Not only that, but nearly every Japanese song has an incredible bass line. The majority of western pop music has the bass merely following the root notes.
@stuchly18 жыл бұрын
i agree on that. That's probably the main reason why i listen to so much j-pop nowadays.
@supremesaiyan15098 жыл бұрын
totally agreed. as a bass player, ive been studying Jpop and Jrock a lot recently. it just seems so much less lazy than pop over here.
@shagstars7 жыл бұрын
That's why I don't listen to pop. Still Marty Friedman isn't a pop artist either, he is a rock/metal guitarist, and a freaking good one I tell ya!
@jotavalenzuela97497 жыл бұрын
man you're soo fucking right I say that all the time and no one undestand it
@SelphieFairy7 жыл бұрын
YES. Completely agree. I can't stand how boring the bass lines in most American pop music is.
@louispearson83063 жыл бұрын
CHORDS + Analysis (edited with help of many in the comments) the western chord progression is the standard: C , G, Am, F (I, V, VIm, IV) - The Beatles - Let it be, Bob Marley - No woman no cry, Journey - Dont stop believing etc... the japanese chord progression is a collection of chord changes originating from jazz standards between the 1920's-60: C, Esus, E, Am - Gm7, C7, Bm7b5, E - Am, D7, Dm7, Fm7 C, Esus, E, Am - Gm7, C7, Bm7b5, E - Am, D7, Dm7, Fm7 I, IIIsus, III, vim7 - vm7, I7, viim7b5, III, vim , II7, iim7, ivm7 It is collection of unresolved IIm , V, I's - Modulating into different keys E to AM is a V I, moving the key to Amin, Gm7 to C7 is a II V, implying arriving at the key of F maj but deceptively landing on Bm7b5 Bm7b5 to E to Am is an minor IIm V I to the key of Amin Am to D7 implies G maj then fall back to Fmaj7 the IV chord and ends with the classic minor IV chord like Radiohead - creep
@おいしいパスター2 жыл бұрын
Yes. They haven't abandoned modal interchange, key changes, modulation, chord substitution and inversions in their music unlike most western music.
@AyeshaShaSha2 жыл бұрын
THANK YOU FOR THIS!!!!
@vdkylo72512 жыл бұрын
super insightful, thank you!
@gameseeker63072 жыл бұрын
I like your funny words, magic man
@Mendelian2 жыл бұрын
Could be wrong but isn’t the Am/e actually Esus4 (resolving to E)?
@JMUSICEnsembleOfficial9 жыл бұрын
One of the most notable differences between Japanese and American music (in terms of chord structure) is that Japanese musicians haven't abandoned jazz and revere it as godlike, not "boring old people music" like we often view it as here in America. The outside looking in is always an interesting perspective, and the Japanese people have always shown great respect for America's first great original art form. The fusion of Japanese and American musical aesthetics has brought a new beautiful art form in Japan.
@rustyshackleford47439 жыл бұрын
+J-MUSIC Ensemble I've almost always appreciated the jazz scales. I just came up with a progression that I'm writing some lead over in the D Bebop Major scale. Such an awesome scale; just the D Major scale with the A# included
@Askariscide8 жыл бұрын
+The Pink Warrior What are you talking about? I think he's not being bias at all and I believe he's telling the truth. How many people nowadays have a taste to classical or jazz no matter who they are? People nowadays prefer shitty music than brilliant music.(Shitty music -------> you already know who artists does those, I'm not saying Justin Bieber's most known song, Baby, and Rebecca Black's Friday or Taylor Swift's Bad Blood who was once good now goes what any other pop artist sound like) How many people out there have been playing tracks from jazz and classical masterpiece through an audio? How many jazz and classical musicians are there compared to pop musicians? How many new generations of Classicals and Jazz do reach the minorities' and the children's attention? How many Grammy awardees these days don't usually use a guitar or a piano anymore in fact always use a computer to make music out of it? How many songs from the most popular artists these days knows what a minor 6th, minor 7th, minor 9th, +add2, +add3, +add4, etc? Apparently, what chords have been usually utilized is the Major, Minor, the sustained and the 5th only. To be honest good and sensible music in America is gradually declining through time, being replaced by those sexual, violent or stupid songs. Fortunately, musicians are still finding ways to oppose those superficial art. Sadly, majority of the people in the world doesn't care to lyrics and instruments anymore as long as it's catchy and easily absorbed. You know, these days, a song with only a catchy melody and non-changing beat can rank to number one chart. How about that?
@JMUSICEnsembleOfficial8 жыл бұрын
I appreciate the discussion! I see both your points, and all I was meaning to point out was that many people (namely musicians, where this music comes from) nowadays are not aware of America's popular musical history, and therefore are left with a lack of a certain amount of depth, by default. Of course, all modern American pop music has roots in jazz; however, there is a lack of definitive understanding of this music across the board. In Japan, most people actually regard jazz as being cool - they love the American original jazz aesthetic, and praise new musicians who come over there playing straight ahead music. They know who Art Blakey, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Jimmy Smith, etc. are, and know the instruments associated with the music. In America, we've moved beyond jazz being the popular music (naturally, as a progression of time would have it), and new explorations by younger musicians from different generations have pushed aside the jazz aesthetic for more "relevant" cultural themes. The point is, you'd be surprised how many people pass me by on the street in NYC and think my saxophone is a camera or a guitar (because that's all that's relevant nowadays). I'm not saying that the progression is bad - I mean, I love electronic music and J-Rock/J-Pop - I'm just saying that there's a difference between being born in a country where Louis Armstrong's music is associated with old movies vs. growing up in a country where Louis Armstrong's music is exotic and different. In Japan, this has been a consistent aesthetic since the 1930s. Peace and unity, everyone!
@CriticsConfession8 жыл бұрын
I think jazz-style is sort of making a comeback, finally, in America. Future bass is kind of stepping up to become the new big thing, and that's deeply rooted in maj7 and 9th chords, and it's hitting the radio now that Flume has gotten popular, and is even working its way into some of Justin Bieber's new stuff. Bit of a tangent, but I used to be the kind of edge-lord who hated him too without actually listening, but goddammit some of the songs on Purpose are so fucking good because they use pretty obscure chords or genre styles like future bass and chill trap stuff. Good shit, man.
