PARALLEL KEYS 101 - you NEED to know this

[@ericecklund676]

Guy, I'll probably never get to meet you, but it's a real treat watching you come up with zany ways to explain Music Theory. This is one of the best reasons to subscribe to your channel. A Funeral dirge in C Major for a rubbish composer...now that was funny...I don't care who you are!

[@BrandiScarlet]

He is EPIC!!!! 😎🥸🤩

[@ThinkSpaceEducation]

Thank you RIP!

[@apurvashanker]

I don't think I exaggerate when I say that the world needs parallel Guy as it's supreme leader.

[@concorde__]

its* but yeah agreed

[@rdru2ner82]

Omg! This is the coolest music teacher in the world he makes you want to learn music with his light comedy between breaks in his video. Thank you,

[@alaindubois1505]

The best people are [KZbin] music makers who generously share what they can, and they're all so unique in what they have to show. When we go beyond major and minor, there's jazz. Few are so humourous as Guy. Many are sensitive, friendly, or even like the best teacher you've had at school. Eccentricity is a key element to creativity. When you think you know major and minor, Guy comes out with some simple stuff that is incredibly helpful. I'm getting used to the term 'borrowed chords'. When you want to practise and, meditate with finger puppets talking on KZbin, watch Oliver Prehn's New Jazz. His bass player is his right hand. She walks down the keyboard, over the left chord-playing hand to her position two octaves below. Cool eccentricity. Variety is great.

[@zelly8163]

Guy you could be the most fun person teaching on the web. And I always learn new things thanks to you.

[@tomhick5372]

Been learning music theory for 8 years, never even heard of parallel keys - Guy, you're amazing!

[@ThinkSpaceEducation]

Go play! Its not that complicated and super useful

[@tomhick5372]

@@ThinkSpaceEducation Will do!

[@mrdali67]

Its what he says, if the Music you make sounds nice Its all good. If the theme he showed us comes after a lesson in parallel keys still didn’t make it to a funeral ... It’s nice to know all the musical theory to make you understand what you are doing, but often ear bangers are written by musicians that know absolutely nothing about the theory behind what they just made, they just write good music

[@oibruv3889]

That's surprising, by studying what do you mean? I've been studying for less than a year, but I've already come across modal mixture in an expressive tonality sense, as well as the use of it in semantic association and transformational theory. That probably sounded like a flex, that's not how I mean it, I just mean to wonder what parts of theory you were studying for so long not to come across it.

[@acidhendrix]

@@oibruv3889 Kinda what I was wondering too lol

[@LG-bi1sr]

Being able to go outside scales without sounding off opens up so many possibilities. New chord combinations, better melodies, going into new scales... These techniques are like pathways to do so. Another one is going up or down one semitone for each note in the chord.

[@vinitpoojari6165]

You’re one of the best discoveries I’ve made in these times. Learning and relearning through your hilarious joyful videos is an experience in itself. Thank you for this❤️

[@pramog]

There is so much of effort behind creating this intro. Hats off to your hardwork Sir for making learning more entertaining and enjoyable 👏👏

[@jondellar]

That funeral segment and your aside had me in hysterics! 😂😂 Great lesson - thank you.

[@Jeff034]

This is gold! 40 years of playing and writing and I have to see this this for the light bulb to go off! Thanks mate!!

[@Pedrotube0565]

Guy, You know what? every time I am not in a good mood or have writer's block, I watch your latest video - and at the end of it I feel much better every time. funny, self-deprecating and always optimistic - I love that. Thanks, Guy!

[@b4time718]

Great video. Borrowed chords are the best treatment for composers block!

[@StephenRCar]

Gotta say. I've been a subscriber for maybe 6 months. "Film scoring" isn't my interest but making my music is. And I can't believe how much more facile and colored my sounds are. The biggest plus is what you model. "make what you want to hear.", "look under every rock", "around every corner," "down every street". Behind this door there is a whole universe awaiting my attention.

[@deeedledeee]

You're the musical mentor I never had in real life but I'll do with whatever I can get from these videos. Thank you Guy!!

