Those of us inspired by Japanese music are moved beyond belief by its intricate chord progressions that keep us in suspense and brings a feeling of nostalgia. It is like medicine for the soul! Thanks Gavin.
Glad I found you from Gami! Im a jazz/gospel pianist who also enjoys anime so this stuff is right up my ally. Simple concepts but also tasteful. Good stuff here👌 Also I totally agree with the idea that melody is much less rigid (in terms of adhering to musical principles) than actual chord structure. A lot of times I end up borrowing chords in a different key because the melody lead me there lol. Sometimes instead of theory just play what sounds cool 😊
This is absolutely brilliant..I’ve always played by ear so I never knew what actually made Japanese piano sound so unique..it’s by far my favorite next to Debussy. I could be bias seeing I recently covered Pure Imagination..but a lot of the feeling behind that song sounds super similar to what you created as well. All in all great stuff..I’ll definitely be subscribing..I’d like to learn how to create my own Japanese melodies as well
@@gavinleepermusic never in a million years associated 4-5-6 with Japanese chords but I hear it now. 4-5-6 to me has always been what I’ve grew up learning as “talk music” 😂 slow churchy chords..sprinkled with passing chords if you want to get crazy..but that’s amazing. I guess no one genre can claim a progression. I guess tempo and instrument sounds has a lot to do with it to
Sunday Vibes yeah I had never associated IV V vi with Japanese music in my head, but researching it just uncovered so many examples that I realized it's a solid runner-up to the Royal Road progression. More in my Common Japanese Chord Progressions video. It's also related to {bVI} {bVII} I which is often referred to as the Mario Cadence due to Kondo's frequent use of it. That's in my Modal Interchange video, though I don't use that name for it. Notice how (Ionian frame) IV - V - {VI} is so similar to (Aeolian frame) bVI - bVII {I}. Both could be used to describe F G A depending on the context.
@@gavinleepermusic 🤯 I’m going to start practicing with these chords and see what I come up with. Yeah I watched your videos and most of this can be found in a lot of Zelda music
Really love how you subtly highlighted your transition chords ! Just what is needed so we hear that what is is supporting the melody is comingGMajor but not enough enough so we quite understand what's going on ^^
See i never knew I was supposed to put a cadence at the end of every "set" of chords. Like I understood they mark the end of phrases I guess I just didnt understand its not just when Im done with section a and ready to move on to section b. Thank you so much. Ive been struggling pretty hard with trying to figure out why my music doesnt sound satisfying.
I love how you explain things so anyone new to your channel understands how you do things. A pretty piano song. 😊 I'm curious, do you also study Yoko Kanno's style?
Definitely have studied her music, but are you referring to her Cowboy Bebop stuff? I'd say I'm not well versed enough in large ensemble jazz writing to have much perspective on that yet. That said, her work on the Nobunaga's Ambition and Kids on The Slope soundtracks, wowie zowie. I have a wall of masters in my studio and her picture is firmly on it for her wonderful creativity and diverse writing.
@@gavinleepermusic 😊Yes, I was referring to her jazz. Her jazz composition is amazing! As a saxophone+piano player, it's one of my favorite jazz albums to this day. I'm hoping to compose some big band fusion pieces like this someday. And I agree with you; her softer, eclectic, magical work is not to be missed! Escaflowne, Rahxephon, Ghost in the Shell, Earth Girl Arjuna, some of my other favorites.
@@plneet3504 when does western industry ever use theory in general 😂 they just recycle computerized rhythms and the same 4 chords and add pop vocals lol
@@plneet3504 I’m not saying the west needs to use Japanese music theory, and I get that 4 chords is still theory because the chordal relations for that ‘familiar pop sound’. But what I’m getting at is I feel that a lot of stuff lacks depth (instrumentation, rhythm, chord/melodic choices). It feels like they’re giving us a really watered down version. I know that the general audience likes that sound, but I feel like they could put a little more effort to create something that sounds great on the surface and has a higher degree of musicality. A little cherry on the top. Then again that’s just my biased opinion. I get what you’re saying tho.
Im not a pro, but the way I see melody is as fragmented chord extension and substitutions, either building off the chord or leading into the next. A melody note can sneakily change up the chord progressions if timed right
I know I'm three years late but I've lost sleep over this!! Could someone please explain why the Gmaj7/A chord/voicing works as a substitute for the A dominant?!! Like why is there a sus 4 in there? Why isn't there a fifth in there?! Is it meant to be som sort of A7/9 sus4, but without the fifth because it's jazzy?!! Please help me I'm distressed!! Great video by the way.
