How To Write Chords to Vocals For Beginners

[@Bthelick]

I forgot to mention how to use a major scale if you don't know it. Simply use all the white notes starting from C instead of A.

[@sachins6196]

@Bthelick Had a question so the fourth chord in the progression is purely our choice right? 1-6-4-X or X-4-6-1? Anything apart from the diminished chord can be used correct?

[@Bthelick]

​@@sachins6196 I'm just trying to say that chords 1 6 and 4 will work a majority of the time. the 4th chord doesn't have to be different it can just be another 1 6 or 4, or There doesn't have to be a 4th chord in the sequence at all. In fact you can choose 2, or 1 or 8! by all means try the other chords and see how they feel the purpose of the video is just to make you aware that 1 6 or 4 will fit under most melodies, regardless of order , or how many are in the sequence. hope that makes sense. (btw if you want a creator to answer a question just make a new comment. for some reason KZbin is very bad at notifying us of replies to existing comments 🤷🤷)

[@sachins6196]

@@Bthelick Thanks a bunch!

[@FurkanTopal]

You're awesome, awesome, awesome, awesome!!! Thank you so much BtheLick! Every tutorial is like a hidden gem! 🔥

[@hevibeatss]

oo reis naber

[@kuoskae]

These tutorials are a Masterpiece! Thank you so much for your (FREE!) knowledge!

[@Sbradyman]

thank you this is a great tip for a beginner, using pitch to play a scale with all white keys, genius

[@Alexrx8]

best video of chord explanation. Thanks a lot mate!

[@VeeDCreate]

This was great, thanks a lot! Took me 3 hrs decoding the melody of a vocal sample yesterday. Building chords and sound selection. Finally understood how some songs can take days or even months to finish and some can be done within a few days. I ended up chording the melody which did NOT work. A minor with 4 3 5 and 4 3 1 and sound selection is vitally important.

[@Karl_Hogarth]

This mysterious magic you weave, surely you are a Witch!!

[@djroboak]

Just wow! I have no words, craziest and awesome easy to understand tutorial, thank you so much for sharing, extremely valuable lesson, that we have missing now a days in youtube, Thank so much.

[@Williammartto0]

Good trick!! THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR WISDOM..

[@MrJmhess77]

Greetings! It took me watching the "Chords & Numbers" video several times before it stuck. However, I watched an Andrew Huang video to get a diff perspective and for the most part I knew what he was talking about.😀

[@markkamark5775]

Another Top tutorial Maestro!! .. Thanks for your great help !! 😊👍😉

[@Bthelick]

thank you Mark! 🙌👊

[@stekra-youtube]

Cool 🎉

[@lolmeme696]

Really useful tutorial, dude! Thank for this 👌

[@ranjang7]

Thanks a lot❤️

[@rikgreen520]

The vocal you have at 8.26, I've used that in one of my tracks last year, but had to pitch it down for my track and now it sounds like a bloke.....beltin vocal though....made me giggle when it came up then.

[@aqrs269]

You're a legend!

[@sashanvak]

You make it so obviously constant.

[@brunocorreia6525]

Very valuable information, thanks for the tips...

[@phalix0]

This was really helpful Thanks alot

[@1986-e3s]

This is gold! Thank you!

[@made2music]

Love it. What a giveaway. Thanks for your great tutorials.

[@machydj]

this is gold 🏅 thx

[@G3ra300]

you are such a beauty m8, thank you 😊

[@thetree2044]

Fantastic video many many thanks !

[@909.gabriel]

So helpful

[@paulgriffiths8488]

wow!😃

[@djroboak]

how we can do that 164 trick in fl studio? Please help

[@Bthelick]

It's not daw specific at all, in fact it's not instrument specific even it's just music theory. Find the notes A F and D in your midi on FL and that's 164 in A.

[@djroboak]

@@Bthelick

[@pet_cow_5452]

Legend

[@danydonowitz]

Sensei!!! 🙏

[@davormaric4436]

I recently subscribed and I'm amazed with your content! Can you do the breakdown of this song you did? Sounds amazing!

