swells at the end to bring the flavour of Lydian back. Link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-29ROSVnfVX8jNhqt1n-pfuq76VCoZ--/view?usp=sharing Chord progression: E(#4) | G#m x4 C#m7 | Amaj9 | E6/G# x2 E(#4) | G#m x2 Em9/B | Cmaj7 E(#4) | G#m | E(#4) Solo: Cmaj7 | Cmaj7(#11) x4 C#m7 | Amaj9 | E6/G# C#m7 | C#m13/A# | Amaj9 C#m7 | Dmaj9/13sus2 | Emaj7sus F#dim7 | Adim7 | Cdim7 | D#dim7 E(#4) | G#m x3 Em11/G | F#m11 | E I really enjoyed creating this one. This whole course is really getting me in the right space, which has been missing for some time. So thanks again Jake for doing this.
Sole Brick
2025-01-18 14:13:41 +0000 UTCI've been wanting to write a lullaby for my boys, so I took this week's assignment as the opportunity to do just that. When I played it for my older son, he said it "wasn't rocking enough", so that is why there is a distorted electric guitar at the end 🙄. Song is in "A". Progression is: I - V7/IV IV - iv - I - I - IV - iv - I - I V - IV - I - I - V - IV - I - I iii - IV (x3) ii - iii - IV - V7 I - IV - iv - I - I bIII - IV - I - I (x2) V - IV - I The only time I highlight a borrowed chord tone in the piano melody is over the second iv chord ("Dm") where I hit a natural F, so I can't really say I did or did not switch scales for the melody anywhere outside of that. I figured since the harp is playing all the chords arpeggiated, that I didn't need to highlight the distinct notes of the borrowed chords in the melody. Guitar part is minor pentatonic. Cheers. https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/8riidq2sk2wbtigt9csxu/A-Lullaby.mp3?rlkey=tvuozz6jf7wgzjfb8nl1y51st&st=7g31dvko&dl=0
Scott
2025-01-18 12:21:54 +0000 UTCNice!
Scott
2025-01-17 18:32:46 +0000 UTCThank you guys!
Patrick
2025-01-17 11:32:26 +0000 UTC“Lean Into It” lyrics CHORUS Lean into it / but not too far Propped up a bit / against the bar Time to adjust / your queasy crown Lean into it / but don't fall down VERSE It's hard to find your balance And keep your feet beneath Your center of gravity Without relief Your head will clear up somewhat When planets stop their spin You've got to kick these habits Of cigarettes and gin... 😱🤣🍾 (REPEAT CHORUS)
Jay Goemmer
2025-01-17 07:25:18 +0000 UTCI took a page from Iron Octopus's “Pound for Pound” last week, and wrote a very short, very silly song. “Lean Into It” is mostly G Ionian, with the Bb in the verse borrowed from G Aeolian. The Em7 at the end of the chorus is the obligatory 7th chord (“Ensure at least one seventh chord is used (of any type).”) And Jake, I broke out my bass guitar (my main instrument in the mid 1980s to mid 1990s) for the first time in a decade. Intro: | G C | D | (2x) Chorus: | G C | G D | G C | Em D | I IV I V I IV vi V | G C | G D | G C | D Em7 | I IV I V I IV V vi7 Verse: | Am Em | G D | Bb | C | ii vi I V bIII IV (Repeat Intro) (Repeat Chorus) https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/y4tlc93zo0ytgezc6ehs9/Lean-Into-It-Jan-2025.mp3?rlkey=7zsdtthvrs89h8s1vlb53i04x&st=5fuarnn5&dl=0
Jay Goemmer
2025-01-17 07:18:27 +0000 UTCI tried to simplify things with this peace. I tried to strongly establish Gmaj as the key and then borrow occasionally from Aeolian. It's a quick little jazzy number. Section 1 G Am C G Am C D Section 2 Gmaj7 Am7 Am7b5 D7 G Am Cm F F#m7b5 G https://drive.google.com/file/d/17iUyvfXCKCtYkTR-ExJDMxxmY8QTsl3U/view?usp=sharing
Michael Smith
2025-01-17 03:35:49 +0000 UTCIt’s a very specific image for sure, maybe it is a bit of a movie trope at this point. Or perhaps we just have great minds!
