Progressive house music theory

[XyZssss]

Somebody knows about house melody/sound design?

[Igro]

Mmm, just listen to the house and you hear, no?

[BertKoor]

Here: viewtopic.php?t=588239
"Generic" music theory also applies to that style.

Sound design? Twist a knob until you found the sweet spot, then do the same with alm other knobs on the synth. We have a sub-forum dedicated to the subject:
viewforum.php?f=100

Melodies are equally simple. Pick one random tone out of the 12 there are. Then pick the next (one of the 11 others but the same works as well) you think sounds nice with it. Repeat until you're done.

[gearwatcher]

There is the real progressive house, as labeled by people who were listening to house music before, and then there is the euro dance ofshoot rebranded as progressive house in 2010s, depending on which one you're into there's different schools of sound design.

Proper prog house (Sasha, John Digweed, early James Holden, Deep Dish etc) uses 90s digital synths for pads and short chord stabs, a lot of things are very subtle and quite lowpassed, dub techno echo tricks all over the place, latin and african type percussion on top of simple tech house kits and rhythms. Basses usually of the rubbery variety like FM synth Lately bass or the typical square+saw with decayed LP24 type bass. Occasional flirting with 303s and similar acid house sounds.

80s pop music chord progressions, you can find tons of info about them. Usually in minor key. Not too many chords, popular ii-V-i substitution VI-V-i (but usually sequenced as i-VI-v-v to accent the minor sonority) is very common in that style. Chords embellished with 7ths sometimes. Melodies usually in minor pentatonic.

For the 2010s euro tripe (Avicii, SHM and their ilk) -- just look at euphoric trance and their sound design patterns. Usually "supersaws" with open filters and a lot of resonance, big reverb for massive sound, more synthetic noise based percussion, white noise whooshes all over the place. Big layered kicks.

20x0s pop music chord progressions, often in major. I-V-vi-IV all over the place. Melodies played in thirds or even chords, and generally in major pentatonic.

[Erik_Lucas]

There is the real progressive house, as labeled by people who were listening to house music before, and then there is the euro dance ofshoot rebranded as progressive house in 2010s, depending on which one you're into there's different schools of sound design.

Proper prog house (Sasha, John Digweed, early James Holden, Deep Dish etc) uses 90s digital synths for pads and short chord stabs, a lot of things are very subtle and quite lowpassed, dub techno echo tricks all over the place, latin and african type percussion on top of simple tech house kits and rhythms. Basses usually of the rubbery variety like FM synth Lately bass or the typical square+saw with decayed LP24 type bass. Occasional flirting with 303s and similar acid house sounds.

80s pop music chord progressions, you can find tons of info about them. Usually in minor key. Not too many chords, popular ii-V-i substitution VI-V-i (but usually sequenced as i-VI-v-v to accent the minor sonority) is very common in that style. Chords embellished with 7ths sometimes. Melodies usually in minor pentatonic.

For the 2010s euro tripe (Avicii, SHM and their ilk) -- just look at euphoric trance and their sound design patterns. Usually "supersaws" with open filters and a lot of resonance, big reverb for massive sound, more synthetic noise based percussion, white noise whooshes all over the place. Big layered kicks.

20x0s pop music chord progressions, often in major. I-V-vi-IV all over the place. Melodies played in thirds or even chords, and generally in major pentatonic.

This was perfectly said.

[james99]

There is the real progressive house, as labeled by people who were listening to house music before, and then there is the euro dance ofshoot rebranded as progressive house in 2010s, depending on which one you're into there's different schools of sound design.

Proper prog house (Sasha, John Digweed, early James Holden, Deep Dish etc) uses 90s digital synths for pads and short chord stabs, a lot of things are very subtle and quite lowpassed, dub techno echo tricks all over the place, latin and african type percussion on top of simple tech house kits and rhythms. Basses usually of the rubbery variety like FM synth Lately bass or the typical square+saw with decayed LP24 type bass. Occasional flirting with 303s and similar acid house sounds.

LOL. Great distinction. If only I knew about this rebranding before I became distressed at the "progressive house" on Beatport..

[Scoops]

MONO!

[gearnerd]

Very interesting post Gearwatcher. I listen to EDM quite a bit but still have a hard time defining genres.

[Soundbreeze_music]

128 bppm, chords, plucks and soft bassline = progressive house)

[rafa1981]

gearwatcher nailed it. This below is for me the classic prog-house sound. The song is not extremely good or bad but it's good for ilustration purposes:
https://youtu.be/9FceALnDD5E?list=PLNsr ... lwTv&t=239

[Pyramidz]

For me, using borrowed chords really add that tension to the progression, i mean when repeating a progression try to use a borrowed chord or a sus chord!

[EatMe]

For me, using borrowed chords really add that tension to the progression, i mean when repeating a progression try to use a borrowed chord or a sus chord!

The above man has discovered all of Bachs techniques.