[@Bthelick]

Hey. Sure! I'll add it to the list. most people are asking for more famous songs right now though, I'll try get to this eventually ❤️🙏👊. Let me know what you'd like to see from it

[@davormaric4436]

@@Bthelick Thanks for the quick reply! Well, I'm mostly interested in building blocks of this genre, and generally, what genre is this so I can do a little bit of breakdown on my own (I know it's House, but there are so many sub-genres conflicting with each other that I can't keep a track of anymore lol). Generally, I think it would be really helpful if you showcase how do you break down a certain genre from collecting tracks through sample analysis to general tonal balance and flow

[@Bthelick]

@@davormaric4436 Yeah its a good idea tbh. Recognising synergistic sounds in line with certain trends/genres is half the battle too!

[@hunterman448]

Smart move pitching it to the right key so you can use all whites!! Is there a way to do that in fl studio? Thanks for the help!

[@Bthelick]

Good question. I presumed FL would have a live midi pitch / transpose , but I've just had a Google and it doesn't seem to. Hopefully someone else in the comments might be able to chip in 🤔

[@thetree2044]

Do the passing chords need to be short in comparison to the primary chords or is it ok to make them long ?

[@Bthelick]

If they're as long as the main chords then they're no longer passing. But that's not a problem itself, it just means you don't call them passing chords any more haha.. If it fits it fits! This is all just quick guides to get you started, not absolute rights and wrongs.

[@thetree2044]

@@Bthelickmany thanks for your reply , i guess ears and judgement. May be another way to mistake proof could be to scale quantise the vocals to pentatonic scale. Minor pentatonic is less risk free than major , I read somewhere it can clash with a Major 4th chord.

[@Bthelick]

​​@@thetree2044 if chord 4 is major then you're in Major, Dorian or Mixolydian so you'd need to use the appropriate pentatonic from that scale. Have a look at my more recent video on working out vocal melodies, I go more in depth on chord choice per melody note instead of a quick hack like the 164 trick

[@thetree2044]

@@Bthelick sorry made a mistake in my last reply , should of wrote Minor Pentatonic has less risks than the Major.

[@thetree2044]

@@Bthelick I'll have view thank you for your help

[@AirArtStudiosOfficial]

Choon ❤

[@Chamilawarna]

interesting thank you .

[@thetree2044]

Hi another question again , can the passing chords (omitting the ones you said we should avoid) be placed in between the primary 146 in any order and still work with any melody.

[@Bthelick]

The passing chords are more likely to 'flow' when adjacent, like 3 or 5 on the way to 4 etc. Remember how you asked if passing chords could be longer? Well the reason we keep them short is also to reduce the likelihood of them clashing with the melody. In that sense, they are not there to contribute to the harmony as much, there are more for adding rhythm or interest, and as such if they are short the chord chosen isn't as important. As always though, use your ears!

[@thetree2044]

@@Bthelick thank you for your answer, again to summarise , if going between 1 to 4, use 3 or 5 or if 4 to 6 , then consider 5. I also watched your 'Garage Chord Trick' video where you talk about Functional Harmony. So to go back to the 1 (home chord) from 4 or 6 I guess 5, 7 chords could be a good option. Furthermore, keeping them short like you demonstrated in the video above so that if dissonance occurs it isn't too unpleasant. Trouble for me is I really do not trust my ears anymore. Back in 2018 I submitted 12 tracks to a very well known Garage producer who in 2016 I had releases with. They was all rejected for being off - key out of tune. Ever since I have been trying to find a fail safe method.There probably isn't one, but it becomes less enjoyable to me that there is no way for me to mistake proof and will probably make 1 single mistake which will make hours of effort pointless. Hopefully using the techniques you have kindly described will reduce to some extent of my errors occuring.