Paul T
2025-01-17 00:35:35 +0000 UTCPlenty of room for more synthwave in here!
Paul T
2025-01-17 00:32:17 +0000 UTCI promise I was planning a pseudo-synthwave track before I heard yours!
Aaron Shemon
2025-01-17 00:10:38 +0000 UTCPaul, I CANNOT believe you mentioned a little critter in a movie sequence was the imagery you got from that piece. That is the EXACT same image that popped in my head when I listened (I listened before your comment so I wasn’t primed). Maybe there is a movie that does that that sounds like this and we subconsciously absorbed it? if not, that is just crazy.
Scott
2025-01-16 23:50:23 +0000 UTCEnjoyed both very much! The scrapped piece would make such a great accompaniment for some kind of movie exposition sequence, you know those kinds of ones where the credits are coming up one by one and the camera is following a little critter or something through intimate shots of the setting. I'm glad you shared it anyway.
Paul T
2025-01-16 23:00:13 +0000 UTCI agree with Scott, amazing.
Patrick
2025-01-16 19:51:04 +0000 UTCHello, I was going to make a guitar track but ended up injuring my elbow one of the days, so I've been relying on my right hand writing music which is annoying. I was thinking of making something emotional with that IV - iv and mixolydian b6, but ended up deciding on something mysterious/weird. Submitted Piece https://drive.google.com/file/d/1AhH1jz1ZWlxjiTV47nmYVG6wQzswtNem/view?usp=sharing Chords ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Mixing D Mixolydian b6 with D Aeolian] There are a few extra extensions sometimes (primarily 7ths) in rhythm parts but here is what it boils down to Intro: Bbmaj7#11+ Verse: Dadd9 - Amadd13 Chorus: D7 - Fadd11 - D7 - Gmadd9 - D7 - Fadd11 - D7 - Amadd13 Verse: D9 - Amadd13 Chorus [Blending Mixolydian b6, Ionian, and Aeolian]: Bbmaj7#11+ - F#m7 Fmaj7 - Dadd9 - Gm9/Bb F#m7 - Gm - Dadd9 Fsus4/C - Gm7 - F#7+ Outro: Bbmaj7#11+ Dadd9,11 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scrapped Piece https://drive.google.com/file/d/154yGmSfvDhLIwGnH7N8qAtCMY0ovbde3/view?usp=sharing This piece is scrapped because I thought I could've borrowed modes from minor, I didn't realize it had to be aeolian.
Patrick
2025-01-16 19:42:03 +0000 UTCThat sounded really cool! That made me feel like I just beat the final campaign mission in a fantasy game
MindStorM
2025-01-16 18:10:56 +0000 UTCReally cool progression, Alan!
MindStorM
2025-01-16 18:08:00 +0000 UTCHaha, the "slow motion" detail really got me laughing for some reason 😂 Very much appreciated Scott! I 100% was thinking "don't do Layla" after reading Jake's slideshow so guess what happened...
Paul T
2025-01-16 18:06:52 +0000 UTCSick track, Paul!! Very tasteful playing and composition
MindStorM
2025-01-16 18:06:31 +0000 UTCHoly moly your guitar playing is sick, Paul. Sounds like an ode to the Layla outro at 0:31 - really cool. I feel like I should be playing beach volleyball shirtless in slow motion while listening to this...
Scott
2025-01-16 17:58:20 +0000 UTCGotta be honest, I found the step up in complexity this week a bit of a challenge - we are now firmly in the territory where if left to my own devices I’d have stopped trying to work out what’s going on harmonically and just “gone with what sounds good” so thank you for giving me this extra push! Here’s my retro-flavoured submission: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/94zum9png3m5t5i6qzdao/Modal-Mixture-Week-3.mp3?rlkey=lg117r5ot2godx3liouf1b2fx&st=zwg4hxro&dl=0 It’s in D and the chords are: D | D - Dsus4 | Bm7 | Bm7 x2 Bb | Bb | D | D x2 D | Em7b5 | G | Gm | D | Em7b5 | Asus4 | A D | D - Dsus4 | Bm7 | Bm7 x2 Gadd9 I was most pleased with the progression during the guitar solo section which has the chromatic movement of A - Bb - B - Bb but somehow gets away without sounding too 007-ish (at least in my opinion). For the solo, I was trying to think in terms of switching between D ionian and mixolydian b6 and then D ionian and aeolian so hopefully that comes across. I had fun trying to accent borrowed tonalities with some half step bends where possible too!