@mfb56427 жыл бұрын
Jazz isn't making a comeback in a way in the USA. I'm a huge Jazz fan but it's still as underground as it has been, Until you start hearing jazz progressions in the top 40 then jazz isn't "coming back" into pop music. Future Bass ins't "the next big thing" And have a maj7 or 9th isn't jazz. Those are funk chords.
@GLu-tb1pb4 жыл бұрын
4 chord progression (1:33): yawn, what was the story in this song again? Arigatou (2:05): ahhh, I recall memories of my friends, my family, and my respected teachers. Through my life I truly am thankful and see the meaning of the song.
@dididogster99944 жыл бұрын
HOLY SHIT I FELT THAT AS WELL.
@mimagp31793 жыл бұрын
YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO THAT BECAUSE DAMN IT HITS RIGHT IN THE FEELS
@unbeatabel3 жыл бұрын
WHOA TALK ABOUT THE GOOSEBUMPS THO
@imandanarahimaswara51853 жыл бұрын
I remembered K-ON
@nobodyhere1003 жыл бұрын
@@imandanarahimaswara5185 I was listening to U & I and was led back here. I haven’t watched this in a while.
@user-lh4dy6hn3y6 жыл бұрын
I feel like in most songs people try to spread a message but in japanese songs they have more emotion and its kinda like the artist is telling a story. To me it's really pretty.
@huuphuc55332 жыл бұрын
that really true bro
@angelsings677323 күн бұрын
Thats true Almost all the Japanese artists make very catchy songs plus they add really good bass to it
@josephweiss39319 жыл бұрын
the Japanese has a very jazzy flavor
@Alpha-Hypnosis5 жыл бұрын
Hey Joe! It's been a while! How've you been?
@scumbag17315 жыл бұрын
YellowBirb yooo he wrote that comment 3 years ago
@Alpha-Hypnosis5 жыл бұрын
Scumbag don’t you know joe?
@MarsLonsen5 жыл бұрын
never eaten human but I'm curious as to what jazz tastes like
@ravdiz99954 жыл бұрын
@@Alpha-Hypnosis joe mama
@goleogthais5 жыл бұрын
im not a musician, but what he played around 2:17 ~ 2:19 , I _felt_ that
@ElyanaTaenor4 жыл бұрын
Same
@EPSON-HP4 жыл бұрын
The best musicians and composers can make music enjoyable, even for non-musicians😉
@heartseed4783 жыл бұрын
Those chords are the main reason I get so hooked with anime songs in general. My first encounter with that progression is SAO ending song "Yume Sekai".
@GoldenizedElite2 жыл бұрын
Minor 2-5-1 progression very commonly seen in jazz
@azurda74832 жыл бұрын
Ikr
@xfly1259 жыл бұрын
I was surprised with how well I connected with those chords. It's really weird, because I grew up on psychedelic rock and jazz. I also played a ton of japanese video games though like mega man and pokemon and just nintendo stuff in general. So I think the exposure to japanese music through those games afeected me more than I may have thought.
@nimlouth9 жыл бұрын
+turtle hermit i actually think that japanese music has a special charm that we (the western people xD) really enjoy because it's really fresh... it's like the first time you hear a band when you're a kid, it feels diferent and you want more...
@samwallaceart2887 жыл бұрын
Well also there's a lot of British soft-rock influence
@Pakkens_Backyard6 жыл бұрын
+Nimlouth It's because musically (i.e. pitch-material-wise) there's more substance.
@IuriSigma6 жыл бұрын
+Pakken11 lol I thought I was the only one who was aware of that. Japanese music is harmonically heavy, whereas here in the west we have a focus more on dynamics and timbre (see EDM music, Pop songs and even in soundtracks, where the emphasis is in the way orchestra or other instruments make sonic impact rather than the harmony they make).
@OdinComposer4 жыл бұрын
The chord progressions are all over Japanese vgm!
@QuintusKing8 жыл бұрын
Exactly what I was looking for! I've heard such chords in tons of Japanese songs and every time there's a chord change like these it gives me goosebumps!
@danny555314 жыл бұрын
Yess in anime and I even notice it in Chinese and Korean music. It's so underrated and overlooked topic.
@QuintusKing4 жыл бұрын
@@danny55531 It is indeed! Reminds me a lot of Kana-Boon and other Japanese bands. You actually feel the emotions when you hear the chords.
@justiny22152 жыл бұрын
Yeah immediately when I heard it, I remembered a lot of Japanese songs. Jazz is expanded to every genre in Japan, it's very interesting.
@JinOnTheBeats2 жыл бұрын
it's called " syncop " for the information, and I agrre with you
@h__r2 жыл бұрын
you care to share some such songs you like?
@philmoufarrege10 жыл бұрын
this is why I decided to take my music over to Japan like he did. The mainstream pop over here is just far more receptive to things that in Australia or US would consider "strange" or "not accessible"
@axleblaze1239 жыл бұрын
I hope one to also become part of the Japanese music industry and culture
@ifiwasyouiwouldntbe6 жыл бұрын
I guess that explains why you never uploaded any of it to your channel. It's so "strange" or "not accessible" that its literally unavailable.
@_gheo6 жыл бұрын
@@ifiwasyouiwouldntbe That's not a point. I've had the same idea to take my music to Japan because I think they're more complex in terms of harmony, progressions and modulation. That being "strange" or "not accessible" doesn't have anything to do with him not uploading videos on his channel. For instance I uploaded some of my songs on my channel, yet I still got very few views. That's not them being not accessible, but it's people not being curious of listening to something new, or it's the artist not doing efficient work in promotion. Still, if you're not famous you're never gonna get enough attention.
