Help with progression.

[kuys]

I've been working on an idea with the progression F, G, B, E, F, B.

I need some help with where to go, I think I've punched in a 100 times today alone trying to get something I like. I figure some of the theory-heads on here could give me an idea on where I could go.

 

[MalcolmAmos]

I've been working on an idea with the progression F, G, B, E, F, B.

Normally it works best if we have those chords all from one key, did you take that into account. I'm late for Church so will not spend a lot of time trying to figure out what key those chords are from.

Whenever I see a chord progression of that many chords and none of them be minor, I doubt them belonging to any one key. So let's see what we can do......

F Major would be:

I...ii.....iii....IV..V..vi....vii....I
F, Gm, Am, Bb, C, Dm, Em, F

If so your progression would be I, ii, IV, vii, I, IV. Not something you run into every day. If you are shooting for F major end with the C so it can loop to the F and start over - for the next verse. Or end on the F for closure.

See if that helps. Cookie cutter progressions have written a zillion songs. Because they flow together and keep the chord movement moving like we like to hear them move. Grab one of the cookie cutter progression and work from there - no it will not all sound the same, the tune comes from the melody notes.

I tonic can go anywhere it wants.
ii is sub dominant and likes to move to a dominant chord.
iii is the minor mediant and is a lead to chord.
IV is also a sub dominant chord and likes to move to a dominant chord, as they both have the same function, they can substitute for each other.
V is the climax chord. It's dominant and likes to move to the I tonic chord right now.
vi is the relative minor chord and likes to go to a sub dominant chord.
viidim is the diminished chord - now it too is dominant and likes to go to the I tonic chord, however, it likes to take a more leisure route - vii-iii-vi-ii-V7-I is the normal turn-a-round used. Vii and V are both dominant chords and can sub for each other - when you want to move quickly to the tonic chord and close the phrase use the V and when you want to take a longer route to the tonic chord use the vii.

Look up the chords in a key then let them move like they like and you normally will have a good progression.

I-IV-V-I is the old classic major progression. Why, well the I is at rest it's move to the IV puts you in tension, tension is good, the V brings you to a climax and begs to go to the I to resolve and return to rest. Let it

ii-V7-I is the classic progression used in jazz.
I-vi-IV-V7-I is the old ice cream progression used in early doo wop.

I-IV-I-V-I is another, I do not condone the second I, why resolve and return to rest in the middle of a progression?

Can not go wrong with the ole 12 bar blues progression. Google it up.

When you are composing, pick a scale/key first it always makes it simpler in the long run.

This all came from www.musictheory.net - lessons -- common chord progressions.

Chords like to move the song's story along between rest, tension, climax and resolution and return to rest for closure. They also act as a harmonizing agent for the melody. That's another story, we will get into later.

Have fun.

 

[Schlyder]

I've been working on an idea with the progression F, G, B, E, F, B.....QUOTE]

This is not really progression...unless they are supposed to all be major triads, which I doubt is so...it is a bunch of note names. There are chord tonalities missing.
If this is the root note progression there still isn't enough information to help you, other than to say.. "Learn some theory"
You need to start studying some theory mate. You are chasing your tail with this.

 

[Stick_Player]

So in your opinion that doesn't work?

It works fine.
I like the tritone F-B, keeps things dark-sounding. Don't make this progression traditional triad chords (such as major or minor), just big fat octaves like you have - big and powerful. You don't need all those diatonic chords mentioned above - at least for this section.

I'd just create a loop, at this point, and see if you can come up with a melody to sing some lyrics with.

I don't know if you have a drummer to try this with - if not, set up a drum loop.

A good start for an A-section. I don't think you need much help (keep all the writing and publishing to yourself), just reassurance. You are on the right track.

 

[Richard Lindsey]

So in your opinion that doesn't work? Well, I'm going to have to regretfully disagree. Although uploading to soundcloud did **** with the guitar panning and tone. Oh well, thanks for your help anyways.

Without venturing to speak too much for Schlyder, who can speak for himself, he didn't say it didn't work. He said, quite correctly, that the letters you provide--on their own, with no statement about chord quality--don't constitute a progression. "Progression" generally refers to a sequence of *chords*, not single notes. The guitar doubling seems to be adding texture rather than additional harmonic information. Without more harmonic info, you could just hear all those notes as being sort of an E phrygian thing, with little, or maybe even no, actual chord changing.

This is neither bad nor good; it just is what it is, to use the cliche. You have a riff, but it's not clear to what extent you have a progression, That's OK; not all music needs a lot of chords.

 

[Richard Lindsey]

It works fine.

Seems to be in 5/4. I like the tritone F-B, keeps things dark-sounding. Don't make this progression traditional triad chords (such as major or minor), just big fat octaves like you have - big and powerful. You don't need all those diatonic chords mentioned above - at least for this section.

