Every time I search music theory terms I need, your videos pop up. I thought you must have created thousands of music theory videos, but when I clicked and open your channel.. I saw exactly everything I wish somebody can explain to me!! Thank you so much for creating these videos, they are super helpful!!! Thank you!!
@colinjames2469 One widely cited music theory book that discusses double chromatic mediants is “Tonal Harmony” by Stefan Kostka and Dorothy Payne. This textbook often explains mediant relationships in the context of chromatic harmony. It covers the concept of chromatic mediants and their doubled (enhanced) versions as part of advanced harmonic relationships.
Man I love this channel. Video by video you're braking up stuff I hear in music but I can't quite decipher because I lack the theory knowledge behind it. It's crazy how you manage to make it so simple to understand in a 10 minutes format. Thank you so much! 🙌
Wonderfu explanation, Michael. It's worth mentioning that the idea mixing different chord qualities not having common tones, doesn't apply to every every diatonic chord nor every mode. There can still be common tones between each key.
Ive been a public school choir teacher for 17 years, voice is my primary instrument, and Im functional on piano. But I want to say that listening to your channel I have grasped certain concepts better than I did during my undergrad. You really break it down so well so thank you.
I liked your explanation a lot. I'm thinking how it can be extended. In Bartok pitch axis system, the chord root a minor third below or above or a tritone away from the original chord root, is a substitute for that chord. Major and minor chords are also substitutes on the same root. Using that, some of the chromatic mediants become either a substitute tonic, dominant or subdominant chord. On C major or C minor scale, E major or E minor chords function as the dominant chord, Eb major or Eb minor chords as well as A major or A minor chords serve as the tonic chord, Ab major or Ab minor chords function as subdominant chord. This extra tool can help us form pleasing chord progressions (substituting for the chords on I IV V or I V or I IV cycles, offering more familiar chord resolutions). We can combine the idea of the chords with common tones, and the functional analysis of Bartok pitch axis system to reach further (Bartok pitch axis system substitutes, when missing any common tones, can be harsh to the ear, but exiting at the same time, like a jump motion).
All of these chromatic mediant moves sound like "My Precioussssss." Inspired by this video, I employed a chromatic mediant move for a little film underscore yesterday, and it immediately and unintentionally screamed "Karma Police!" This, this... is what you get.
Thank you for demystifying these TV and Film soundscapes that we all know and love. Looking forward to seeing your channel becoming more and more popular as it deserves to be. Your videos are a pleasure to watch. Always excited when a new one comes out. Especially love those snippets when you indulge your quirky personality ... always make me smile.
Yeah but like tritone cadences and doubly chromatic mediants and tonnetz poles and slide transformations work for that too but most people only ever talk about the chromatic mediants
I knew what they were in theory but it was nice to hear examples with some dramatic pad sounds to hear how familiar they really are. I play guitar so it's not quite the same effect (but still interesting).
I accidentally stumbled on chromatic mediant writing chords on the octatonic scale. It makes sense because the scale is perfectly self-similar when shifted by a minor third. Diminished chords and resolving major chords also fit into this scale. I notice sci-fi type scores will sometimes throw in a major chord during a “reveal” scene. When something spectacular is finally in full view you’ll get this big awe-inspiring major chord. The lead up to the major will usually be a sequence of rising or falling minor chords three semitones apart, so a sequence of minor chromatic mediants.
The best compliment I can give you about your channel is that you might not even have an idea of how mindblowing all of these videos are to me. I'm speechless! Thank you! It really goes beyond anything I've seen on the internet, anything! 🥹🙏
Hi Michael, you credited Radiohead with using chromatic mediants in popular music. However the only use of chromatic mediants in a MAJOR hit that I know of is by Kate Bush in Wuthering Heights - - and a spectacular use of them at that
Another amazing video!!! Pop songs probably don't use these much, but I don't know much about pop. The first time I had a "oh how is this sound achieved" from chromatic mediants is in Nightwishes song "The Poet and the Pendulum" in the start the riff that plays with the strings and choral sounds. It sounds so haunting and otherworldly.
Ok, i thought it would be yet another not really informative video on this topic with more very dry and uninspired examples but god damn! Its actually what ive been looking for, thank you
Thanks Adrian! For the this I was using a selection of free sounds from Spitfire Audio's LABS. I layered two pads which was the 'Strings 2 - Swells Ensemble' and the 'Textural Pads - Cyclosa'. And for one of the little examples I also used the Spitfire LABS soft piano. Definitely check out LABS if you've not already: www.spitfireaudio.com/getting-started-labs
While others use the word tense to describe the feeling of listening to chromatic mediants, I found them incredibly soothing and beautiful. Great video.
