stsao Posted January 6, 2012 Share Posted January 6, 2012 (edited) Hey guys, I'm trying to figure the chords & modes in this song. I believe its written in D Dorian but it has G# and C# so I'm not so sure. Also I can only write out the melody but have trouble with finding the right chords. 1:24 - :34 please open the image below in a new tab. http://dl.dropbox.com/u/11903832/LogicProForum/the%20alcoholic%20notes.png Any help would be great! thanks. Edited January 12, 2012 by stsao Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stsao Posted January 10, 2012 Author Share Posted January 10, 2012 pleasé! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lookatthisguy Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 Sounds like C, E-, F, F-. Maybe C, E-, D-7, Dø7 if you want to color things a bit (though even then, some people would prefer to label those F/D and F-/D, or even F6 and F-6, but that's a theory discussion for another day). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stsao Posted January 10, 2012 Author Share Posted January 10, 2012 Sounds like C, E-, F, F- Yes! The chords sound about right now. Can you tell me if it's written in D Dorian though? Thanks a lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lookatthisguy Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 It's in C, but that would be easy to confuse since D Dorian and C Major share all the exact same pitches. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stsao Posted January 10, 2012 Author Share Posted January 10, 2012 It's in C, but that would be easy to confuse since D Dorian and C Major share all the exact same pitches. I see. What confuses me though, is the progression seems to go in F, Fm, C, E with the cadence on the E chord to my ear. If that E chord leads to F, does it mean the mode is F Lydian, despite the notes are in C major? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lookatthisguy Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 Perhaps that's because the hats don't kick in till bar 3? As soon as I hear anything pitched, I'm hearing it start in C, which is why I put the chords in that order. Plus, from a theory/analysis point-of-view, it makes the most sense ( I-iii-IV-(iv) ). While the concept of a piece starting and ending on it's tonic (or at least, in its I chord) is usually a good rule of thumb, it doesn't always work, especially in an instance such as this where the tune fades in dal niente and ends al niente. If you were to play the chords in the order we've listed, but start from a different chord each time, I have a feeling that starting from C would most make it feel like you've "returned home" when you play a second C chord at the end of the progression to finish it off. Hope that makes sense. (Sidebar: Gee, for Roman numeral analysis, I wish we had the ability to change font to something with serifs. Perhaps I should suggest that.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stsao Posted January 11, 2012 Author Share Posted January 11, 2012 Interesting. I still can't convince my ear it starts with C somehow, especially when the shaker comes in at 0:22 on a Dm chord. What do you guys think? thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Nahmani Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 I hear C, E, D-, F. You can hear the G# @ 0:30 which leads me to conclude the second chord is an E and not E-. A lot of the notes in the melody are passing tones and should not be included in your harmonic analysis. Interesting. I still can't convince my ear it starts with C somehow, especially when the shaker comes in at 0:22 on a Dm chord. To me it starts with the C, because of how the melody resolves at the end of the bar of F, independently of where the instruments come in: the bass, for example, comes in on the 4th beat of a bar of C. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stsao Posted January 12, 2012 Author Share Posted January 12, 2012 I hear C, E, D-, F. so straight up C ionian? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lookatthisguy Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 Yep. Okay, listening again I hear that E now. D- works better following the E, so that works too, but I'm personally still having trouble hearing that last F as major. Then again, my ear has always been enamored with the borrowed iv, and this wouldn't be the first time I've heard something as a borrowed iv that really wasn't. Man, I've become rusty it seems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Nahmani Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 I hear C, E, D-, F. so straight up C ionian? No, E contains a G# which is not part of C major. Everything else is C major, yes. Apart from the few passing tones I mentioned earlier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lookatthisguy Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 I hear C, E, D-, F. so straight up C ionian? No, E contains a G# which is not part of C major. Everything else is C major, yes. Apart from the few passing tones I mentioned earlier. Well if you want to nitpick… Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stsao Posted January 12, 2012 Author Share Posted January 12, 2012 No, E contains a G# which is not part of C major. Everything else is C major, yes. Apart from the few passing tones I mentioned earlier. Cool. I get keys but modes give me headache. Well if you want to nitpick… solved, thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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