Great video and even better loop! Btw, what is your estimate of the most common key the Japanese use (G major?), how common is it in your opinion and why is it that key?
M K I've actually noticed Hisaishi use C a lot! There is research that suggests that we're conditioned to find C reassuring because it's used for so much children's music, and indeed piano instructional music. In general, I'd say there is a tendency toward keys without many accidentals like C, G, and F
Hello friend I would really like to know how did you learn the things you know, about your history, and what do you recommend for people who really suck at composing to improve and, hear videos like this one and understand absolute everything? Did you study music career? When was that moment you realized you were actually able to compose with your guts and not that much with your books?
Hello Gavin, i hope you are doing well ! Could you explain me please the logic behind the B7 going to Cmaj ? I understand that this chords choice can be justified from a voice leading perspective since B, D# and F# go up a semi-tone to C, E and G (plus D# leading tone implied movement is respected), while A can go up a tone to B or down a tone to G. However, is there another explanation ? Like Modal Interchange ? Plus what does this V.L. stand for ? Because B is the VII of C, not its V right ?
V.L. stands for voice leading and it’s largely based on the logic you outline above. I don’t get into the theory behind this particular chord until I introduce Tertiary Substitution in my Genshin video much later. Tldr B7~G7 because they’re a third apart and overlap on so many notes. You could technically describe B7 as an extended and rootless G7.
@@gavinleepermusic I've never heard of Tertiary Substitution !! Thank you so much for responding to me, i'm really eager to watch your video on Genshin :) Have a nice day !
Hello Gavin ! :) I've been watching the section of the Genshin video tackling Tertiary Substitution, and i'm planning on watching the rest of the video soon :) However reading this comment, i don't understand why B7 would be the tertiary substitution for G since it should be the other way around. In your Genshin video you explains that a Tertiary Substitution chord is built a third below the root of the substituted chord, so G7 would actually be the tertiary substitution for B7 if we were in E (?) Unless a Tertiary Substitution chord could also be built a third upon the root of the substituted chord ? If so, what about the number of shared tones ? To consider a chord a a substitution for another how much notes should the two chords share ? Because the B and the A are the only shared tones between G9 (not G7) and B7. If the G chord is augmented, then there is one more shared tones but it seems too complex of a justification... In a video about Mario Music from 8-bit Music Theory, i've heard about chromatic approch notes, so i think it would be easier to think about that B chord as a chromatic approach chord, but the seventh of the B chords prevents me to do so... Ahahah help me please
@@martialpanyvino I’ll reply more at length later but tldr; think of G7b9 as Bdim7. Because of the symmetry of diminished chords, all of their inversions function the same way. As a result, there are four dominant b9 chords that can be made from the notes of Bdim7, each resolving to a corresponding I chord. Another way to put it is that diminished chords have multiple destinations to which they can resolve.
@@gavinleepermusic Hello Gavin ! Thanks for taking the time to answer me, and don't worry i don't urge anything, i know we both have lives outside Internet ! So take the time you need ;) That said, i understand this property of the dim7 chord and already knew about it, but i don't understand how it relates to Bdom7 going to Cmaj, and how Bdom7 would be the Tertiary substitution of Gdom7 Have a great day :)
Didn't know u collabed with Gami. 🔥 I kinda disagree with Joe Hisaishi's style because I heard (some) pieces where he starts off with no key and just plays nice 7ths, diminished etc etc. and then he plays some 5ths (not specifically any chord) and then gradually gets in key.
In the beat in FL you showed in the beginning there was a lot of (imo kinda ugly) digital overdrive. (especially when the kick hits) Why exactly is that?
That's gami's signature production style, hard hitting (And clipping) kicks and 808s with minimal mixing. It may sound a bit bad but watching the man himself make the beat and vibe out to it you can tell that its more about the vibe and soul than the mix and theory
D.øgg Yeah I was gonna say, I think the clipping kicks is a stylistic choice. I've heard other producers do that too. (Including Flying Lotus I'm pretty sure)
Nicomuffler Channel Great question! I've not heard any opinions from Japanese musicians about 王道進行 being overused, but I'm sure some think so. When I hear it in more "high brow" works like Hisaishi's, it's often just as one single reference to it as a "tip of the cap" somewhere. For example, it's at the very end of Legend of Ashitaka.