[@itsanthony1980]

This is probably one of the best lessons I have ever watched. You have such a knack for explaining and hinting at possibilities without handing to musicians on a plate. I come away from your videos reinvigorated rather than questioning why I continue with this blasted hobby of mine. Please continue what you are doing and don't change. You are a goldmine Guy!

[@blmus]

Guy! Man! This is so amazing. I've never been one to grasp a ton of theory, but this content is so consumable and just leveled up my playing and writing. Thank you so much!

[@ThinkSpaceEducation]

Delighted to help

[@speakuscorner]

Phenomenally helpful, the lesson of the day. Like making a discovery that was always there hiding in plain sight. 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾 Parallel harmonies & the altered dominant chord scale have now given me two other groups of chords to choose from to create harmonic movement & build progression, which will also imply tunes whilst trying out different chords & creating progressions. For this discovery I’ll give you the props & say your the Man. 👍🏾

[@TheDaben]

As someone who learned to play piano before I learned how to play piano I find this video extremely helpful.

[@christiaantinga]

LoL... Guy, this is why I love you. A good sense of humour and some playful learning. You're so addictive. Keep on doing this ♥♥

[@ThinkSpaceEducation]

thank you

[@SXTransmission]

I started to write a song the other day bass first then added a melody then figured out some chords. The chords seemed unusual to me, with that "yearning" feeling. Now watching this seems they fit the parallel minor idea. So now I'm inspired to continue to develop it in this way. What a gem of a technique it is!

[@VinnieM62]

Hi Guy I am intermediate guitar player never played a piano but your lessons are very eye opening and amusing - keep them coming - a great help to me ! Thanks

[@harrymartinunderwater1496]

I'm a minute thirty into this piece and it's already brilliant. Guy has outdone himself! News Anchors (news presenters), never die they just fade into MUSICIANS!

[@bhorstkotte]

You're such a joy Guy, I could listen to you converse with yourself all day - and I'm retired and it's cold and cloudy outside, so I think I'll do just that! (With a guitar in hand to fiddle with what I learn along the way)

[@da-p6814]

You're the best teacher on youtube. Bar none.

[@DarqIce]

Finally got my MIDI keyboard... Now, to put ALL this into practice... make that faf around until you get a feel for all these chords, scales, modes and whatnot :D Fun times! Thank you, Guy. I have the same attitude towards theory as you - learn it when you need it. And you need it, once you've reached the limit of what you can practice on your own and you actually FEEL there's more and you want it :D

[@joetowers4804]

Parallel minor is somewhat cooler. Must be the shades.

[@ThinkSpaceEducation]

I am obviously

[@stevemccoy_1]

But the latte tho... not at all the same as a reliable cup of tea!

[@mrzold]

Ordinarily I am easily embarrassed by attempts at cleverness/cuteness/comedy ... but you know what? That was really fun, quite amusing. Well done.

[@arturmarkowski1887]

new video=nice beginning of a weekend :D

[@ThinkSpaceEducation]

happy friday

[@AndyD2011]

Love this, I need to learn this, great way of breaking away from my usual chord habits! Thank you!

[@ThinkSpaceEducation]

Exactly

[@ComposerRocks]

This came along at just the right moment in my development as a composer, Guy. The tip to simply go up a minor third (three half-steps) from the tonic, 4th, or 5th note of the major scale to arrive at the parallel minor scale 3rd, 6th, or 7th (respectively) is rather mind-blowing since I can now quickly envision from the keyboard how to modulate to those borrowed chords. Also, I hadn't thought about extending a chord to, say, a 7th as a way to increase the available chords to which to modulate. So cool!

[@N4505]

Mind blown! You're my new favorite youtuber, thank you so much!

[@marek_molicki]

Guy Michelmore is the best music teacher ever :)

[@deepspacemusicofficial9671]

You are the coolest teacher on KZbin for a reason sir 🙌

[@rickmullins4878]

Was thinking "isn't this the same as modal interchange?" and shortly after 11mins Guy essentially says it is, but "don't be greedy". :D Thank you Guy for making music theory so accessible and understandable. I've learned/implemented music theory more in the last 18 months than in the previous 20 years thanks to you and your explanations.