Michael, I just had to tell you, I'm working on this new tune and I was struggling with what the chords wanted to be, but watching your videos solved it, so I wanted to give credit where credit is due...(I don't have any money, or I'd give some of that too), but I know I never would have figured this out without your inspiration. dead serious, thank you so much, I will return to enjoying my joyful feeling. You know sometimes that's all you get, but it is still soooo worth it! :)
Thanks Adrian! It's great to hear things like this. Thank you 🙏 I'm really glad some of my stuff is making a difference to the way you enjoy and explore music. Thanks for the comment.
And I was wondering why do I like the sound of the "random" Eb maj7 - C maj7 so much... Now there is a whole set of these cool progressions to fool around.. Awesome, thanks!
Another killer video. Was just trying to figure out chromatic mediants the other day but was struggling to find a good explanation and then along comes Prof Keithson so save the day haha. All jokes aside, beautifully explained yet again idk how youre able to explain stuff in such concise ways, but thank you!
I was introduced to this concept years ago when I was trying to make sense of Kate Bush's Wuthering Heights chord progression (A-F-E7-C#). It still baffles me...I think the E7 is thrown in as a secondary dominant to A. Mind = Blown!
Wow! Another incredible lesson, you really are the best teacher on youtube. Please make more videos like these about "chord substitutions" and how to manipulate a chord progression. Your other videos about tritone sub, modal interchanges and secondary dominants were so great!!!! Thank you so much!!
Another excellent video and content. Thank you! Not sure if you have already set up a Patreon page… On another note (no pun intended) on 5:09 there is a mention of no mixing chord qualities for not sharing common tone, then you mention Eb major (and the notes are correct) but show Eb minor label on top. Sorry I am really paying attention 😅
Hey man, thanks for the comment. I definitely have intentions for a Patreon page but wondering if I should let my audience grow a little more to make the extra work worthwhile. It takes enough work at the moment to get these videos done and don't want to have to create more content if only 10 people sign up to the Patreon, hope that makes sense. But maybe there's an offer that means I don't need to spend too much time working on the content - I need to think on it a bit more but thanks for the push. Argh! There's always something I seem to miss, I even triple checked it this time! Unfortunately RUclips doesn't let you edit then update the video, I'd have to delete and re-upload and lose all the views and comments so unfortunately I'll have to come to terms with the little mistakes! I appreciate you paying close attention though! Thanks for watching and the support, much appreciated. 🙏
@@michaelkeithson no worries, it is so minor (no pun intended! lol) that I think it was superfluous of me to point it out. Re Patreon, I understand. No pressure, my intention was to convey the message: if/when you do create a Patreon page, I’m planning to be one of those first 10 people :). I think you have a gift for teaching (with the tools needed to do it clearly), and your style of teaching suits me well - analogous to when I eat a bonne maman strawberry mouse ie smooth ingestion. Lol All the best, and keep up the good work. Mario
@@Overdrivenn Cheers Mario, appreciate it. I reckon it'll be a matter of months before the Patreon appears so keep a look out. Thanks for the support 🙏
Thanks Jimmy 🙏 Really appreciate your generous comment! Good to hear you find it easy to follow along. Channel is growing nicely at the moment so hopefully it'll continue 🤞
Awesome!!!! We, at least me, were able to get all details involved... I like some kind of tension in a song and you got expose it in a clear explanation!!!!
Cheers for the comment Ugo. Yeah, I felt like I didn't do my best at explain a few of those points but good to hear that you still feel you understood what I was trying to get at! 👍
Amazing...the tension and release you can get with just triads in this concept. Maybe the gorgeous pad helps; reminiscent of early King Crimson. I'm sure there was an Em to Cm in there somewhere... Thanks for another great lesson Micheal.
Thanks Paul! Yeah, the strings and pads makes a big difference, at first I was just using a piano but I don't think it fully translate the impact on its own, plus we're so often used to hearing this type of thing done in orchestral environments so I thought it made more sense and a bigger impact to use those sounds.
