I'll assume we have an invite to meddle

Attached - a bass line, something simple that conforms to all the stodgy theory woffle.
I call it "Bottom end laxative for Lois" - all copyright waived

Two attachments... 1) mixed with your clip 2) separate just in case you want to do something with it.

 

Based on @Ad Heesive I might have assumed the same thing.

I went a different path.

I thought instead, I'd use my native instrument (Bass obviously) to improvise very quickly. I then transcribed it and put it two octaves up doubling in vibes so you can hear what I am doing when I go lower. It's sloppier than what I would normally do but it is quick simply to show an 'instant improvisation'.

So this is a REAL improvisation doubled. I did not sit there and think "I am going to use...." I did what an improviser does who has been doing it for a while - made a note of your repeating pattern and simply let my ears do the walking. I probably could have gone on for several minutes on this pattern which is different in bar structure to what we all initially assumed.
|| A | C D | F | G ||

I could tell you what I did - My ears at one point heard chromaticism and even whole tones... that is post-analysis - but it was truly just 'played'. I can hear blues scale, minor, pentatonics and more...

This is a really good pattern that would work in MANY genres. @nmkeraj it's a fun pattern that you could do many things in different genres with.
Is what I did correct? For what I love to listen to and play definitely other than normally I would have checked my tuning better instead of a quick 20 minute demo. For Pop music I would also make it simpler and prettier.
Cheers


AUDIO FILE

https://vocaroo.com/15x7BwQAlTzW

 

Last edited by a moderator: Jun 8, 2022

Is there a "what have you been smoking" button
and can I please get some - injected into donuts of course?

 

It's called a mix of contemporary rock, blues, Parker, coltrane and pretty much everything I have listened to for decades.
If I put it into a donut, depending on perspective, the person eating it would either still be hungry or get very fat.

 

Good game.
It would be fun to hear several other contributions.
Even better if they came from people who hadn't listened to any previous contributions.

 

Thank you, I've been trying to live by bread alone for about a week now and so has been a bit stodgy down there at my bottom end these last few days. Your latest addition to forward the conversation here is a balm to my bum. Your a great and caring friend, always looking out for my best interest. Cheers! .

 

Thank you @BaSsDuDe and @Ad Heesive for your highly educating contribution!!! to my dumb sounding “track” . This was my All-Major-Chords exercise or exploration. I have found quite many familiar sounding melodies from the radio. So I wasn’t “the first”

AFAIR I tried to play longer than 4-bar chord progression using more major chords with still “good” sounding effect. But I would cover the whole chromatic scale’s notes in this way. So, would it be the chromatic scale in the key of A then???

 

You definitely have a gift for locating great pictures.
And I'm actually thrilled to see you found that lost photo of my great great great great grandfather.
I wish I had his wings.

 

That question is just too big and will defy a quick simple answer.
There's a thread here which did a long dance around the subject with some good stuff, and some farce, in equal measure.
https://audiosex.pro/threads/expanding-a-major-tonality-range.57576

Just one tiny snippet from that thread is here.
https://audiosex.pro/threads/expanding-a-major-tonality-range.57576/page-13#post-566215

It referred to a lecture from Leonard Bernstein where he was discussing Mozart's G minor symphony.
At one point he demonstrates Mozart's final movement - development section, which he described as
"an atonal sounding passage that uses every one of the 12 chromatic tones EXCEPT the tonic G"
So, centuries ago, Mozart was more than happy to elegantly show off using the entire chromatic scale, and, just for fun, left out just the Root note of the key.

Bottom line is... all 12 notes are always available to you, in any key, provided you can demonstrate a musically satisfying way of using them, and that's subjective to say the least.

Personally, I'm always more inclined to pay attention to shifting tonality (typically defined by 7-8 notes - or less) rather than trying to identify one all embracing scale; and if the only scale that I can identify which embraces a piece is the 12-note chromatic scale then it almost certainly means I've failed to identify any useful smaller evolving tonal structures (which WILL be there if I just looked harder). And maybe I'm just not paying enough attention to distinguishing between 'harmonic tones' and 'passing chromatic tones', which might be beautiful essential melodic features, but don't really deserve to be included in the harmonic structural analysis.
It's complicated (forever).
Great to explore if you're into post-hoc analysis but a pointless distraction while you're composing or playing.

 

Well for me it is not uncommon to see this type of chord progressions, where there is a change of degree in A and C, D
Like the Eric Clapton song Layla which has several degree changes, or many of Paul McCartney's, like "Say Say Say" Am D Dm7, there you have a degree change in D, Despite that.
In general, what I do is look for the notes that the chords share in common, because if it is true, you can approach it in many ways as they already told you. But what never fails me is looking for the common notes that these chords share. For example in your progression the notes that I can see in common are A, E, D and G I don't know what style you are going to play, but at first glance playing the A minor Pentatonic on the guitar, it works well, of course, you have the note C would make a bit of a contrast to the A chord, but if you're playing rock, blues, this scale would work. After you can alter it i.e. you have the notes A E D AND G which are in every chord in your progression, using the A Minor pentatonic, you can alternate with the note F# and F when you play D AND F.
I don't know if the idea was understood


Now you can also use Scaler 2 which, depending on the progression, gives you various scales. And it will serve you for any progression you make in the future

 

Please NEVER say that.
Your track is NOT dumb. It is good. You can write. No style is irrelevant. You love doing it at least that's what it sounds like. Realise this - People do not offer to try and do things with what you put up, spend their time which is all we truly have, then donating some work with your track to try and help if it was not good. People do not waste their time with something that is not good.
Your mission now should you choose to accept it, is to take your cool progression and write a great melody for it, a kickass rhythm section part and a bridge and do something good with it .

I dig the synth pattern with the echoed tail too I meant to say. I reckon you can do something great with it. I look forward to hearing the end product

 

Last edited by a moderator: Jun 8, 2022

Here I grab my guitar and record two audios so that what I mean is better understood.
Since my native language is not English

In one I use the pantatonic of the minor

and in the other I use the pentatonic but altering as you change the chords.

 

↑↑↑ That ↑↑↑

 

Because of all the different musicians who like different things here, this is a breath of fresh air. We now have a Rock interpretation.
It will be cool to see some other styles R&B, Indie, HipHop, EDM and other styles too. Well done!

 

Last edited by a moderator: Jun 8, 2022

EDITED:

Chromatics are good as linking or passing tones. The relative scale whether pentatonic, melodic minor, major, harmonic minor, diminished, whole tone etc etc etc is what will sound best.

if you hear it, play it, and singing it works too.

 

Last edited by a moderator: Jun 8, 2022

All-Genres Mix



Thanks for your posts and variations. They encouraged me to develop my idea into a “real” track.

 

Intro and chorus have A C|D F G, the new verse D C|D# C A# D C|D# C D

 

Great that you've updated it
For me... that verse is a bit too angular, nowhere near as catchy as your chorus chords.
Technically and subjectively 'a bit too chromatic for my taste'
Maybe it sounds different after you've heard it a million times - but I prefer to trust my first impressions.
So that's just one personal opinion - if it was mine I'd carry on exploring alternative chords for the verse.

 

This!