[@alroyvox2830]

The best teacher ever! Guy, hello from Russia :)

[@brianandolina7091]

Huge Fan of yours! I also purchased two of your courses and have been raving about you to my friends. Thank You! Thank You! It's so nice having that keyboard on screen being able to seeing what keys you're hitting with that pop up keyboard. Thank you!

[@kylepetersen6520]

your awesome Guy I'm in my first semester of music school though my classes aren't always teaching me things I want to learn you always seem to have something I wanna learn. I often know about the concepts you talk about, but you always show them being implemented, which is so much more helpful than a teacher just saying what it is.

[@rodterrell304]

I'm going to be humming that tune all-night! Thanks Guy!

[@SighDown]

Guy, you are so devastatingly creative!

[@sennathesenna1384]

"I'm nice and reliable, and predictable" "I'm the interesting one" Lmaooo why is that so true?

[@WhistlebirdInfinity]

Thanks so much Guy! I have been playing and trying to write music for a good 30 years or more, and this reminder was very timely for me. I think if music were like going down a path in the woods, I like getting lost, but these points you made get me into a mindset more of learning little detours around hills and valleys while all the while keeping track of where I am in relation to the first path I set out on, and making it easier for me to get back there maybe through a few other scenic detours on the way home. So, again, thanks for the lesson. And I just subscribed too which I should have done a few years ago! May the magical areas of the continue to unveil themselves to you!

[@AMBIOSIS]

You gotta laugh, you guy's remind me of those two old characters from way way back, " SPY Vs SPY " 😎

[@ThinkSpaceEducation]

Ha!

[@paulmdevenney]

I loved this video. I've done this instinctively sometimes, without realising the full range of options suddenly opened up, mostly because I just stab chords until I find something I like! Now I have a method to apply. I would describe it as adding that extra layer of musical complexity/depth when your tune is feeling too predictable.

[@streliste8]

THATS IT! this was the video that filled my little rather BIG hole in my "music theory" that I am learning from your CHANNEL! I will definitely get think space education music theory course because I want to support you guys!

[@andycordy5190]

Light bulb moment💡 Following the scale of Dm in the same way. OMG !!!!!! Dm, E°, F∆, G∆, Am, Bflat∆, C∆. The same pattern! Thank you!

[@petegreenfield8366]

Enjoyed that, Guy. You’re a great teacher. Pete

[@BoAakerstrom]

As a guitarist I wonder if the layout of the keys in different keys will influence what patterns you see. I mostly see patterns when I play instead of scales, but perhaps it is more free on a guitar with a semitone between each fret.

[@BrokenG-String]

Thanks Guy you've really inspired me to have more fun when creating music and taught me to not be so hard on myself. No more sunglasses 🕶️ of doubt 😊

[@dipanjanacharyya1345]

Could you please go through the process of a key change within an arrangement: what do you take into consideration, how do you orchestrate it, etc.

[@professor808d6]

Absolutely loved the intro. Well done.

[@MrRicksym]

I love your videos and your teaching style, Thank you Guy !!

[@brnzak]

This is so useful! Thank you, Guy!

[@ThinkSpaceEducation]

You're welcome

[@mrzold]

This is a great lesson. It occurs to me that a system is a system (and potentially tired or recognizably system-y) , but also, like anything (for example, an interval!), it can be a springboard for experimentation and innovation.

[@jonjermey]

Someone -- it might have been Steve Race -- said there is nothing funnier than watching a great creative mind in a state of panic. Thank you, Guy, for putting your panic up for all to see. I already have my funeral playlist worked out, by the way. And Be Svendsen's Let Them Not Weep will be prominent. (The lyrics are taken from Gloomy Sunday, if that means anything.)

[@ThinkSpaceEducation]

Steve Race! A genius

[@DavidMaclin351]

You just totally got me out of a rut with this. Thank you!