Paul T
2025-01-16 17:33:12 +0000 UTCHi, I've played solo piano this time and not programmed the various piano and synth parts like I usually do. In C, just a handful of bars to show the substitutions. Not a song structure. in C: C F Dm7 G7 x2 (diatonic C Ionian) C F Dm7b5 G7b9 (ii from C Aeolian and V7b9 from C harmonic minor) C F Dm7 G7 (C Ionian) C F Db Gm7b5 (C Phrygian) C https://drive.google.com/file/d/1aPudXLKTftjH3d1MtMUAerYQDHaKyGut/view?usp=drive_link Alan Z
Alan Zeleznikar
2025-01-16 00:55:08 +0000 UTCThis isn't my usual style as a metalhead, but something came over me and I had to dust off my cheap acoustic this week. :) I guess these lessons get you to think outside the box a little bit. It's kinda folksy, so I tried to focus more on the melody and phrasing while keeping the rhythm section simple. The piece is in E, with the first half being fairly standard, borrowing a bVII and a somewhat spicy bVI from Aeolian. The second half gets a bit more adventurous, eventually bringing in a iv from Aeolian and a iii°7 from hell. It's a brief moment of disorientation and darkness in a tune like this, making the eventual resolution all the sweeter imo. Here's the link and the chords: https://drive.google.com/file/d/11_EIl3qIs2-6LHRIWZSWKHSU6DTE3mbE/view?usp=sharing E(add9) - B - A - D E(add9) - B - A - C#m7 C#m7 - B - C#m7 - C E(add9) - B - A - D E(add9) - B - A - C#m7 C#m7 - A - D - E B C#m7 - B - B - E(add9) E(add9) - D - C#m7 - G#m G#°7 - Am - A - B7 I - V - IV - bVII I - V - IV - vi vi - V - vi - bVI I - V - IV - bVII I - V - IV - vi vi - IV - bVII - I V vi - V - V - I I - bVII - vi - iii iii° - iv - IV - V
ExcellentHummingbird
2025-01-15 22:43:50 +0000 UTCYour submission sounds great, Thomas! Really chill vibe!
MindStorM
2025-01-15 07:11:21 +0000 UTCHere's my submission! It's primarily in B major but two chords are borrowed from the B minor key. I used C#m7 ascending the progression and then used Dmaj7 to play B Dorian over. I think I also did a secondary dominant or something with changing D#m7 to D#7 then resolving up to Emaj7, but I'm not entirely sure so let me know what I did or what you think is going on! I just know I liked the sound of that climb, and I did B harmonic major over it because the notes all fit. I did a melody/lead over the progression to try to emphasize the changes. The progression is: Bmaj7-C#m7-Emaj7-Dmaj7 (B major then B Dorian) x 3 Bmaj7-C#m7-D#7-Emaj7-C#m7b5 (B major, B harmonic major, B major, B minor) x 2 Forgive me if the chord names aren't technically correct, but I look forward to hearing everyone's submissions! https://drive.google.com/file/d/1kAdLq-9n8r5ce9Z61ck-HgO0LH0Db5S7/view?usp=sharing
MindStorM
2025-01-15 07:01:45 +0000 UTCI tried to keep it simple this week. By the way last week's lesson was too good! I feel like I've just put together many pieces of the great jigsaw puzzle all at once. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1P544-JKkMUXzBO9CzWOlSScKN8zRdtqa/view?usp=drive_link D-A-Esus2. D-A-Cmaj7 I-V-ii-ii I-V-bVII-bVII D-G-Bm-A I-IV-vi-V D-A-Esus2. D-A-Fmaj7 I-V-ii-ii I-V-bIII-bIII Dmaj7-Gmaj7-Bm7-Amaj7. (x3) I-IV-VI-V I mostly played Ionian lead, focusing on the 7th, except over the borrowed chords (the flat 6 and flat 3) where in the spirit of keeping it simple, I just kind of aimed for that minor 3. ...My favorite thing in the world is borrowed flat 3s and 6s, expressed with Major 7ths. Thanks for explaining why that might be.
Thomas Fender
2025-01-15 03:57:32 +0000 UTC
