Dance chord syndrome!! Must see!

[nal1200]

If you've been one of the unlucky recipients of my rant about the dance chord progression, you may be familiar with what i'm about to say, if you aren't then please take a moment to go listen to pretty much any dance song on Newgrounds.

The virus of the dance chord syndrome is commonly found EVERYWHERE and induces songs frequently using the chord progression I - V - vi - IV.

jimlapbap, a youtube user, submitted a video displaying a rather large list of popular songs with the dance chord syndrome.

You can check it out here.

Fight the unimaginative virus and experiment with different chord progressions! Especially you newer artists - It will benefit you in the long run.

[nal1200]

Ah! And I forgot to mention, that while the chord pattern he talks about starts on C and ends with F, the dance pattern actually starts with the third chord, Am, and ends with the second chord, G.

So, technically speaking, the dance chord progression simply "translates" or "shifts" the chords over by two chords to 'reorder' them.

Also, let's not forget that the original chord pattern - C, G, Am, F, is simply a hybrid of Pachelbel's Canon in D, where instead of playing F, you would play Em, resulting in a pattern twice as long, that would look like this:

C, G, Am, Em, F, C, F, G

But I digress, I should surely be studying for finals right now.

[Kor-Rune]

Haha, I honestly cannot standing that progression. I kind of cringe each time I hear it now, but I know in my mind, that it will never leave. I'm guilty of it in one of my old songs, even. It's almost poisonous.

I'm also noticing other common chord patterns, like a simple 4 chord chromatic descent, or the "emotional" whole step descent, whole descent, then half descent, and back to the original chord.

[nal1200]

Yeah. There are all kinds of trends.

I think i'll make a video displaying a lot of them..

Anyone up for a challenge?

[Nintechno]

On Newgrounds, I dont have aproblem if someone uses an 'over-whored' chord sequence, as long as the song itself is original, and of a good quality. However, all these 5-mins-of-work generic dance tracks are really annoying, so I see where your comming from.

But you gotts keep in mind that it sounds good, and these people (outside of NG) are trying to appeal to the masses, and not just the people that recognise, let alone understand how it works. Its (unfourtunatley) all about the money for them.

[SolusLunes]

Note to self: Use aforementioned chord progression in at least five songs.

[YouriX]

I guess because im new to music and im just basicly experementing with it. I dont have a lot to say still!
If people like it. I dont see the problem with it. I think the reason why you hate it so much is because your cursed with your great knowledge of music and can notice things when a ordinary listener wouldnt even think about it. well thats my opinion :)

[Phoog]

We sit here and recognize various trendy chord progressions. We also recognize an amen break when we hear one. But the general public do not.
There was some shit techno song on the radio the other day in the car, and my mum goes "oooh I like this song, it's very catchy" - it was a 4 bar loop going over and over with some guy's vocoded voice splitting it up in a verse/chorus/verse/chorus sort of way. And the kick was distorted, it was badly mastered, etc.
People who don't know about music production/theory/etc can't tell the difference, they just want something catchy.

However it really doesn't bother me either. Like in that video, blink's song What's My Age Again?. I love that song. And I write songs like that all the time. And a hell, I probably write boring generic dance songs. But it doesn't bother me too much.

[YouriX]

At 12/15/08 08:21 AM, Ambimetric wrote: We sit here and recognize various trendy chord progressions. We also recognize an amen break when we hear one. But the general public do not.

My pionts excatly!!

[Krank]

we get pissed because the big dawgs are famous with a common chord proggression and we can say "i could make that" and jealousy and anger ensues. you think "this is so simple, why are they famous and i'm not"

truth is, melodic progression is a small part of the entire song. so many other factors come into play.

two songs with the same proggression can sound entirely diferent and have entirely different feels.

its not a syndrome, its that the musical part of the human mind really associates with that chord proggression. it seems to make sense. when a person with no musical expertise listens to that chord proggression, he knows it just sounds "right" it "makes sense"

they hear the melody playing out in there head befgore the notes come from hearing the first two chords. it has a natural flow. this is why its so popular.

do you think most bands go "hei geiz letz go use the chord proggression every1 iz uzing!" no, they play the chords, and they souynd good to their ears, so they use them. they easily hear the lyrics, and a song is formed.

most listeners have heard these chords in all of these songs and never noticed any correlation.

they were enjoying the song too much :P

god speed generic chord progression, god speed

[RenoakRhythm]

So.... just to really emphasize this point of Nal's i decided to make one of my really overdone songs into this chord progression... oh the lulz.... i'm caught with the virus.