You can also find these used in electronic music genres like house and jungle. This often happens when producers are using a synth preset where each keyboard note triggers a major 7th chord, and play riffs using such presets. So something like Cmaj7 | AbMaj7 | Bbmaj7 will be relatively common. It's also interesting to note that since each key triggers the same voicing, the keyboard part will end up playing chords like a guitar player moving a shape up and down the neck, instead of using voice leading.
Thanks for the comment Arthur, appreciate your contribution. I wasn't aware of their use in electronic music and your description makes complete sense. I'll listen a little closer to electronic music from now on! Cheers. 👍
Wow! This is wonderful information, beautifully presented, thank you. It's also right at my level, so it's easy to follow along and learn a whole new language for describing sound. Best of all, it makes me want to write some new songs that incorporate chromatic mediants. Side note.... some of those George Harrison chord choices, where I would think, 'Where did THAT come from?' I'm guessing that there are chromatic mediants afoot haha. I'm very grateful for this lesson, Michael.
Dear Michael Keithson, big fan of the channel, i think you're a really underrated music educator. I am someone who has learnt music theory through guitar, and so i have a decent understanding of modes, harmony etc. However, i like composing piano parts in Logic Pro, although i don't really play piano. I understand formulas for constructing chords, but i would really like to understand more about rearranging the order of the notes to create nice voicings on piano. I love some of the voicing you use, and if you made some content about how you make those choices that would be really awesome. Yours Sincerely, Ai Meditations
Ah, thanks for the great comment. I appreciate your kind words. I think I might just try to make a video addressing that, you're not the first person to ask something like that but I think it's potentially a difficult one to cover as most of my playing is now second nature and don't really consciously think about what I'm doing so it would have to take some unpicking to identify the valuable bits but I think it could be worth it for some people. So you'll have to stay tuned but hopefully I'll get to it! Thanks for the support and encouragement 🙏
I'm pretty sure Ludwig Goransson used this in the score for Oppeheimer 🤔 Anyways , always a pleasure learning through your content Michael. Thanks for another video.
Loved this! One pattern I’ve seen in pop music really often is, like Bowie’s Rock n Roll Suicide, where the III wants to go to the IV, as in C -E7 - F-G-C. Like a variation on a secondary dominant, and it made me curious if Chromatic Mediants often take on a role in harmonic progressions. Anyway, thanks for this, love what you’re doing here.
Thanks! Appreciate your comment. 🙏 Yeah, that's a usual one, it's a pretty common progression and to me it 'feels' more like a secondary dominant although it strictly isn't but kind of feels wrong to categorise as a Chromatic Mediant even though, theoretically, it is. Does it really matter though?! #ToolsNotRules 😂
I like how it feels like we're having a conversation rather than a lesson. A doubt though, in 9:18, does it only apply for major thirds? The idea of a chromatic mediant is the chromatic mediant of another one.
Cheers for the comment. Yes, I think was why I said 'sort of', we only get that kind of relationship with major 3rds. If we did it with minor 3rds we could get somewhere close but we get an extra chord that not a mediant of the tonic key. So if we're in C we could move down in minor thirds (outlining a diminished chord) our movement could be Cm - Am - F#m - Ebm(D#m) - C. So that F# is the outlier but I'm not sure that matters too much in the context, worth a try maybe?! Remember, "Tools not Rules"! Ha.
Wow! This is epic! That’s the word I went to describe Lord of the Ring series and I heard this concept all over the place in that movie! Thank you for sharing! I also want to ask you personally about learning a piano. What should I learn and practice on piano to be able to become a music composer rather than a piano player? Hopefully you’ll respond to this coment😊 Keep up the good work!
Thanks! Glad it was helpful. In answer to your question, if you're looking to compose then you don't necessarily need to be comfortable on the piano but to have a good understanding harmony and connect it to what you hear. The piano is a very useful instrument for composing and if you have a good understanding of chords is easy to explore options. If you're a beginner I'd recommend watching this video I made: ruclips.net/video/FSc36GUkQYY/видео.html Hope that helps!
This is easily the best music theory channel ever.
gotta be
Really well done.
Ah, thank you. Very generous of you to say so, not sure I’d agree but I appreciate the sentiment 🙏
You should check out Keith Michealson
Without a doubt!
“Tools not rules.” I like that.
Yeah, definitely a great T-shirt.
dude you are the ASMR of piano tutorials not gonna lie.
🤣😂 Is that a good thing?!