@ifiwasyouiwouldntbe6 жыл бұрын
+Mat Teo That *is* a point, its just not one you agree with. I personally can't stand Japanophiles who act like they are above everyone else. They seem to mythologize the eastern ear, as though western people don't already have tone rows or jazz fusion or many other sorts of "outside the scale" forms of music. But because western people don't "get" *their* music, somehow the polite Japanese people not telling you it sucks means you are going to be a number one charting popstar. When in reality their pop music is just as trash as any other nations form of pop music. As far as this guy he is a prime example from what I can see, and he says hes taken his music over there because western people don't "get" it (contrarily australia already has a large asian population). But then his channel shows no signs of success or evidence of a musical product, which leads me to believe the Japanese didn't "get" it either and so there is nothing to show with any form of pride. So he is in fact just resentful to his homeland.
@_gheo6 жыл бұрын
@@ifiwasyouiwouldntbe In fact yes, Japanese chord progressions take a lot of western jazz music. I understand your point of view now, and on second thoughts you might be right, but I don't agree with the uploads. I mean, I know that if you are successful you would want to share it on the internet, but you may also decide that you don't want to. Or maybe you want to use a different channel with a different name. What do you think?
@davidricart139510 жыл бұрын
What I find to be a huge difference between japanese and american pop music is mode mixture, or the use of 'borrowed' chords. In a major key, the diatonic triad built on the 4th scale degree of said key will have a major tonality, but if you take the middle note of this chord (that would be la in solfege) and move it down one half step, you're now borrowing the minor IV chord from the minor key and it adds a colorful twist to a chord progression. The progression he played from arigato had plenty of mode mixture and its one of the reasons I find j-pop to be a lot more interesting to listen to than american pop
@teeteejay0018 жыл бұрын
thanks, that was insightful
@boxdog94748 жыл бұрын
There's only 1 difference. American music blatantly talks about sex. "Can you know my whistle baby." Japanese music doesn't blatantly talk about sex.
@teeteejay0018 жыл бұрын
no, plenty of japanese songs talk blatantly about sex. and i love it when they do. But there are so many musical differences between them such as use of pentatonic scales in vocal melody writing, walking bass lines and such
@Pakkens_Backyard6 жыл бұрын
Harmonic Chromaticism as a whole, as in also Applied Chords (Dominant/Leading Tone), not just Modal Mixture. And apparently that's the kind of music I like the most.
@Nothing_serious5 жыл бұрын
@@boxdog9474 What's so bad with songs about sex? People like to have sex. People make songs about drugs and cannibalism or shit but somehow sex is taboo.
@htxthewild55534 жыл бұрын
This is why I listen to more J-Pop artist then western artist I get called a weeb a lot but I LOVE J-Pop songs because their instrumental work is amazing
@htxthewild55534 жыл бұрын
@The Fantom Convoy I agree, especially becuase weeb is a insult but people used it in a lot of contexts that it lost its meaning
@zdubbs76094 жыл бұрын
I really don’t get that. Japan has one of the largest (If not largest. I forget if they’re behind the U.S. or not) music industry in the world. I really hate how when you hear of Japan in America, a lot of people will automatically think of anime and shit. Their industry has tons of talented artists and there should be no shame in being interested in their work.
@htxthewild55534 жыл бұрын
@@zdubbs7609 Exactly, a very good example is LiSA, like yeah she is one of the most recognized Anime artists but her songs that aren't anime are truly Amazing, examples are Propaganda and Tsumibito. Those two songs are some of my favorites from LiSA. Another example is UVERworld
@kenziecornett53133 жыл бұрын
J-Rock
@monroebarzol61523 жыл бұрын
@@htxthewild5553 not only that, most of my favorite j-rock songs come from anime and some of them I haven't even watched them. There are really "Musically" interesting openings or endings and I'm always excited to find out new ones
@elwahou2 жыл бұрын
That emotive journey that Japanese music employs in their progressions is something I'll never get tired of. Watching this in 2022 and it still resonates perfectly. This video reminded me of the feeling I got when I heard tricot's (トリコ) "Night monster" on their Jodeki album.
@tommyle6862 жыл бұрын
i’m learning potage on guitar and the chords after the main riff feel like they come from his example of japanese progressions
@Rstyle12 жыл бұрын
it was indeed very enriching what Marty was sharing. He was case-studying 6 other J-Pop artistes in the interview too. KZbin muted the rest of the videos I tried to upload.
@Fanchen6 жыл бұрын
I believe chords are presented in this order for the Japanese progression C | Esus4 E | Am | Gm7 C | Bm7b5 E7 | Am D9 | Dm7 | Dm7b5/G | repeat? I analyzed with ear, so I'm not 100 percent certain, but it should be the gist of it. Correct me if I'm wrong.
@rdezoveelste6 жыл бұрын
You're very close, but I heard a few things differently. Imo it should be something like C | Esus4 E | Am Gbm | Gm7 C | F6 E7 | Am Am/F# | Dm7 | Dm7b5/F G | The Gbm was very short. Also I'm not a 100% sure, about the F6 but it's defo a kind of IV chord, perhaps a II.
@ignadrs5 жыл бұрын
@@rdezoveelste I mean, and F6 is a Dm7 in second inversion, so it's a tricky chord in here, this is really close tho
@ohbks5 жыл бұрын
@@rdezoveelste I think OP was closer to what the guy played from what I am hearing. You're correct about Gbm (I think you meant to say Abm) that he plays it in the second pass of the 2 iterations. As for F6, he plays barre chord from the 5th fret, which implies Dm7. C | Am7 Esus4 | Am7 Abm7 | Gm7 C7 | Bm7b5 E7 | Am7 D2/F# | Dm7 | Fm F/G | CM7
@austindolan31424 жыл бұрын
American pop stars be like "Non diatonic chords? Extensions? What are those?" Japan be like:
@stonkman17052 жыл бұрын
What the, you are here lmao
@lentostinato10 жыл бұрын
If anyone watch anime here, the first 2 bar intro in the Opening theme of Sailor Moon (1 b2 b5 4 2 b3 7 #6) is a very typical Japanese scale. And also, in writing melody, many Japanese pop/rock I have been listening to from the last 2 decades tend to use a lot of minor 3rd and minor 6th leaps. Just a thought...