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  Nal1200 Mood _ RR by RenoakRhythm

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I did it for the moneyz.

[Quarl]

It's times like this I'm proud to be a melodically challenged dnb artist. I can't write chord progressions for shit, and I'll never have to :D

[Phyrnna]

True indeed. But I don't mind using that chordal progression at all. As long as the song is new and innovative.

However, as that chordal progression has been used a lot, it's rather common that the melodic line you're using has been used before. And it's happened before. I discovered two songs that had nearly the same melodic line while I was remixing them. Dj Splash's So Irresistable and Groove Coverage's Little June. As shown by the two songs, they have completely different feels to them, however even they got caught in having similar melodies.

[Fuoco]

Ugh. Mainstream music.

[Envy]

At 12/15/08 02:02 PM, Fuoco wrote: Ugh. Mainstream music.

winnar.

I've given up trying to be different, the same is what sells. and is what i love.

[Nav]

Creativity + Originality = Respect

Catchyness + Disregard for above = Fame

Which do you want? We call it the "Pendulum Syndrome"

[xKore]

I completely agree with Nav.

[Nintechno]

At 12/15/08 02:53 PM, Nav wrote: Creativity + Originality = Respect

Catchyness + Disregard for above = Fame

Definitley a good point haha!

Creativity + Originality + Catchyness = ???

[Quarl]

meh. Artists need to perpetually balance creativity and commercialism. If your not sensitive to either, your going to fail at making music.

[Nav]

At 12/15/08 03:37 PM, Nintechno wrote:

Creativity + Originality + Catchyness = ???

Underground fame. Like Trentemoller, or Deadmau5... That kinda thing.

[SolusLunes]

Disregard for above = ?

[Nintechno]

At 12/15/08 04:59 PM, SolusLunes wrote: Disregard for above = ?

(According to Nal) failure at music?

[theta4]

At 12/15/08 02:52 AM, nal1200 wrote: ...
Fight the unimaginative virus and experiment with different chord progressions! Especially you newer artists - It will benefit you in the long run.

...I try. I like house, and the key to house is to get nice chord progressions.

[nal1200]

At 12/15/08 05:34 PM, Nintechno wrote:

At 12/15/08 04:59 PM, SolusLunes wrote: Disregard for above = ?

(According to Nal) failure at music?

?

I just think it's both a blissful and angering feeling when you can honestly say you are aware of the corruption of the mainstream music industry.

For one, you have become an individual, capable of breaking away from the pack, but at the same time, you have risen above the catchy, "write to sell" music that is pop.

But don't get me wrong, I like half of the songs on that video. It's just mesmerizing to think "wow, the incredible regard to which I held most of those artists for their talents and amazing ability to make music... really isn't as impressive as I thought. Has my mind been under control?"

[nal1200]

At 12/15/08 09:06 PM, diminitive wrote: This thread makes me want to make a cover of Canon in D so badly now....

DO IT.

:]

[RenoakRhythm]

At 12/15/08 10:38 PM, nal1200 wrote:

At 12/15/08 09:06 PM, diminitive wrote: This thread makes me want to make a cover of Canon in D so badly now....

DO IT.

]

DONE! lol. just quickly through this together once i read that comment.

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  its the cannon bzitches by RenoakRhythm

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to be completed upon request

[Rig]

I SO beat you all.

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  Rig - The Happiest Song Evar! by Rig

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: one of the first computer songs I made, don't judge me :'C

[Shenkhar]

A Cannon cover was like the first thing I did way back in the day when I got FL studio... maybe I should dig that back up and re-hash it, just so I can be trendy an cool.

[Phyrnna]

I already realized this a long time ago. Even of the best artists. I can name out thousands myself. Of course, it's fun. You can play one song, and then transition right into the next song and the next song without much trouble since the chord sequence is the same. Only difference comes in rhythm.

[YouriX]

So what is the cunclusion to this treath?
Does it really matters if a artist use a dance chord progression or not?