Every time I search music theory terms I need, your videos pop up. I thought you must have created thousands of music theory videos, but when I clicked and open your channel.. I saw exactly everything I wish somebody can explain to me!!
Thank you so much for creating these videos, they are super helpful!!! Thank you!!
That's good to hear, glad you're getting some value from my videos. Appreciate you leaving a comment, thanks 🙏
As someone with a fairly good grasp of theory I find your teachings an absolute gold mine in a way I can easily understand.
Thanks David! 🙏 I really appreciate your comment and it's really nice to hear that you're getting some value from my videos.
Your Teaching method is the best I ever heard by far !
Wow, thanks Antonio! Really appreciate your kind words. Glad you're enjoying the content 👍
C maj -> Eb maj = chromatic mediant
C maj -> Eb min = double chromatic mediant because there are no common tones.
Great video, keep up the good work!
sorry to bust your bubble… But there is no such thing as a double chromatic mediant in classic music theory. But I know what you mean.
@colinjames2469 One widely cited music theory book that discusses double chromatic mediants is “Tonal Harmony” by Stefan Kostka and Dorothy Payne. This textbook often explains mediant relationships in the context of chromatic harmony. It covers the concept of chromatic mediants and their doubled (enhanced) versions as part of advanced harmonic relationships.
Great analysis of chromatic median chords. The best I have ever seen on the internet so far. You are a great educator!
Thanks Giorgos! I appreciate your kind comment 🙏
Pretty cool
Man I love this channel. Video by video you're braking up stuff I hear in music but I can't quite decipher because I lack the theory knowledge behind it. It's crazy how you manage to make it so simple to understand in a 10 minutes format. Thank you so much! 🙌
Thanks for the great comment Alex, really good to hear you’re getting some value from my vids. Really appreciate your kind words 🙏
my guy always coming through with the theory heat.
Cheers man, appreciate the support 👍🏼
Cheers man, appreciate the support 👍🏼
Wonderfu explanation, Michael.
It's worth mentioning that the idea mixing different chord qualities not having common tones, doesn't apply to every every diatonic chord nor every mode. There can still be common tones between each key.
Thanks! Apologies if I wasn't clear on that point. Thanks for the comment
Ive been a public school choir teacher for 17 years, voice is my primary instrument, and Im functional on piano. But I want to say that listening to your channel I have grasped certain concepts better than I did during my undergrad. You really break it down so well so thank you.
Thanks man, I appreciate the kind comment. Really glad that my videos have been useful for you. 👍
Music Theory: How deep do you wanna go? YES! So enjoyable, love it! Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge.
Really glad you enjoyed the video. Thanks for watching and leaving a comment, much appreciated 🙏
The absolute best at explaining music theory!!
That’s very generous! Thanks man, really appreciate it 🙏
I liked your explanation a lot. I'm thinking how it can be extended. In Bartok pitch axis system, the chord root a minor third below or above or a tritone away from the original chord root, is a substitute for that chord. Major and minor chords are also substitutes on the same root. Using that, some of the chromatic mediants become either a substitute tonic, dominant or subdominant chord. On C major or C minor scale, E major or E minor chords function as the dominant chord, Eb major or Eb minor chords as well as A major or A minor chords serve as the tonic chord, Ab major or Ab minor chords function as subdominant chord. This extra tool can help us form pleasing chord progressions (substituting for the chords on I IV V or I V or I IV cycles, offering more familiar chord resolutions). We can combine the idea of the chords with common tones, and the functional analysis of Bartok pitch axis system to reach further (Bartok pitch axis system substitutes, when missing any common tones, can be harsh to the ear, but exiting at the same time, like a jump motion).
Cm > Ab m (the way you play it at 7:02) , the most lord of the rings progression Ive ever heard 😂
Oh my. Putting my brain back in my head after it exploded. You just made my world a whole lot bigger. Thank you.
Ha! Cheers Hank! Glad you found it useful. Happy exploring!! 🎹🎵
All of these chromatic mediant moves sound like "My Precioussssss."
Inspired by this video, I employed a chromatic mediant move for a little film underscore yesterday, and it immediately and unintentionally screamed "Karma Police!" This, this... is what you get.
That’s awesome Joel, so cool that it inspired you to create! Thanks for leaving a comment 👍🏼🎹🎵
Certainly the best and most exciting music theory channel
🙏 Thanks Darby 😁. Really appreciate the support and encouragement. 👍
Thank you for demystifying these TV and Film soundscapes that we all know and love.