[@Bthelick]

Ah that's interesting. These questions are making more sense. True tone-deafness (known as amusia) is extremely rare , but it's possible. Have you ever tested? Like at tonedeaftest.com ? Give it a go let me know

[@thetree2044]

@@Bthelick I was scared of taking the test. But scored 36/36 so got 100% so I am relieved I am not tone death. But I really feel for those who are. For those who are this shouldn't stop them from making music and tools and support should be there for them.

[@Bthelick]

Ah that's good to hear (no pun intended). You have good fundamental pitch direction recognition then.

[@thetree2044]

Also to confirm you can if you want to only use one or two chords if you choose to , as long as it is 146 ?

[@Bthelick]

Yeah of course 👊.

[@thetree2044]

@@Bthelick thank you for your patience with me with all these questions I am asking. Really appreciated your help

[@rickymaxx]

Bthelick this content is great, does this work only with C minor vocals, what about F minor.

[@Bthelick]

Any vocals, any key. Minor is minor. The note pattern is the same across all keys, doesn't matter. Check out my chord numbers video and hopefully that should make more sense 👊

[@rickymaxx]

@@Bthelick I have learned more from your videos than 2 paid courses than they been milking my wallet for a year

[@johnnyjay4215]

great hack top video

[@Bthelick]

thanks johnny!

[@devizl]

🍷

[@djdexter24]

Does this work on every Key or just this one?

[@Bthelick]

Any. I just explained and showed this very thing in a recent follow up video. kzbin.info/www/bejne/p3fUc2mNmKmhrc0si=sYtCjHFCwG87geOn

[@thetree2044]

Does this work for 7th Chords as well or only triads? (The extended chords)

[@Bthelick]

Yes it does 👊

[@thetree2044]

@@Bthelick brilliant , thank you , your a legend

[@thetree2044]

If you use route notes as your bass notes these would work too ?

[@Bthelick]

The voicing of the chords doesn't matter, you can use root notes or try inversions if it helps the feel match the melody better. Or are you asking if you can just use bass root notes without the upper chord? If so that will also work yes.

[@thetree2044]

Your going to hate me for this lol and I try no more questions on this matter. Also I will tell my friends about your brilliant channel. Does the 146 trick work with borrowed chords , let's say I have a c major vocal I first harmonise with c major chords but I want to change the flavour and I want to replace chords from A minor

[@tellzywellzy1604]

Is the vocal on splice? And why pack?

[@Bthelick]

Yes it was from splice, its label is DS_VSHOD_126 Your Love

[@livefromtheglampad]

Love your videos !! I have question? How do you write chords for the different parts. Verse,chorus, bridge ext.ext. Im sure I’m doing something wrong because when I write my own the song don’t sound right. I hope I got my point across

[@Bthelick]

Great question. The short answer is "don't"! Many many songs, especially modern ones use the same progression throughout the entire song. The changes you are hearing are usually arrangement changes not actual chord changes (taking the drums or bass out, changing melody/hook, changing the rhythm of a part, or 're-voicing the chord) Take a look at my Paul Woolford breakdown and tribute track you'll see a lot of that going on there. Older songs and certain genres like jazz / progressive rock are much more complicated harmonically and change often. Also there are harmonically minimal genres like techno and tech house which sometimes don't even have a chord change at all. Or a chord! (See my vid genres that don't use chords) it is absolutely not necessary for making great music. Look up the video by the "axis of awesome" for a talent show. They play a medley of 50+ songs that all use the same 4 chords! If you're new to song writing don't make it harder for yourself, just try to create magic with just 2 or 3 chords for now like some of the greats have. As an added bonus that will force you to get an ear for other important factors like groove, melody, arrangement, emotion and story telling! It's easy to get fixated on chords, executable complicated ones because they are fascinating like a maths puzzle! (Maybe that's just me haha) But in reality they are just a small part of a big picture , and they only need to be emotionally appropriate for the song nothing more. 👊🙏❤️

[@Jadenh87]

​@@Bthelicksuch a legend

[@peterkoval]

most people talk about the 1-4-5 chords. is this something exclusive to house or EDM music?