[@d8scorelab869]

Hey Guy. Thanks for all the inspiration. Because of you I finally got the courage to make you tube vids. I'm still rubbish but maybe a nice cuppa and some sunglasses of self belief would help!

[@DThompson55]

I was this many years old before I was shown this. Can I rewind and start my musical life over again?

[@timball8429]

Brilliant stuff, Guy. Finding the channel really entertaining and enlightening!

[@akcel1211]

C'est vraiment excellent, c'est un peu ma manière de procéder. Merci beaucoup Maestro !

[@chrislittlefield9999]

Ahh Brilliant ! I've only sort of known about this but Guy you just turned the light on in the room - Thanks !

[@hbr6619]

This is hilarious. I have found my teacher! I love your style.

[@LindaMissad]

Thanks, Guy, for the fun and cheery way to start a Friday. I love substituting the parallel major and minor chords, but I think I've worn out the flat VI, flat VII to I combination in my own improvs

[@ThinkSpaceEducation]

Yes I know its too easy to fall into that

[@magicalmaybe7651]

OK this is a watch more than once video. Slightly more difficult top grasp but worth it. Thanks Guy

[@erictherowe]

Thank you Guy for explaining things so well and for your attitude about things. It helps me a lot to just be creative while learning.

[@SeniorTorro]

I was doing great till 3:44 then went into meltdown , will have to study this one , your videos are top noch !

[@jennymecham]

I think this is my favorite video of yours! Who knew learning more about music theory could be so entertaining. 😂 Thank you!

[@Hamiemu]

Simply brilliant! I wonder if I can throw in a couple of them in my grade 6 composition homeworks without getting my old school tutor tired in a knot!

[@oibruv3889]

They'd have to be so old school as to consider Tchaikovsky modern tripe :)

[@coalescence3835]

My gosh your editing is phenomenal

[@wulfenii64]

I've seen other videos on this subject but this was really eye opening. Thanks, sir.

[@ThinkSpaceEducation]

you're welcome

[@The-Weekend-Warrior]

I love the intro :D You're such a funny and creative chap Guy!!!

[@aaryantajanpure7461]

this video has provided me "out of control!" creative inspiration! gotta make a track very soon now

[@johannborchersfriends]

I always wondered how writers manage to do this. Now I know and can do it too! Thanks Guy!

[@FLH3official]

I would love to have such a music teacher 45 years ago, he/she would have taught me why I'm using the tools I use today and also the name of these tools, why a FM7 then a Dm6 then a Em7 and then a D6 sound fun... (now I know the names of these chords because I read them in my DAW...)

[@Larsmannetje66]

“It opens up...” Yes it does. This was a video that I knew was there, but it... opened up more. Thanks for that. Btw, the minor Guy seems like a nice Guy to share a nice philosophical evening with, as well. If you’re ever in NL, don’t be a stranger. Or do, if you prefer that.

[@smiggy1968]

Love it! How to write elevator music! But seriously Guy as a modes fan thanks for opening my eyes and ears to an alternative way of harmonizing music!

[@slowster2945]

It's funny to me. When you talk about seeing patterns on the keyboard, I realise that you're seeing the keys in a similar way to how I see frets on a guitar. I've always understood the harmonic relationship between positions on the fretboard, but I struggle to pick up these relationships on keys on the fly. I can figure out things quickly enough, but I'm constantly translating harmonic relationships from keyboard to guitar and then back to keyboard. Basically like how someone might operate with a second language.

[@AltaMihartescu]

absolutely brilliant explanation...love it!

[@hpnascimento95]

As always, amazing video, Guy! Thank you!

[@PendelSteven]

I think in pop and rock written on guitar we borrow the VII from the parallel minor chord, so you get: I - IIm - IIIm - IV - V - VIm - VII(b) G - Am - Bm - C - D - Em - F Since a Dimished Chord is hard to play on guitar.

[@millsy131]

I am whistling that tune now Guy!!

[@seannel7464]

Love the Jerusalema rhythm in your "cheezie chune"! Makes me think of home and South African 1-4-5 jazz!