Looking forward to seeing your channel becoming more and more popular as it deserves to be.
Your videos are a pleasure to watch. Always excited when a new one comes out.
Especially love those snippets when you indulge your quirky personality ... always make me smile.
Thanks again for another nice comment, really appreciate your support. 🙏
love you lessons! adore Chromatic Mediants🤤
Ha! Love the emoji!
Thanks for your comment, I’m glad you’re enjoying the content. 👍🏼
Yeah but like tritone cadences and doubly chromatic mediants and tonnetz poles and slide transformations work for that too but most people only ever talk about the chromatic mediants
I knew what they were in theory but it was nice to hear examples with some dramatic pad sounds to hear how familiar they really are. I play guitar so it's not quite the same effect (but still interesting).
Thanks for the comment 👍🏼
I accidentally stumbled on chromatic mediant writing chords on the octatonic scale. It makes sense because the scale is perfectly self-similar when shifted by a minor third. Diminished chords and resolving major chords also fit into this scale.
I notice sci-fi type scores will sometimes throw in a major chord during a “reveal” scene. When something spectacular is finally in full view you’ll get this big awe-inspiring major chord. The lead up to the major will usually be a sequence of rising or falling minor chords three semitones apart, so a sequence of minor chromatic mediants.
Nice, thanks for sharing!
The best compliment I can give you about your channel is that you might not even have an idea of how mindblowing all of these videos are to me. I'm speechless! Thank you! It really goes beyond anything I've seen on the internet, anything! 🥹🙏
Thank you Francesco 🙏. I truly appreciate your comment and receive your compliment. I'm really glad you feel this way about my videos. Cheers
Wow! That was an enchantment! Great demo of CM. But it would be nice to see how to apply this to an existing melody as passing chords or subst.
the progression at 7:55 reminds of the Emperor track from Star Wars. Super cool, I definitely want to use this stuff in my writing now
I was desperately looking a long time for a chanel which explains music theory in a way I can understand it. Here I found it. I am so grateful!!
Hey Stephan, I glad you're here too! Thanks for the kind comment 🙏
Wholesome and Nutricious ☕🎸
Hi Michael, you credited Radiohead with using chromatic mediants in popular music. However the only use of chromatic mediants in a MAJOR hit that I know of is by Kate Bush in Wuthering Heights - - and a spectacular use of them at that
This video is one of several that make me a huge fan of your work here.
🙏 Thank you! Glad you're enjoying the videos 👍
Another amazing video!!! Pop songs probably don't use these much, but I don't know much about pop. The first time I had a "oh how is this sound achieved" from chromatic mediants is in Nightwishes song "The Poet and the Pendulum" in the start the riff that plays with the strings and choral sounds. It sounds so haunting and otherworldly.
Thanks! Yeah, ‘otherworldly’ is a great description of the vibes these give 👍🏼
Thanks for the comment 🙏
Ok, i thought it would be yet another not really informative video on this topic with more very dry and uninspired examples but god damn! Its actually what ive been looking for, thank you
Awesome! That's great to hear. Glad you enjoyed the video. Thanks for the comment 👍
you are a wonderful music teacher man. thank you truly. Please continue as long as you want. We will be here!
🙏 Thanks Paul! I really appreciate your kind comment. No plans to stop anytime soon! 👍
Beautiful explanation❤ curious what string library you used? Sounds amazing 🤩
Thanks Adrian! For the this I was using a selection of free sounds from Spitfire Audio's LABS. I layered two pads which was the 'Strings 2 - Swells Ensemble' and the 'Textural Pads - Cyclosa'. And for one of the little examples I also used the Spitfire LABS soft piano.
Definitely check out LABS if you've not already: www.spitfireaudio.com/getting-started-labs
Those examples sounds absolutely fantastic, excellent illustration of the theory.
Thanks Ori! 🙏
While others use the word tense to describe the feeling of listening to chromatic mediants, I found them incredibly soothing and beautiful. Great video.
Thanks Brett. You're right, talking about how something makes you feel is quite a subjective thing really. Thanks for the comment 👍
Michael, I just had to tell you, I'm working on this new tune and I was struggling with what the chords wanted to be, but watching your videos solved it, so I wanted to give credit where credit is due...(I don't have any money, or I'd give some of that too), but I know I never would have figured this out without your inspiration. dead serious, thank you so much, I will return to enjoying my joyful feeling. You know sometimes that's all you get, but it is still soooo worth it! :)
Thanks Adrian! It's great to hear things like this. Thank you 🙏
I'm really glad some of my stuff is making a difference to the way you enjoy and explore music. Thanks for the comment.
