Soulish chord progessions? (contemporary R&B-like)
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- KVRian
- Topic Starter
- 1157 posts since 1 Apr, 2003 from Good old Germany
I'm not much of a "know all about music theory and styles" person, so that question my sound quite dumb to some of you.
I wonder if in today's music that is soulish, the choice of the chord progession plays a major role to make it sound soulish? Or, if it's mainly other things, how would one define the attributes of a soulish song?
EDIT: It has been suggested that I'd better call it R&B-like, (Destiny's child and so forth), so that people would know more precisely what I'm talking about.
tele
I wonder if in today's music that is soulish, the choice of the chord progession plays a major role to make it sound soulish? Or, if it's mainly other things, how would one define the attributes of a soulish song?
EDIT: It has been suggested that I'd better call it R&B-like, (Destiny's child and so forth), so that people would know more precisely what I'm talking about.
tele
Last edited by telebunke on Wed Sep 14, 2005 5:21 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Stupid American Pig Stupid American Pig https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=4753
- KVRAF
- 7065 posts since 25 Nov, 2002 from not sure
soulish chords usually rely on blues or mixolydan scales and 6/9 or 9th, 11th and 13th chords. acheck around any muso theory sites can usually give you a couple of examples..
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- KVRer
- 23 posts since 16 Dec, 2004 from Somewhere in London
Its quite hard to explain really....but
Soul is something you feel.
Getting deep, rheres no real chord sequences that are 'soul chords' as soul takes many forms and really depends the person making it, their experiences
Most Major chords generally make you feel kinda happy so use these as starting blocks - work on the C Major scale to start with (play the chords - C3, E3, G3 and B3 then C, D# F and G#) then work a harmoney based around this to give you a grounding. Blues Scale 1 works well so learn it (music theory is NOT my thing!)
Best thing is to sit down, play a triad, then another triad and see how they work, and how they connect and make you feel.
Soul music is supposed to give you a eurphoric feeling but at the same time come from the heart (IMO!)
Imagine driving to a party or club during a Saturday night, and that will give you some idea.
Thats about the best i can suggest. I do write the odd house track some of this uses elements from soul but you must also understand i was born and brought up in an urban jungle and understand how things like poverty affect the mind.
So you need something happy to let yourself go.
I might add i'm from London, not the US so my view is proberly different to the majorty here.
Soul is something you feel.
Getting deep, rheres no real chord sequences that are 'soul chords' as soul takes many forms and really depends the person making it, their experiences
Most Major chords generally make you feel kinda happy so use these as starting blocks - work on the C Major scale to start with (play the chords - C3, E3, G3 and B3 then C, D# F and G#) then work a harmoney based around this to give you a grounding. Blues Scale 1 works well so learn it (music theory is NOT my thing!)
Best thing is to sit down, play a triad, then another triad and see how they work, and how they connect and make you feel.
Soul music is supposed to give you a eurphoric feeling but at the same time come from the heart (IMO!)
Imagine driving to a party or club during a Saturday night, and that will give you some idea.
Thats about the best i can suggest. I do write the odd house track some of this uses elements from soul but you must also understand i was born and brought up in an urban jungle and understand how things like poverty affect the mind.
So you need something happy to let yourself go.
I might add i'm from London, not the US so my view is proberly different to the majorty here.
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- KVRian
- 1243 posts since 24 Oct, 2003 from Maine
By "soul" do you mean temptations soul, ray charles soul, issac hayes soul, or vandross/contemporary rnb soul? That word has meant various different things over time.
♫♪♫♫♪♫
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- KVRian
- 1408 posts since 9 May, 2003 from Manchester, UK
Yes it has. But I struggle to find ANY 'soul' in contemporary R&B. In fact I would go as far as saying that Destinys Child are one of the most soul-less acts ever.3*s wrote:By "soul" do you mean temptations soul, ray charles soul, issac hayes soul, or vandross/contemporary rnb soul? That word has meant various different things over time.
Someone played me a cover track the other day. Long John Baldry's version of 'You've Lost That Loving feeling'. Man, it was one of the most beautiful things I have ever heard, true, heartbreaking soul.