[@Bthelick]

No this isn't exclusive, this will work in any melodic genre. 1 4 5 is taught often because all those chords are the same type in each scale (they are all major chords in a major scale and all minor chords in a minor scale) they are also easier to learn when playing an instrument. Also when it comes to a classical thing called "functional harmony" 1 4 5 each have distinct purpose for beginners when writing your own music from scratch. For trying to fit chords to an existing vocal or melody however, 1 4 and 6 are much more likely to fit.

[@peterkoval]

@@Bthelick Thanks for the detailed and informative reply. Really appreciated!!

[@JasonHersco]

🤯

[@jeffwass8268]

how do you get the numbers where you have them ?

[@Bthelick]

Sorry Jeff I don't understand the question, can you elaborate?

[@Bthelick]

oh you mean how do you display numbers next to the notes?

[@jeffwass8268]

@@Bthelick yes mate or am I being thick lol

[@Bthelick]

@@jeffwass8268 it's not a daw feature I did it in the video editor!. If you want help with that though your daw should have a scale feature of some form.

[@jeffwass8268]

@@Bthelick yeah i do mate ableton 11 just thought it was something i was missing i can't play piano and not very good with scales so i do use captain chords now and again

[@NeglectedGoattt]

Another great video, thanks bthelick :) I have a question... If I take a vocal sample and chop it up pretty heavily to create a new melodic 'hook', will that then change the key of the vocal sample? If it does is there a way of easily identifying the new key? Adding to that - is there a point where my vocal chop will actually become more of a percussive element? An example I have is the vocal chop that comes in at 00:30 for this song: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bmnTnHyQj5mZm9E The original vocal is from this song: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eJuUiaasbrCooK8 Thanks again for sharing all your knowledge. You're the best on YT at doing what you do!

[@Bthelick]

If the chops are purely rhythmical, and you're not pitching the vocal then the key doesn't change. If the chops happen to omit notes, then it becomes possible to make the vocal compatible more keys. Meaning of the original melody used 5 notes then that's pretty locked to 1 or 2 keys, but if the chops leave only 3 notes then they might fit in 4 or 5 keys now. If you don't know your scales and want to check with more than your ears then various websites and plugins let you enter notes and give you that info. The part will have a percussive role but only as far as any melody does, rhythm is still very important. For the part to cross over to purely percussive it would need to either very short notes so as not to be able to discern pitch all lacking in much melodic variation so that it no longer provides a melodic roll. For example triggering on one note only.

[@NeglectedGoattt]

@@Bthelick Ah okay, I get you. That clears things up for me. Thanks for the lengthy reply. I really appreciate it!

[@Fkyoughhgf]

Why numbers ? And not normal abc

[@Bthelick]

Great question thankyou. It's Because ABC only works for the key of A (minor) When working in any of the other 66 keys ABC no longer works, it's more important to understand the relative distances of the notes. it's far far easier to understand that a key has notes 1-7 rather than learning every single name in each key. For example D# minor is not ABC, it's D# F G# . But those are the same 123 distance as the notes of A minor. So it's why not just learn the minor distances 1-7 instead of 11 different combinations of letters? Hope that makes sense.

[@Fkyoughhgf]

@@Bthelick yeha right , thanks for explain man ) , every day new learning .

[@Bthelick]

@@Fkyoughhgf Hey Alex, just letting you know I got more questions similar to yours here, so I just made a video explaining that scale distance thing as it was hard to explain in text. here kzbin.info/www/bejne/o4G8m4Wafd1rasU hope that helps you 👊

[@KARAMUS_]

what kinda black magic is this and why i now just saw this

[@SweetDeltoids]

can we get the advanced version of this?

[@Bthelick]

Yes, there are a few, you ready?! The Direct follow up: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hH6vYmtrbNOIpZY that one requires you know how to 'convert' audio melodies into midi: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nICam3p3r5x_eZY Also Recently I did 2 follow videos answering questions from the beginners video, they start simple and get more advanced: kzbin.info/www/bejne/p3fUc2mNmKmhrc0 kzbin.info/www/bejne/g5mVfKaCj9WAobc let me know if you still have any questions 👊