Very handy to see it laid out so clearly :) Thank you.
Thanks Max, glad you found it useful 👍🏼
Thanks Michael.
My pleasure David! 🎹🎵
And I was wondering why do I like the sound of the "random" Eb maj7 - C maj7 so much... Now there is a whole set of these cool progressions to fool around.. Awesome, thanks!
Happy exploring!! Thanks for the comment 👍🏼
Fantastic!!! Thanks for this
You’re very welcome 👍🏼
By the way, your voice is super soothing and that added backgr noise.. love it👌
Ha! Thanks Geo, happy that I can bring a bit of calm to your day!
Another killer video. Was just trying to figure out chromatic mediants the other day but was struggling to find a good explanation and then along comes Prof Keithson so save the day haha. All jokes aside, beautifully explained yet again idk how youre able to explain stuff in such concise ways, but thank you!
Ah, thanks! I really appreciate your kind comments and really pleased you’re enjoying the content and finding some value. Cheers 🙏
I was introduced to this concept years ago when I was trying to make sense of Kate Bush's Wuthering Heights chord progression (A-F-E7-C#). It still baffles me...I think the E7 is thrown in as a secondary dominant to A. Mind = Blown!
Yessir! Well broken down and easy to understand. You're a gifted teacher. Thanks for this
🙏 Thanks Warren! Glad you enjoyed it 👍
Wow! Another incredible lesson, you really are the best teacher on youtube. Please make more videos like these about "chord substitutions" and how to manipulate a chord progression. Your other videos about tritone sub, modal interchanges and secondary dominants were so great!!!! Thank you so much!!
Ah thanks, I really appreciate your kind words and support and glad you're enjoying the content, thanks 🙏
Another superb video and another tool for my compositions. We could also imagine a harmonic progression in sixths. No ?
Tolls not rules forever ! 😂
Thanks Corentin! Yes, although sixths are just an inversion of 3rds so I kind of think of them as the same in this context.
you're always on the verge of being amused. love your channel
😂 Thanks! Glad you're enjoying the content, thanks for the comment!
Perfect as always
Cheers Max 🙏
Another excellent video and content. Thank you! Not sure if you have already set up a Patreon page…
On another note (no pun intended) on 5:09 there is a mention of no mixing chord qualities for not sharing common tone, then you mention Eb major (and the notes are correct) but show Eb minor label on top. Sorry I am really paying attention 😅
Hey man, thanks for the comment. I definitely have intentions for a Patreon page but wondering if I should let my audience grow a little more to make the extra work worthwhile. It takes enough work at the moment to get these videos done and don't want to have to create more content if only 10 people sign up to the Patreon, hope that makes sense. But maybe there's an offer that means I don't need to spend too much time working on the content - I need to think on it a bit more but thanks for the push.
Argh! There's always something I seem to miss, I even triple checked it this time! Unfortunately RUclips doesn't let you edit then update the video, I'd have to delete and re-upload and lose all the views and comments so unfortunately I'll have to come to terms with the little mistakes! I appreciate you paying close attention though! Thanks for watching and the support, much appreciated. 🙏
@@michaelkeithson no worries, it is so minor (no pun intended! lol) that I think it was superfluous of me to point it out.
Re Patreon, I understand. No pressure, my intention was to convey the message: if/when you do create a Patreon page, I’m planning to be one of those first 10 people :). I think you have a gift for teaching (with the tools needed to do it clearly), and your style of teaching suits me well - analogous to when I eat a bonne maman strawberry mouse ie smooth ingestion. Lol
All the best, and keep up the good work. Mario
@@Overdrivenn Cheers Mario, appreciate it. I reckon it'll be a matter of months before the Patreon appears so keep a look out. Thanks for the support 🙏
Me encanta esa progresión de Cm -> E
y de Cm -> Abm.
Simplemente es mágico. gracias por compartir.
You referenced Danny Elfman at the start, and this example at 6:27 sounds SO MUCH like it's in Batman Returns or Edward Scissorhands or something 😋🙃
From Ukraine with love
Ah, you’re too kind! Thanks for the kind comment, much appreciated 🙏
.....another brilliant video.......I have used these several times and never knew why it worked......thank you........