I'd just create a loop, at this point, and see if you can come up with a melody to sing some lyrics with.

I don't know if you have a drummer to try this with - if not, set up a 5/4 (or 10/8) drum loop.

A good start for an A-section. I don't think you need much help (keep all the writing and publishing to yourself), just reassurance. You are on the right track.

Sounds like 4/4 to me, accented 3+3+2.

 

[Stick_Player]

Sounds like 4/4 to me, accented 3+3+2.

You are correct.

 

[kuys]

It works fine.
I like the tritone F-B, keeps things dark-sounding. Don't make this progression traditional triad chords (such as major or minor), just big fat octaves like you have - big and powerful. You don't need all those diatonic chords mentioned above - at least for this section.

I'd just create a loop, at this point, and see if you can come up with a melody to sing some lyrics with.

I don't know if you have a drummer to try this with - if not, set up a drum loop.

A good start for an A-section. I don't think you need much help (keep all the writing and publishing to yourself), just reassurance. You are on the right track.

I appreciate that, and all the criticisms and advice. I think your right, I understand theory on terms of intervals, key, scales and some other basic stuff (mostly just ear training) but my wife who's amazing at that kind of stuff (violin) gives me an inferiority complex at times and sometimes all I do need is some reassurance. Again thank you, I'll keep working on it and see what I can come up with.

 

[Schlyder]

Without venturing to speak too much for Schlyder, who can speak for himself, he didn't say it didn't work. He said, quite correctly, that the letters you provide--on their own, with no statement about chord quality--don't constitute a progression. "Progression" generally refers to a sequence of *chords*, not single notes. The guitar doubling seems to be adding texture rather than additional harmonic information. Without more harmonic info, you could just hear all those notes as being sort of an E phrygian thing, with little, or maybe even no, actual chord changing.

This is neither bad nor good; it just is what it is, to use the cliche. You have a riff, but it's not clear to what extent you have a progression, That's OK; not all music needs a lot of chords.

Hahaha yeah, that about covers it for me... I didn't feel like going into too deep of an explanation seeing as I had little information to work with. Plus, I didn't have the luxury of hearing it before I commented. But yes, you basically have a riff/hook, with octaves and power chords backing it. Not really a progression in the strict sense of the term.

 

[Stick_Player]

... but my wife who's amazing at that kind of stuff (violin) gives me an inferiority complex at times...

Violinists are almost as bad as the Double Bass players (around here) - snobs. They paid a lot for lessons, so it gives them license - or so they think.

By the way, I live with a violinist, as well.

 

[Crazyeelboy]

You got a pretty cool riff going - I personally wouldn't force chord changes on this part, though. I concur with Stick on this one.

 

[Stick_Player]

You got a pretty cool riff going - I personally wouldn't force chord changes on this part, though. I concur with Stick on this one.

No chords!

Beethoven starts his Fifth Symphony with just octaves - NO CHORDS!

 

[Crazyeelboy]

Seems like you might want to produce the recording of this song!

 

[MalcolmAmos]

So hey guys i want to know if its possible to create a bassline using the I IV V progression 1 4 5 and lets say out of a c major chord C F G and maybe others along way, but for now lets use these C F G ,ok so by using that can i use the chord tones of C which is c e g , or the f a c or g b d but not all only the notes that would sound good with the 1 4 5 progression .. anyway is that possible thanx.

Yes you could. Rule here is notes in the melody, bass line and or chords should share like notes. If they do the lines harmonize each other, aka sound good together - so yes you could do that.

What else could you use for a bass line under the C chord?
Just C notes would work. aka R-R-R-R.
The C-G-C-G would also work aka R-5-R-5.
As would C-E-G-C aka R-3-5-R try R-3-5-8. The 8 is just a root one octave higher.

Now over the F chord what bass line could you use? That fish thing - you tell us.

Why did I have four notes and not three notes in the bass line? I assumed the song would be in 4/4 time so I need four beats (notes) per measure. So I worked with four quarter notes per measure as a possibility. The song may call for two half notes per measure, or one whole note per measure or ......

Good luck.

 

[Groove Master]

I've been working on an idea with the progression F, G, B, E, F, B.

I need some help with where to go, I think I've punched in a 100 times today alone trying to get something I like. I figure some of the theory-heads on here could give me an idea on where I could go.

You can get a lot of help here but you would need to be more precise in your informations. Are those the notes of the bassline or power chords since you didn't provide any chord colors?

If you can provide also a basic idea of the lenght of chords or the notes it would help us indentify what is a strong chord and a passing chord in that unformative post. Sorry to tell you that but music theory over a forum like this without audio clips is not an easy thing to do.

Tell us more if you can,