@adriancruz28227 жыл бұрын
lentostinato what the hell is a sharp six chord
@Xolin116 жыл бұрын
@@adriancruz2822 it's a melody smarty pants
@adriancruz28226 жыл бұрын
Xolin11 okay then what then hell is a sharp #6 scale degree?
@Shaker6266 жыл бұрын
He means an augmented sixth, an interval of 10 semitones.
@IuriSigma6 жыл бұрын
+lentostinato Interesting points. Curiously there's a nice counterpoint melody at the end of that Sailor Moon OP, I found that interesting because it shows how japanese have a focus on harmony, even if it is a J-Pop anime song they don't take their job for granted so they experiment a lot.
@KaineReiN6 жыл бұрын
When i first heard him play the western chord progression, i was like “meh...”, but when he played the japanese chord progression, it was so mindblowing!
@Marco_Onyxheart4 жыл бұрын
Western chord progression is super basic. The most standard one is known as vi-ii-V-I. It's a simple path to a chord that sounds almost like a root, and from there to the root chord. You start in a place that sounds unstable, and move naturally towards the stable-sounding root. There are more complex variations of this, but the principle is the same. In comparison, the Japanese chord progression laid out here takes all sorts of side paths. He could simply move towards the root, but suddenly something else happens. And another thing. It's like an entire story told in only the chords. It side-tracks, comes back on its path, then gets side-tracked again.
@BobJoeman2 жыл бұрын
@@Marco_Onyxheart You'll also hear songs written like this in musical theatre, which makes sense for a very narrative style
@hugostiglitz4912 жыл бұрын
Anime weeb bias
@timetravelingoldman68392 жыл бұрын
Weeb bias. American's make the best music in the world.
@gringotroller2 жыл бұрын
Mind blowing? I wish I was like you, easily amused
@likemusic7075 Жыл бұрын
I am Japanese. I compose music as a hobby, and there is one thing I often keep in mind when doing so. The idea is to decide on a chord that will be the endpoint, and then proceed to make as many natural choices as possible to reach that point. I think this may have something to do with the fact that there are so many transitional notes in Japanese music.
@farisfirdaus47445 жыл бұрын
no wonder anime openings tend to be somewhat 'emotional'.
Kyohei Tsutsumi, the godfather of J-POP, once said ”Rick Astley’s first album is filled with the sounds that Japanese people like”. That is basically the Ōdō shinkō is : IV△7-V7-iii7-vi progression
@MisterCask29 күн бұрын
I love how the quick chord jumps at 2:35 makes the Japanese dude fold his hands and lean foward.
@fauzanree19832 жыл бұрын
I always like music when listening to it is like a journey to me. I guess this is why i prefer Japanese music. Their choices of melodies and chord progressions always captivates me and take me on the journey and the emotions the song wants to communicate to me.
@rafaelnunez72402 жыл бұрын
I would just like to mention that as a lover of both music and videogames, this harmony instantly transported me to my childhood, as it is the exact chord progression that is used for the Littleroot town theme, of pokemon ruby/sapphire/emerald
@c.conga112 жыл бұрын
When he played the Japanese example it immediately made me reminisce about so many video game ending themes
@ZuoCruz11 жыл бұрын
C E7sus4 E Am Gm7 C Bm7b5 E Am D/F# Dm7 Fm7 G9sus4 C E7sus4 E Am G#m7 Gm7 C Bm7b5 E Am Am/F# Dm7 Dm Fm7 G9sus4 C I actually don't know the real chord name for "Am/F#". I just called it that because from Am you place your middle finger on the bass note F# on the E string. Anyways those are the chords. Just find the timing for them and you're set!
@OlePistolCooperation5 жыл бұрын
@Dark of the knight nope
@naxo99754 жыл бұрын
@@OlePistolCooperation it's f#dim it's a diminished chord with the minor 7th
@woobagooba17335 ай бұрын
F#m7b5?
@joelanza63602 жыл бұрын
so true. everything from metal, pop, punk and even the super mario music revolves around some sort of jazz influenced turnaround. so many interesting twists
@Dungeon47 Жыл бұрын
At that point, the word jazz, instead of defining a music genre, just defines an advanced level of musical complexity or maturity applied to any genre.
@TheChordstruckPony9 жыл бұрын
They do this transitions a lot in R&B, Neo-Soul, Gospel, and (sometimes) hip-hop. I-vii-iii-vi-V-I-IV-iii-vi-*_II_*-*_iv_* Never Would've Made It by Marvin Sapp carries these same progressions.
@prot07ype878 жыл бұрын
+Chordstruck Pony /)
@MelloDeeBeats8 жыл бұрын
I appreciate the breakdown
@bzarbzar29678 жыл бұрын
Oh wow, I'd never keep listening to that song if I played it a day ago. Now that I notice the chord progression, it is a really good track.
@ReasonArt8 жыл бұрын
I think that the most important thing in J-Pop and similar is the ii-v-i progression. I would say it's the signature from it
@SolluxAmpora6 жыл бұрын
Exactly!! When I heard what he played I did not think Japanese. I thought Black music. It sounded black honestly. So much soul and rhythm.
@aciidboot3r11 жыл бұрын
ZuoCruz Am/F# is a half diminished F# chord. F#m7b5 if you want. The A in Am is the minor third in the F#m7b5, the C becomes the diminished fifth and the E becomes the minor seventh. The chord usually works as a II function in minor chord progressions: For example: F#m7b5 (ii) - H7 (V) - Em (i) But in this instance it can also serve a different purpose. The Am can be the upper triad in a D9/F# chord that's played with the third(F#) as the bass note. It can also be a Am in dorian mode using the 6th note as the bass note to underline the fact that you are in dorian mode. So it can be a lot of things, depending on the situation it's being used in.
@leonardcrainie99288 жыл бұрын
I like this , I notice how the Japanese love to add more chords to their music . The rhythms are always interesting
@huuphuc55332 жыл бұрын
I agreed
@diecar1282 жыл бұрын
I got into Japanese pop and rock because it sounded so unique and exciting. Now i can finally put my finger on why
@rogerprendergast58375 жыл бұрын
I‘m Japanese. In my opinion, Japanese isn’t as good as at rhythms and rhymes than English. To express lyrics dramatically, Japanese chord progressions has been constructed complexly.