[@jonesy5185]

I have done a couple of your courses and got a lot out of them but, this has really flicked a switch. Cheers.

[@JulesCalella]

I've written melodies over power chords (just the 1 & 5) and it always leads to key changes when additional harmonies come in. It should be fun to write music with the intentional key changes though.

[@isaaccardin]

You also could have dressed like a Miner for next level dad humor

[@ThinkSpaceEducation]

dad humour eh!

[@dafingaz]

And an army major

[@cyborgmetropolis7652]

A flat minor is what you get from dropping a piano down a mine shaft.

[@shanedunne8488]

“Yes well I’d have liked to have been a judge…” (sorry, couldn’t resist)

[@KE010101]

I will give these ideas a try ,although I am such a beginner, this is probably too advanced for me at this point, yet your videos are massively helpful. Even if I can only use these concepts down the road a bit they will get used at some point.

[@neilingle794]

Love this Guy! I always come away from your videos feeling happier, and more content to be me. Some of the stuff you did, I also do - but as I'm just a hobbyist, I constantly doubt myself. You validate, in your own unique way, that it's ok to make music your way, and not have to stick to the 'rules'. The main thing is what comes out at the end, and that it makes you happy. One thing I've been fixating on too much is trying to find one unifying mode for a piece of music I've written - like it's in Dorian, but what about that duff note over there? Well, who cares! It's just a parallel substitution from Mixolydian (or whatever), and I've got Guy to back me up, so there! 😏

[@pushqrdx]

come on, your videos are amazing and they keep getting even better

[@chas1085]

Excellent topic, excellently presented. Thanks!

[@mixxtv1361]

This Guy is Amazing

[@17thshard62]

Guy, Have you checked out Captain Chords/Captain Keys? They're plugins a lot of the younger EDM kids use for making melodies, and would be perfect to show off more music theory tutorials if you're gonna pull out the piano roll for future videos.

[@FerniFF]

Love this channel. Love your energy

[@ryan-heath]

Thanks, now that melody is stuck in my head!

[@daveking-sandbox9263]

Great clip Guy!

[@Doady1337]

Enjoyable and infortmative! Secondary dominants next? :)

[@zendobrendo0001]

I love your music theory videos, but what in the world is that insane controller on top of your S88 and what are you doing with it!?

[@circlemover]

In a parallel universe would the minor scale be happy and reliable and the major sad but more interesting? thanx Guy indeed you are a person.

[@granbyplungar2929]

Outstanding video yet again. So indebted to you for your contribution to my music making. Thank you.

[@bryangl1]

Guy - spot on! Does it SOUND nice/right etc. The ear is the best arbiter. not getting lost in the maze of academic theory. Theory is necessary, but . . .

[@michaelwilliamson248]

Great! So well explained. Have you done a video on secondary dominants, sus chords and extensions?

[@oibruv3889]

Secondary dominants yes. However if you want to learn these things without dependence on An, albeit great, KZbinr, I would recommend the book 'complete musician'

[@ElectricEddieDaus]

Hey Guy, I am a little confused. I thought you were trying borrow Parallel Minor chords to enhance the Original Melody to try to make it better. But going from Chords - (C, G, F, AM) to (C, Eb, Ab, Gm) you went from Key of ("C" to Key "Eb") right? Now of course with 3 Flats you need to change the Melody or it won't work. So basically haven't you just written a new Idea? I thought the main idea was to keep the Original Melody and try to make the Original Melody sound better by swapping to a Parallel Minor Chord. I guess my idea is based on thinking you were given a melody for an Jingle, lets say for a Widget Company and were trying different chords to spice it up. Or was the idea that the Melody, was a loose idea that could be changed, so the overall sound of the song just came across better? At first I thought you were trying to enhance the already written fixed Melody. Now I am not so sure. Can you share what your ideas & intentions were? PS. I got a good laugh out of "The Bright & Happy Guy" Vs. "The Laid Back Complicated Emotional Guy"..... Nice video work...LOL.. Thx ElectricEddie Daus