Beyonce? Go tidy your room girlfriend
http://chrisamusic.bandcamp.com/
"It's square to be hip"
"It's square to be hip"
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- KVRian
- Topic Starter
- 1157 posts since 1 Apr, 2003 from Good old Germany
By "soulish" I meant contemporary, like you named it3*s wrote:or vandross/contemporary rnb soul?
tele
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- KVRian
- 1408 posts since 9 May, 2003 from Manchester, UK
More fool you.CypherOne wrote:I'd help her tidy it...
http://chrisamusic.bandcamp.com/
"It's square to be hip"
"It's square to be hip"
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- KVRian
- Topic Starter
- 1157 posts since 1 Apr, 2003 from Good old Germany
Sorry to say, but that's the contemporary soulish stuff I'm trying to understand a little more.Manc Chris wrote: Yes it has. But I struggle to find ANY 'soul' in contemporary R&B.
I'd like to gather a little understanding of what makes these styles and put a very tiny little breeze of it into my pop songs.
tele
Listen to me at soundcklick:
www.soundclick.com/wewritesongs
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- KVRian
- 1408 posts since 9 May, 2003 from Manchester, UK
telebunke wrote:Sorry to say, but that's the contemporary soulish stuff I'm trying to understand a little more.Manc Chris wrote: Yes it has. But I struggle to find ANY 'soul' in contemporary R&B.
I'd like to gather a little understanding of what makes these styles and put a very tiny little breeze of it into my pop songs.
tele
look, stop calling it Soul, and refer to it as R&B, and then we'll have more of a picture.
http://chrisamusic.bandcamp.com/
"It's square to be hip"
"It's square to be hip"
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- KVRian
- 1408 posts since 9 May, 2003 from Manchester, UK
CypherOne wrote:maybe. Can't stand her music thoManc Chris wrote:More fool you.CypherOne wrote:I'd help her tidy it...
It's when they all ad lib at the same time during the play out of every song. It's enough to make a shy bald bhuddist reflect and plan a mass murder
http://chrisamusic.bandcamp.com/
"It's square to be hip"
"It's square to be hip"
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- KVRian
- Topic Starter
- 1157 posts since 1 Apr, 2003 from Good old Germany
Typical R&B-like, contemporary chord progressions, ok, that's what I'm looking for. Maybe some examples?Manc Chris wrote:
look, stop calling it Soul, and refer to it as R&B, and then we'll have more of a picture.
tele
Listen to me at soundcklick:
www.soundclick.com/wewritesongs
www.soundclick.com/wewritesongs
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- KVRian
- 1243 posts since 24 Oct, 2003 from Maine
Most contemporary stuff uses borrowed progressions from guys like barry white stevie wonder, as well has whatever toped the charts in the past 20 years.
These guys were Jazz musicians who wrote pop songs, so the influences lie there.
The two big theory elements of this style when it comes to harmony seem to be minor interchange and diminished passing chords.
Minor interchange: use chords from the parallel minor of the key your in (ex in C major, take chords from C minor) (eg in C, Fmaj7, B half dim, E7 (interchange chord), A minor (switch to relative minor)
Diminished passing chords: Chords that are connected by half steps, the first being more dissonant, usually diminished or dominant with upper extentions, the 2nd usually being in the home key. (eg in C maj: G#dim#11, cmaj(add9).
7th and 9th chords are your friends obviously.
Make sure you voice these properly, that means try not jump more than 2 steps per chord, use inversions for a smooth transition from 1 to another.
Also check out Secondary and substitute dominance (jazz concepts).
These guys were Jazz musicians who wrote pop songs, so the influences lie there.
The two big theory elements of this style when it comes to harmony seem to be minor interchange and diminished passing chords.
Minor interchange: use chords from the parallel minor of the key your in (ex in C major, take chords from C minor) (eg in C, Fmaj7, B half dim, E7 (interchange chord), A minor (switch to relative minor)
Diminished passing chords: Chords that are connected by half steps, the first being more dissonant, usually diminished or dominant with upper extentions, the 2nd usually being in the home key. (eg in C maj: G#dim#11, cmaj(add9).
7th and 9th chords are your friends obviously.
Make sure you voice these properly, that means try not jump more than 2 steps per chord, use inversions for a smooth transition from 1 to another.
Also check out Secondary and substitute dominance (jazz concepts).
♫♪♫♫♪♫