@trollingisasport4 жыл бұрын
Yeah. Japan has more interesting melodies, west is king of rhythm for the most part. EXCEPT city pop. That shit owns everything.
@sirmiluch68564 жыл бұрын
But Japanese singers are actually singing most of the times instead howling and groaning.
@zdubbs76094 жыл бұрын
But I believe that that is exactly what makes Japanese better.
@Rudenbehr4 жыл бұрын
@@trollingisasport city pop is literally a cover of black American music from the 70s and 80s. Haha
@carrotisalie4 жыл бұрын
@@sirmiluch6856 are you listening to music, or mating calls?
@Rstyle12 жыл бұрын
this is the only segment of the whole interview which he plays the guitar live. It is also the only segment he talked about the differences in composition. The rest of the videos are just Japanese MTVs of the artistes which he wanted to highlight about their uniqueness.
@FiredAndIced2 жыл бұрын
In 2022 I am reading up on musical chord progression, and the fusion/synthesis of Western and Eastern pop music. I can understand what Marty tried to replicate here, in this case, the famous 4-chord progression (thanks Axis of Awesome for introducing me to that spiel about how most Top 10 Billboard songs are always done in the same chord progression) versus the complex chord progression found in many Japanese music, both mainstream and rock. I have no objections to critique of both Western and Eastern music styles (Japanese language is too restrictive in expressing emotions, while Western music are replicable to death). Else, how we are going to progress artistically as individuals?
@enchantedpinkaj21128 жыл бұрын
I love Japanese music it flows so much better.
@beatsbywonkaofficial6 жыл бұрын
westerners = basic bitches
@stephenwyatt886 жыл бұрын
It's very melodic.
@Alpha-Hypnosis6 жыл бұрын
Spank me daddy
@AntiRiku5 жыл бұрын
well duh, you're a weeb
@marcobernacer5 жыл бұрын
@@stephenwyatt88 True. And I think it's their language that allows it. Japanese just offers more flexibility in terms of syllables and intonation than English.
@LumenDArius_Ray7 жыл бұрын
I've been more into interesting chord progressions when writing music, and I listen mainly to Japanese music, so now I finally completely understand why I compose the way I do :)
@deaamelia74127 жыл бұрын
so I was kinda curious which "Arigatou" song he was plaing (since there's so many japanese song titled "Arigatou"), but it turned out that it was Ikimonogakari's Arigatou which I listened to since forever wkwkwwkkw
@sunnyabby49662 жыл бұрын
i’m already in love with that Japanese chord progression wow
yea japanese chord progressions have alot of jazz inspired harmony. its just very expressive, its the best.
@saidoterodiseno6 жыл бұрын
This reminds me of japanese advertising; they often compose a lot of jingles for their ads and many of them sound like this, very joyful but with a jazzy feel and really complex basslines. That's a way to describe it: it's an harmonic journey through the chords, not just circles like pop western music.
@bietkachrep5 жыл бұрын
2:06 THAT IS WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR
@PerfectlyFreedom2 жыл бұрын
The guy on the right is a true enjoyer, I wanna be like him. Just sit, enjoy the show, and smile.
@christian666amador3 жыл бұрын
Omg! This is the best thing I've seen. Being a musician is such a beautiful thing. I love the guitar. Sounds heavenly
@Evangelionism6 жыл бұрын
*An absolutely fascinating gem. Where can I learn more about this kind of thing?*
@ene35634 жыл бұрын
What I like about J-Pop is that the lyrics are more varied and less repetitive.
@billbill60942 жыл бұрын
This immediately reminded me of my favorite Japanese song _Boku Wa Sekkusu Daisuki_ , a beautiful song about a man's love and his desire to get love back. This chord progression really does find its way into most Japanese music and it's great to see how that thread connects the sound across that culture.
@hanbyeol122 жыл бұрын
Best Joji song ngl
@em85372 жыл бұрын
Joji doesn't make japanese sounding song. it's more like American song with Japanese lyrics.
@billbill60942 жыл бұрын
@@em8537 who's this Joji? This song is by a nice fellow named _ピンクのやつ._
@em85372 жыл бұрын
@@billbill6094yes pink guy.
@fluffypotato74752 жыл бұрын
" I love sex" 😂😂
@justinmanser75252 жыл бұрын
It's weird that chord progressions are only one element of the musical universe. With the diverse new technologies and abilities a songwriter has these days, the importance of composition is a grey area. Play a tapping bass through a delay and wah and try to recreate early 2000s trance anthems (which is one of my specialties) and your only playing 3 or 4 chords, however, everything from how you move the wah to present the song is absolutely artistic also. I love Marty's playing, music and attitude towards songs... I can understand why Dave wanted his babies 😁. It's really good to see a thrash metal guitarist really accomplish what he has, and he continues to impress me not only as a great player, but a completely commited teacher who loves to share his insights. Great video, thanks.
@SamLazier Жыл бұрын
Since I was a kid I could always Japanese music always had some kind of extra-ambition in song structuring which was absent in most western popular music. Almost no japanese song I've heard felt lazy as a composition, not even the most minimalist songs, no matter if I even liked the song or not. It's no suprise how deeply Marty Friedman understands these core differences and knows how to explain it crystal clear, because you could hear how complicated, yet stylish his playing and compositions are in his classic recordings.
@angusorvid88402 жыл бұрын
Not only a great player but a true ethnomusicologist. Fascinating!
@willfeen2 жыл бұрын
when I think of Japanese music, I think of Whitney Houston chord progressions and melodies / Black R&B + Soul from the 70s-90s (which is founded in Jazz too) and this sort of explains why!!
