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Toroso
I know, at least I think I know, that blues progressions are typically I-IV-V. Is there a sort of standard like that for metal?

cheers
Matt23
I-VII-VI is pretty common, expecially in Iron Maiden. It has a kinda epic metal feel to it. Metal is quite a versatile style though when it come to chord progressions, as there's a lot of progressions that sound good.
Tolek
Well, I IV V is not only for blues, but it is THE formula for every style. It´s the easiest progression you can thing of. Composers like Mozart, Beethoven and Bach used it in their works. You can apply it also in Metal. However, you can find any progression that sounds good to you and use it. wink.gif

My rule for progressions: It has to sound good.
Skalde
I assume its considered as common knowledge but can anyone explain me what "I-IV-V" means?
Tolek
QUOTE (Skalde @ Jun 17 2009, 11:10 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
I assume its considered as common knowledge but can anyone explain me what "I-IV-V" means?

I IV V are romanian numbers which refer to degrees in a scale. Example:
C Major: C D E F G A B
I degree: C
IV degree: F
V degree: G
Skalde
oh, you solved a mystery for me - thanks smile.gif
Ivan Milenkovic
In metal you can use the minor chords in the key more often:

ii
iii
vi

but major chords are used as well, specially in power metal, there are no rules basically. In metal most of the playing is done in riffs and using powerchords so the character of a chord isn't something that is clearly audible often.
TheKeplerConjecture
I tend to find that metal often "vamps" rather than "progresses." instead of the song moving forward using chords and the tension of cadences, it just moves back and forth between two notes, usually the root (which is typically E, or whatever the lowest string is tuned to) and the 4th, 5th, and my favorite, the minor 2nd. It really works with any of 'em. Metal's very open in that way. Just ride those back and forth a measure each and pepper them power chords as punctuation. After that, I usually analyze it and revise till it's a riff I'd actually like if I heard it on a CD. Just my $.02. I'm certainly not an expert (yet!)
Tolek
QUOTE (Skalde @ Jun 17 2009, 11:39 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
oh, you solved a mystery for me - thanks smile.gif

No problem, Kumpel. biggrin.gif You can read everything about theory in the theory section of GMC. wink.gif
Muris Varajic
QUOTE (TheKeplerConjecture @ Jun 18 2009, 02:45 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
I tend to find that metal often "vamps" rather than "progresses." instead of the song moving forward using chords and the tension of cadences, it just moves back and forth between two notes, usually the root (which is typically E, or whatever the lowest string is tuned to) and the 4th, 5th, and my favorite, the minor 2nd. It really works with any of 'em. Metal's very open in that way. Just ride those back and forth a measure each and pepper them power chords as punctuation. After that, I usually analyze it and revise till it's a riff I'd actually like if I heard it on a CD. Just my $.02. I'm certainly not an expert (yet!)


It depends on what kind of metal but yeah,
some bands tend to keep it very simple using
root and a note extra or few.
Bands like Dream Theater or Symphony X are far more complex chords wise tho.
Toroso
QUOTE (TheKeplerConjecture @ Jun 17 2009, 08:45 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
I tend to find that metal often "vamps" rather than "progresses." instead of the song moving forward using chords and the tension of cadences, it just moves back and forth between two notes, usually the root (which is typically E, or whatever the lowest string is tuned to) and the 4th, 5th, and my favorite, the minor 2nd. It really works with any of 'em. Metal's very open in that way. Just ride those back and forth a measure each and pepper them power chords as punctuation. After that, I usually analyze it and revise till it's a riff I'd actually like if I heard it on a CD. Just my $.02. I'm certainly not an expert (yet!)


I've heard the term before, but what exactly does 'vamp' mean?
Skalde
[...]a vamp is a repeating musical figure or accompaniment. A vamp may consist of a single chord or a sequence of chords played in a repeated rhythm
wikipedia article
Toroso
QUOTE (Skalde @ Jun 19 2009, 09:20 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
[...]a vamp is a repeating musical figure or accompaniment. A vamp may consist of a single chord or a sequence of chords played in a repeated rhythm
wikipedia article


So that old blues rthym, DA_DA,DA_DA,DA_DA would be an example of a vamp then?
Ivan Milenkovic
No that is swing or shuffle feel and it is related to the rhythm. Those DA_DA are actually eight triplet notes with triplet pause in between:

note-pause-note (DA_DA)

note - eight note triplet
pause - eight note triplet pause
note - eight note triplet

together they replace one beat or click in the bar. This is the simplest example.
Jakub Luptovec
QUOTE (Ivan Milenkovic @ Jun 19 2009, 04:55 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
No that is swing or shuffle feel and it is related to the rhythm. Those DA_DA are actually eight triplet notes with triplet pause in between:

note-pause-note (DA_DA)

note - eight note triplet
pause - eight note triplet pause
note - eight note triplet

together they replace one beat or click in the bar. This is the simplest example.



Then Warriors of the world united by Manowar main riff is?
Dexxter
QUOTE (Jakub Luptovec @ Jun 19 2009, 05:14 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Then Warriors of the world united by Manowar main riff is?


That is what you would call a gallop rhythm. DA_DADA,DA_DADA to follow that example.

To follow Ivan's example..
One bar would be:

note-pause-note-note(DA_DADA)

Sixteenth note, sixteenth note pause, sixteenth note, sixteenth note
Alexiaden93
QUOTE (Tolek @ Jun 17 2009, 11:14 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
I IV V are romanian numbers which refer to degrees in a scale. Example:
C Major: C D E F G A B
I degree: C
IV degree: F
V degree: G

Not to be picky... I have to admit your post helped me as well... "Romanian" is an adjective describing things of Romanian origin, thus coming from Romanian, whose capital is Bucuresti... wink.gif I'm half Romanian myself, and I believe they use Arabic numerals like most other countries ! biggrin.gif The word you need is "Roman" wink.gif biggrin.gif

I V X L C D M

For more information on Roman numerals, please follow this link ! biggrin.gif
http://www.novaroma.org/via_romana/numbers.html

Sorry for messing up the thread... I am a great metal fan, Iron Maiden in particular ! biggrin.gif

\m/_.( - _ - )._\m/
Santiago Diaz Garces
If you want to play metal, add some distortion and play it loud, that's the basic Metal Progession. Jajaja
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