Ringo's Chord Progressions

[hoopra]

i thought the way she sang in marounichi sadistic had a little styling from the way shanice sang the bridge part on i like your smile @ 1:58 of this youtube link
im probably way off tho,
but i found it weird that it listed shanice as one of western artist she listen to on her wiki page

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGXxcSdsXJ4

[Entry№1]

^ Wow. Old school.

I just wanted to give a quick update on this situation. I've been brushing up a lot on learning about chords lately. I believe the problem I've been having is multi-facetted, but I've been attributing it mostly to chord structuring when it's also been other things like stale rhythm and lack of inspiration. Most troublesome, however, is my lack of technical skill playing piano. However, rest assured that I only see these are mere obstacles I've yet to overcome.
It's daunting, but from a composer's standpoint, I've discovered the best way to understand how a different composer goes about creating their chord progressions is by analyzing their music by scale degree. In other words, organizing chords from their raw letter-notation form (like Cm, Dmaj, Fmaj.) from their respective diatonic scales into scale degree notation (i.e. roman numeral or simply numeral notation, like i, II, IV or 1m, 2M, 4M). It helps you visualize what's going on, and to see what part of the scale the composer is working from. It also helps you see patterns in chord complexity and feeling (like major/minor) easier as well.
I've also found it enlightening to use the chromatic scale as opposed to diatonic scale when writing in scale degree notation - it's more accurate and makes it easier to read/grasp. For example, the aforementioned diatonic chord progression of "1m, 2M, 4M" would be "1m, 3M, 6M" in chromatic. It may seem unnecessarily troublesome at first, but when you get into chord progressions that use chromatic notes in them, it is very helpful.

I'd also like to mention justriiingo's advice really helped me. I inverted some of my chords in a song I was composing recently and it immediately sounded more fresh. I was skeptical about such a simple solution, but it definitely worked. Maybe sometime soon I'll share some of my Ringo chord analysis.
On a similar note, does anyone have good music theory books to recommend? Particularly one pertaining to chords? I need to kick my knowledge up to a higher level than what I've been able to find for free on the net.

[justriiingo]

I'm glad you're seeing new perspectives from chord inversions.
Anyway, maybe you would like to pick a song and we can all analyse the chord progs together? I don't have a piano with me now so I would be quite useless in that sense. But maybe other members would be intrigued and join in.

[so_cold]

^ I would be intrigued and join in, and maybe others would too.
(I don't know how much use I'd be cos I only compose/improvise in my spare time for fun and if presented with a piano play lots of 7th chords too, especially major 7ths haha. Wikipedia says they are "dreamy" and "jazzy" . The closest I ever got to a musical career was when my friend remixed Mary J Blige's Be Without You and I had to mimic the piano part on that one as best as I could for him, and I used to play Debussy in school. I just have the MM and Gips scores but can play by ear okay and at least try to work out chords.)

@lazer85: Could you play your guitar into a sequencer and multitrack your arrangement that way.
Or, these days you can sing into some sequencers and then you could assign a virtual instrument or sample to play the melody/accompaniment you've just sung in. You might have to try the demo to see how well it works in that sequencer. You'd then have a MIDI/sequencer file you could print off as a score for other musicians.

[Entry№1]

I actually already have the SS, MM, and WtH scorebooks... right now it's just a matter of getting up and actually doing it.
But if someone would post KSK scales/chords, I would be very thankful. I would snatch that scorebook up in a heartbeat if they reprinted it and it cost me less than $75. Otherwise, I guess I'll just have to wait until I get another job and can afford a deputy service to grab one for me. I would also love scales/chords from TJ b-sides, if possible. Particularly "Rakujitsu", "Kao" and "Kokoro". I've found places online that have TJ chords but I can't remember if they had b-sides.
Also very elusive are chords for early songs like "Private", "Iikenaiko", "Mokuren no Cream", "Nihon ni Umarete", "Shampoo", etc. I actually found an amazing "Cappucino" MIDI here, and a professional "Shoujo Robot" MIDI on sale at Yamaha Music e-Club (does anyone know if they allow foreigners to sign up there? It's amazing!). I wonder if Ringo will ever release a scorebook of these songs?
I'd also love chords for Ringo demos, particularly "Orgel". I've always thought that song was interesting because it has some Ringo cliches in it but it has a very different feel from most of her songs.
It's kind of bizarre how protective some music companies can be of their artists' chords, especially considering I don't think chords fall under copyright law.

[sanhedrin]

Originally Posted by Entry№1

It's kind of bizarre how protective some music companies can be of their artists' chords, especially considering I don't think chords fall under copyright law.

Chords absolutely fall under copyright. All recordings have two copyrights attached - one for the performance / recording, one for the underlying song itself. The chords are a part of that, along with the melody, lyrics, etc. And while some chord progressions are common - i.e. a twelve-bar blues - when presented in the context of a specific song they're considered part of the whole.

[Entry№1]

Originally Posted by sanhedrin

Chords absolutely fall under copyright. All recordings have two copyrights attached - one for the performance / recording, one for the underlying song itself. The chords are a part of that, along with the melody, lyrics, etc. And while some chord progressions are common - i.e. a twelve-bar blues - when presented in the context of a specific song they're considered part of the whole.

Interesting. Thanks for the clarification. I thought only melody and lyrics were included under the "underlying song itself" part. Is it the same for both Japan and U.S.? I'm slightly embarrassed I didn't know this, considering I want to go into the industry.

[ShadyNook]

Originally Posted by Entry№1

I thought only melody and lyrics were included under the "underlying song itself" part..

You're correct, at least in the u.s. you are.

You cannot copyright chord progressions. But you can, and should copyright lyrics and melody. They are the most memorable parts of a song and are how the majority of people including the lawyers and judge will identify your songs. Instrumentals only have to copyright melody.