@wa7saka5 жыл бұрын
yeah since i grew up with pop i also found some Japanese music when i was younger and became interested automatically because it sounded different and had these different chords that just just sounded so cool ,,, i get tired of the pop American chord progressions yknow
@kero2329 жыл бұрын
YES! I like the japanese progression's sound better, whatever it is.. gosh
@high-defRJАй бұрын
Ah, so Marty Friedman has noticed it too. I'm a Japanese that grew up in US, so my exposure to pop music was the American music of the 90s and into the 2000s. It's basically the 4 chords that gets looped over (I-V-vi-IV: C-G-Am-F or vi-IV-I-V: Am-F-C-G), and this isn't all American pop or rock music, as I love Ben Folds' tunes, that are jazzy and using jazz/blues type of chord progressions. And that's where Japanese pop or rock music blends well, as the music of Japan are also embedded in video game (Mario) and anime like Lupin The Third, and also Shiina Ringo, aiko, Ju-Ju, Anna Takeuchi, Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra, Porno Grafffitti, L'Arc~en~Ciel, and more that also uses jazz elements in their own pop/rock sounds. As I have played piano pretty much my lifetime since four years old, I played jazz since start of junior high. Because I live in Japan now, that's probably the good chunk of the reason I love Japanese music, but also Japan's fascination with jazz also helps in understanding the music structure of incorporating 70s disco and R+B, old school jazz, to make J-Pop's music seem jazzy in terms of chord progression. Then I think there's is a prevalence of hip-hop in American culture, so the American music seems to have taken hip-hop approach. I love hip-hop, and not trying to put American music down, as that is not my intent. Having seen my high school's jazz program's jazz ensembles on youTube, and seeing smaller number of students participating especially as beginners, I'm convinced that jazz is not hip enough for teenagers as well in the 2020s. Jazz is a strong art form, I see students and adults participating in schools and as amateurs in Japan quite a lot. Porno Graffitti's "Apollo", Anna Takeuchi's "BMB" are couple of tunes that I'd think are so amazing using jazz chords and elements. I'd recommend those tunes.
@kase14452 жыл бұрын
Japanese chord progressions are my favorite when I play bass because they can sound really happy and filled with a excited emotion or they can be very meloncholy and gives you a beautiful sound. I definitely prefer Japanese bass lines to western.
@HenritheHorse2 жыл бұрын
You know it's all western jazz and funk influence. Sadly western pop abandoned those mostly.
@stealthshinobi33102 жыл бұрын
Same here,im a bass player
@DanielLopez-zt4ig4 жыл бұрын
This chord progression was a very common in the 70's Soul/R&B/Disco music in the US.
@rokubota10 жыл бұрын
I wanted to see the whole thing but is hard to find. It's hilarious how there are people that think that they know better than Marty fucking Friedman about this subject XD. It seems like they got butthurt or something. He actually knows what his talking about kids. He lives in Japan and has produced and made music for Japanese artists all these years. The most common thing in western music is the 4 chord progression that he played, get over it. He is not saying that those chords are Japanese, fools, What he is saying is that is much more common to find them in many styles of Japanese music, including the most aggressive Metal, Another thing that he didn't say but I know for sure is that when it comes to harmony the Japanese composers like to clean their asses with the Counterpoint and Harmony theories XD, You can research Nobuo Uematsu's work if you want a clear example of this.
@shagstars7 жыл бұрын
FF music is more crazy than the progression friedman showed us. Uematsu is a genius in terms of music.
@IuriSigma6 жыл бұрын
+ShagStars Productions that's quite true. Seymour Battle for example sounds more like an extreme jazz fusion rock band music than a simple battle theme. The amount of solos, strange harmony and experimentation is incredible. You can hear those qualities in a lot of vgm japanese composers as well, for example ZUN's from Touhou fame, although he is a more conservative composer he often put crazy solos (specially piano ones) and rhythmic experimentations, like in Native Faith for example.
@johnnywilson30713 ай бұрын
@@shagstars FF music is also heavily inspired by RPI, (Le Orme, Museo Rosenbach and Osanna you can hear influences from them in Uematsu's music). Another reason why its so great. I definitely recommend giving the RPI genre a try, Italian vocals like Japanese vocals flow really well.
@salami_tommi Жыл бұрын
I was expecting IV-V-iii-vi for the Japanese progression. Another super common progression and one of my personal favs
@munzutai6 жыл бұрын
The Japanese song uses 6 out of the 7 different chords in the key (not even accounting for modal interchange and tensions of the chords) as opposed to the 4 in the western song. Makes such a huge difference
@daiki103uchi4 жыл бұрын
The Japanese chords shown by Marty reminds me of Your Lie in April ED-Orange
@Pakkens_Backyard7 жыл бұрын
Japanese chord progressions seem to come from Jazz and Gospel-style music. And Classical, too, really.
@roadfox8082 жыл бұрын
@@markbowen8461 That's right. In Japan, pop musicians in the 1990s attempted to fuse essences from many genres, mainly black music, such as jazz, gospel, R&B and bossa nova, and these became mainstream. This is what is known as city pop. The influence of city pop also extended to idol music and J-rock, and it became common for even unknown indie musicians to devise chord progressions.
@roentgen8225 жыл бұрын
Songs off the top of my head that have that similar American chord progression Marty mentioned: Maroon 5 - Girls Like You Taylor Swift - Love Story Miley Cyrus - Wrecking Ball
@sirmiluch68564 жыл бұрын
It's easier to name western pop songs that aren't using these 4 chords. Really.
@Sanatielify12 жыл бұрын
i think it was C - Esus4, E - Am - Gm - C - Bdim, Gm - C/G, C/F# - F - G# - C - is to divide measures theres a few wrong chords but this sounds pretty close to me.
@allanaziz2164 жыл бұрын
SO HELPFUL WAS LOOKING FOR THIS ON GUITAR!!
@callous214 жыл бұрын
So is there a pattern? How do you come up with these chords
@allanaziz2164 жыл бұрын
@@callous21 i figured it how to play it perfectly
@discocunt26923 жыл бұрын
thank you so much!!!