Cheers man.
You are a bloody legend, i always seen understand your content crystal clear.
You are going to explode on RUclips one day I can guarantee it
Thanks Jimmy 🙏 Really appreciate your generous comment! Good to hear you find it easy to follow along. Channel is growing nicely at the moment so hopefully it'll continue 🤞
Loving all of these lessons so much. Thank you!
Cheers Mike! Appreciate your comment 🙏
Pure gold!
Thanks man 👍🏼
Massive gratitude for your channel! Thank you, these are the best theory videos I've come across :)
Thanks Michael! 🙏 Really appreciate your comment. Glad you're enjoying the videos.
Light My Fire - The Doors. Am7 F#m7 aka 1m 6m. Jose Feliciano live is my fav.
I ❤ Chromatic Mediants. 🥰
Very well covered! 😎👍🏼
Cheers Keiren!
Thank you, I like your teaching Mr Keithson ❤❤
🙏 Thank you for all the nice comments. I’m glad you’re enjoying the videos and finding them useful 👍
Awesome!!!! We, at least me, were able to get all details involved... I like some kind of tension in a song and you got expose it in a clear explanation!!!!
Cheers for the comment Ugo. Yeah, I felt like I didn't do my best at explain a few of those points but good to hear that you still feel you understood what I was trying to get at! 👍
Every musician should understand that ‘tools not rules’
Thank you for another super clear explanation!
Cheers Rich, hope it was useful 👍
Wow! This has changed my life!
Wow! What a statement! Glad you got something out of it. Thanks for the comment 🙏
The Best explanation on the internet
Ah, thanks Sergio, appreciate your kind comment 🙏
At 7:13 - because Frodo must carry the ring...
Amazing...the tension and release you can get with just triads in this concept. Maybe the gorgeous pad helps; reminiscent of early King Crimson. I'm sure there was an Em to Cm in there somewhere... Thanks for another great lesson Micheal.
Thanks Paul! Yeah, the strings and pads makes a big difference, at first I was just using a piano but I don't think it fully translate the impact on its own, plus we're so often used to hearing this type of thing done in orchestral environments so I thought it made more sense and a bigger impact to use those sounds.
I love this channel!
Thanks Christopher! I'm glad you're here too! Thanks for the kind comment 🙏
Loved this one exactly what iv been needing.
👍☺️
You can also find these used in electronic music genres like house and jungle. This often happens when producers are using a synth preset where each keyboard note triggers a major 7th chord, and play riffs using such presets. So something like Cmaj7 | AbMaj7 | Bbmaj7 will be relatively common. It's also interesting to note that since each key triggers the same voicing, the keyboard part will end up playing chords like a guitar player moving a shape up and down the neck, instead of using voice leading.
Thanks for the comment Arthur, appreciate your contribution. I wasn't aware of their use in electronic music and your description makes complete sense. I'll listen a little closer to electronic music from now on! Cheers. 👍
Brilliant!
Thank you! So easy to follow and I'm already using this today and it's just great.
You made a very intimidating word into my new favourite thing .
Perfect! Glad you found it helpful. Happy exploring! 🎵🎹
Beautifully explained, thank you Michael!
Amazing 👏
Thanks Justin! 👍
Great video! Enjoy the Silence is a good example.
Cheers man!👍
Wow! This is wonderful information, beautifully presented, thank you. It's also right at my level, so it's easy to follow along and learn a whole new language for describing sound. Best of all, it makes me want to write some new songs that incorporate chromatic mediants. Side note.... some of those George Harrison chord choices, where I would think, 'Where did THAT come from?' I'm guessing that there are chromatic mediants afoot haha. I'm very grateful for this lesson, Michael.
Thanks Richard! I appreciate your kind words and super pleased that you found it useful. Thanks for leaving your comment 🙏
Fascinating. Gotta try this out.
Thanks for another clear and entertaining video. Very helpful.
Happy to be of assistance! Glad you found it helpful👍🏼
Brilliant as always mate. Well done
Thank you 🙏 I appreciate your support
Amazing, thanks so much!
You are very welcome Geoffrey! 🎵🎹
Dear Michael Keithson,
big fan of the channel, i think you're a really underrated music educator.
I am someone who has learnt music theory through guitar, and so i have a decent understanding of modes, harmony etc.