@Dr.Carrot_2 жыл бұрын
An example of a Japanese song using 4 Western chords (Spitz - Cherry) kzbin.info/www/bejne/e6vIZ2CbfdKngMk A song using Japanese chords (Ikimonogakari - Arigato) kzbin.info/www/bejne/jIulhmuCq79sZ7M Cherry is one of the most popular karaoke songs in Japan🇯🇵🎤
@Listener9702 жыл бұрын
I don't really understand all the types of keys or chord progressions, but I play guitar as a hobby. I like Japanese music because it sounded melancholic, it stretches the chords into an intense yearning kinda feeling by adding some suspended 7 in there, or some minors chords. It's drawn out as compared to how usual American pop chord progressions, but it's not bad, it actually gives the music some sort of an explanation kinda vibes.
@Li0nMa5K2 ай бұрын
I love how the "Western" style chord progression is the opening to that one Hajime no Ippo opening by "Shocking Lemon" XD
@ironcity86934 жыл бұрын
Light rock and R&B of the 70's & 80's has similar chord progression.
@Neithan2 жыл бұрын
1:32 to skip the academic fluff
@SarimFaruque3 жыл бұрын
I always thought that the unique Japanese sound was more from the instrumental tone or the language itself; it's nice to know that the riff is what makes it sound good. I also like Japanese-style bass which also sounds unique. Anyways the first chord progression isn't bad by itself; you can still make good music if you have great songwriting skills.
@zakur0hako2 жыл бұрын
I feel like there is no other place in the world where the influence of jazz is so prevalent
@pkwafflest2 жыл бұрын
It’s a pretty cool topic. I feel like lot of j-pop would be considered unconventional or harder to listen to for a mainstream audience for a bunch of reasons, like how a decent amount of westerners disregard jazz and such as boring and uninteresting music, which i think plays a pretty big factor in the difference in sound. While on the other end, most types of Japanese music embrace the jazz genre, which is why you hear varied chord progressions and really awesome basslines. Bands like Lamp and Soutaiseiriron are good examples.
@brandonvu54292 жыл бұрын
Watching this in 2022, it's clear to see that Japanese music, especially with how anime has taken over the west within the last few years, has a huge influence on young musicians coming up.
@theactorjohnlarroquette2 жыл бұрын
I mean what you’re basically talking about is a retention of the chordal harmony of mid century American jazz/funk and British Invasion pop songwriting tropes which both swept the world a couple times, but coming from a Japanese folk music foundation
@filmthestring60132 жыл бұрын
dude i was just listening to a japanese song in the background and when the video stopped playing my background song kept going and i thought that the video didn't ended lol. It's is literally how he explains it, music in japanese music tells a story along with everything, while in western pop mainly there is a use of chords for a base and they often use production and lyrics to tell the story
@repker7 жыл бұрын
it really is so strange how popular music is so much more complex in japan than it is in america. like even where it doesn't need to be it's still complex, wonder why
@Kodachi1125 жыл бұрын
That's because Japan has always been progressive and America is so traditional that things don't change.
@nckhed3 жыл бұрын
@@Kodachi112 Things don't change in the US? 🤔🤦♂️
@ivansoto97233 жыл бұрын
@@nckhed What he said was stupid. It's because music in America is structured around subculture, money, gimmicks, popularity, and hype. There are people jumping into making trap beats who don't even know what a scale is or how to make a basic triad. The ones who do know what they're doing, are off to a rougher start bc we didn't grow up with this kind of music unless they grew up listening to obscure, but good 70's-80's music. High accessibility to making music + Lack of musical knowledge + Low demand for theory rich music = Music that's more focused on what it represents vs the actual music itself.
@BensonOfD3 жыл бұрын
@@Kodachi112 Tbh no hate but I have no idea where you got that America is more traditional than Japan lmao Japanese culture is overwhelming influenced by tradition, you ever tried to work with a Japanese company? It's absurd how tedious it is, for literally no other reason than "it's always been done this way" even when it comes to the most miniscule of actions
@スタバ-w6h2 жыл бұрын
@@BensonOfD Most Japanese says America is culture of dance but japan is culture of karaoke.
@lethaldj132 жыл бұрын
i havent cried at an instrumental show before but when i first saw Rie Suzaku live i was crying at the melody lol! they are really good at this
@ThunderBurgers2 жыл бұрын
I find it unfortunate that most western mainstream music has completely abandoned chord progressions like the example played in the video. You don't even need to know much about music theory to see how much more demanding it is to perform these kinds of excerpts. Progressions like this one convey so much more dialogue and it's just tragic, knowing how little the media tries to push artists who experiment with more complex structures.
@stevemorrrismusic2 жыл бұрын
I absolutely love that omg
@rondesu94562 жыл бұрын
No wonder why Japanese songs are so beautiful, imagine that chord progression. All this time, I thought that Japanese song use the same culture to the west in terms of melody matching, so now I am not surprise why, despite not a fan of pop music, I became a fan of jpop and not only with JRock! Thanks Marty! 👍👍🇵🇭🇯🇵
@frankinthesnyderverse14884 ай бұрын
Circle of Fifths everybody!! III7 -> vi builds a lot of tension ii -> iv gives a nice descending melody v -> I7 -> IV does a nice brief modulation Notice how the Irigato chord progression is not just 4 measures long (like most American pop music), but it is MUCH longer, closer to 16 or 24 measures with no repeating patterns. Japanese music is very much about telling a JOURNEY and a STORY, there is a narrative and emotional experience to tell through song with many changes, and not just a short quick repeated chorus, which might find it's roots in Christian hymns. American music is about bring the abstract ideals down to earth through repetition, while Japanese music is about experiencing an emotional journey from the ground up and appreciating the lofty beauty in hindsight of the adventure, which is a very Plato-Aristotle type of approach to songwriting.
@Jack_Gatsby2 жыл бұрын
I cant plays music. But the japanese tone has always had the blend of sorrow, pain, and hope in almost all japanese songs i've heard..
@cyclos122 жыл бұрын
I did not realize that this is why when I was growing up I had all these usa alternative rock bands on my iPod and then every album ever recorded by the pillows the Japanese rock band.
@GoB19962 жыл бұрын
As an American I think this is why I’ve always been attracted to Japanese and Korean mainstream music. They have very accessible chord progressions just like western music but it’s just so much more rich and layered. Take Seiji Igusa, very simple progressions for a casual listener but enough flare for a musician to appreciate as well. Gotta love it, stay open minded my fellow people!
@loganfinn38082 жыл бұрын
These chords are mostly from the song "There Will Never Be Another You", an American pop standard
@francescogatti300210 ай бұрын
マーティンって英語上手いのね
@xanderalex34535 жыл бұрын
I've listened to a lot of amazarashi songs and that progression sounded incredibly familiar
@timothypolk98412 жыл бұрын
bruh like for real the japanese progression doesn't seem like anything thats all that different from like a basic 8-bar kind of more jazzy and functional progression and it seems to even hit a dominant at the end to bring you back to the tonic. like if anything it prolly just means that bands in japan aren't in to poppy simplicity. I'd be interested to see how often tonicless loops show up in their music cause thats kind of a cool thing thats come about in more popular western music.
@Baribrotzer2 жыл бұрын
Sounds almost like a Beatles progression (Paul especially), or one from the Great American Songbook.
@danny555314 жыл бұрын
I've noticed this in Korean and Chinese music as well. Everytime I hear an instrumental version of a Japanese drama I know instantly it's Japanese. This is very underrated topic.
@sirmiluch68564 жыл бұрын
Korean pop is just American pop with Korean vocals.
@danny555314 жыл бұрын
@@sirmiluch6856 In that case anything pop is American pop in that language? What kind of logic is that? So western centric.
@sirmiluch68564 жыл бұрын
@@danny55531 what are you talking about? Korean music is literally America copy paste. Most of Korean pop is produced exactly like American pop - "singing" (or rather groaning) style, composition and hyper sexualisation. Of course there are exemptions (mainly these artists that are rarher following Japanese style), but it doesn't change the fsct that vast majority of Korean music (and general Korean popculture) is nothing but America copy paste.
@zexfm57234 жыл бұрын
@@sirmiluch6856 Not quite. See this for example: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pYPZlqF3atdqiJI It's heavily based on Western pop certainly, but K-pop often goes for more complex chords and progressions similarly to J-music.
@おいしいパスター2 жыл бұрын
@@sirmiluch6856 You obviously haven't heard any more than BTS and some idols for Korean teenagers. You need to dig deeper into the indi scene to find real Korean songs and artists.
@winterume2 жыл бұрын
There's this anime i watched years back. Called K-on! It's an afterschool band club, their songs are light and cute but if you pay attention to their songs, each song has tricky chord progressions the whole run. Even the bass has it's own ad lib crazy riffs.
@johnnymoreira1923 жыл бұрын
Nice but,this is what happens in Brazilian Music (MPB/Nossa Nova).II V I progressions connecting chords,chords inversions by the thirth,fifth and seventh...Music is amazing beyond 4 simple chords.
@kumonom12 жыл бұрын
right? this explanation gives a very odd impression like all japanese music follows some type of formula as a lot of western music does, when really it's just that they're not afraid to diverge from typical chord progressions.
@michu67772 жыл бұрын
It would have made more sense for him to just say jazz/disco chord progressions never fell out of fashion in Japan (and Brazil) unlike USA.
@johnnymoreira1922 жыл бұрын
@@kumonom1 I meant in a general sense, you took it for yourself (and wrong).
@johnnymoreira1922 жыл бұрын
@@michu6777 Oh, really? So yes, you should try to understand anything that happened outside of America and Europe in the 60's and 70's.
@kumonom12 жыл бұрын
@@johnnymoreira192 I’m not implying at all that other countries don’t do this. What I’m saying is that the US no longer really does this. Japan has a ton of Brazilian influence in their music.
@Snofuzz6 жыл бұрын
Luckily stumbled on to this video and it makes so much more sense. I can't seem to fall back on US music or any other than Japanese and tend to stick with Japanese. I understand now.
@erestube2 жыл бұрын
Even these sophisticated chord progressions they got from the West. Japanese musicians do deep dives into guitarists and learn from the best the West has to offer. Jeff Beck, Steve Lukather, John Petrucci, and Gary Moore are some of the names that regularly roll off of many Japanese guitarists' lips. The problem with Japanese music can be they analyze what they are doing to death and lose the soul. Many Japanese guitarists have memorized great guitar songs and can play them damn near to the original, but have trouble or lose confidence in impromptu jam sessions. Therefore, they are very likely to do something from design rather than from an outpouring of emotion (relying on fewer chords), and things get mapped out "according to the manual" as they say in Japanese. That's why you find this type of pattern across genres. It is the "sophisticated" level of song structure, and anyone knowledgeable about Japanese research and their quest for "quality" can understand the connection.
If you want to hear an amazing Japanese band in the prog rock/jazz/fusion realm check out KENSO. Their "II" album in particular is marvelous.
@ShidoStrife7 жыл бұрын
I thought he was gonna play IV-V-iii-vi
@Labr4tOfficial6 жыл бұрын
HAHAHAHAHAHAHH GOOD ONE
@rdezoveelste6 жыл бұрын
Same. It's about as ubiquitous in Japanese pop as I-V-VI-IV is in American music afaik.
@mendBOT5 жыл бұрын
Indeed the Royal Road Progression is strong in japanese songs
@trollingisasport4 жыл бұрын
LOL Aye. That's in every pop song. Here he's demonstrating the kind of crap you hear in high nasal guitar shitty jpop.
@Morganstudios2 жыл бұрын
Chord progression is at 2:06
@mission9music5 жыл бұрын
Say me weeb, But i like jmusic more than my country music, because jmusic has feels, nostalgic, hitting in your heart vibe
@sirmiluch68564 жыл бұрын
People that are using childish insults like weeb are just uncultured narrow minded swines.
@DanSistos2 жыл бұрын
This is a jazz chord progression. Especially the II V in F and then back to C. Also the minor IV chord at then end. So while this may be used a lot in Japanese music, it still comes from western jazz.
@twhongred92243 жыл бұрын
Pov: you actually replay the Japanese chords part a lot of time