However, i like composing piano parts in Logic Pro, although i don't really play piano.
I understand formulas for constructing chords, but i would really like to understand more about rearranging the order of the notes to create nice voicings on piano. I love some of the voicing you use, and if you made some content about how you make those choices that would be really awesome.
Yours Sincerely,
Ai Meditations
Ah, thanks for the great comment. I appreciate your kind words.
I think I might just try to make a video addressing that, you're not the first person to ask something like that but I think it's potentially a difficult one to cover as most of my playing is now second nature and don't really consciously think about what I'm doing so it would have to take some unpicking to identify the valuable bits but I think it could be worth it for some people. So you'll have to stay tuned but hopefully I'll get to it!
Thanks for the support and encouragement 🙏
Brilliant
I'm pretty sure Ludwig Goransson used this in the score for Oppeheimer 🤔
Anyways , always a pleasure learning through your content Michael. Thanks for another video.
Cheers David! I appreciate your support 👍🏼
fantastic channel, thank you
Thanks Heinrich, I appreciate the kind comment, glad you're enjoying the content. 👍
great great video! subscribed ❤
Thanks man, glad you enjoyed it, thanks for the sub! 👍
Great video!
Cheers Nick!
Loved this! One pattern I’ve seen in pop music really often is, like Bowie’s Rock n Roll Suicide, where the III wants to go to the IV, as in C -E7 - F-G-C. Like a variation on a secondary dominant, and it made me curious if Chromatic Mediants often take on a role in harmonic progressions. Anyway, thanks for this, love what you’re doing here.
Thanks! Appreciate your comment. 🙏
Yeah, that's a usual one, it's a pretty common progression and to me it 'feels' more like a secondary dominant although it strictly isn't but kind of feels wrong to categorise as a Chromatic Mediant even though, theoretically, it is. Does it really matter though?! #ToolsNotRules 😂
Kind of a Venn Diagram relationship with Bartok's Axis Theory - the latter being one step (at least) beyond... Quality overview, thank you!
Oooh, I’m not familiar with that, I’ll have to check it out. Cheers for the comment 👍🏼
Thank you. Learning new things.
You’re very welcome, glad you’re finding it helpful 👍🏼
Thank you!
You are very welcome!! Thanks for watching 👍
Keep em coming!
Great instruction. Ear opening. Are you moving to a unified theory of musical suspension? You’re right, the surprise is tension and then…more tension.
I like how it feels like we're having a conversation rather than a lesson. A doubt though, in 9:18, does it only apply for major thirds? The idea of a chromatic mediant is the chromatic mediant of another one.
Cheers for the comment. Yes, I think was why I said 'sort of', we only get that kind of relationship with major 3rds. If we did it with minor 3rds we could get somewhere close but we get an extra chord that not a mediant of the tonic key. So if we're in C we could move down in minor thirds (outlining a diminished chord) our movement could be Cm - Am - F#m - Ebm(D#m) - C. So that F# is the outlier but I'm not sure that matters too much in the context, worth a try maybe?! Remember, "Tools not Rules"! Ha.
Much appreciated. Have taken a couple of pages of notes. Regards
😮 Hopefully there's some useful bits in there somewhere then! Thanks for the comment Richard, appreciate it 🙏
Well done!
Thanks!!
Wow! This is epic! That’s the word I went to describe Lord of the Ring series and I heard this concept all over the place in that movie! Thank you for sharing!
I also want to ask you personally about learning a piano. What should I learn and practice on piano to be able to become a music composer rather than a piano player?
Hopefully you’ll respond to this coment😊
Keep up the good work!
Thanks! Glad it was helpful.
In answer to your question, if you're looking to compose then you don't necessarily need to be comfortable on the piano but to have a good understanding harmony and connect it to what you hear. The piano is a very useful instrument for composing and if you have a good understanding of chords is easy to explore options. If you're a beginner I'd recommend watching this video I made: ruclips.net/video/FSc36GUkQYY/видео.html
Hope that helps!
So now I know what to call the Eb7 and E7 in the first 8 bars of “Out of Nowhere” which are:
| G6 | G6 | Eb7 | Eb7 |
| G6 | G6 | E7 | E7 |
Thanks.
That's also the beginning of the progression for Bye Bye Blues.
@@richglauber
Thank you. I will have to learn that one.
Looks like Bye Bye was recorded 5 to 6 years before OON.