quoted from here
I trot this out every time someone new asks about trap:
here are some links to posts and thread and some transcriptions I've done of various trap beats in terms of their chords and scales:
specifically these posts
You might also be interested in the following posts/threads as well
I'm sure there are more, but these are the ones that I got to initially
forgot to mention that most of the justice leagues approach to trap writing seems to stem from the Theme from Shaft, particularly the end section which runs F[sup]maj7[/sup]-Em[sup]7[/sup], iotw, Isaac Hayes is the godfather of trap....
and quoted from here
originally posted over there, but posted here with layout improvements
Something I posted a few weeks back over here
https://www.futureproducers.com/for...ommonly-used-progression-368407/#post49128262
Each of the tunes you mention do indeed use the same progression although in different keys. There are also some variations within the different songs that make the progressions used novel in each instance.
This uses the progression E[sup]b[/sup]min[sub]/B[sup]b[/sup][/sub] - C[sup]b[/sup] major (D[sup]#[/sup]min[sub]/A[sup]#[/sup][/sub] - B major)
The first chord appears to be the home chord or chord i. So the progression is best described as i[sub]/5[/sub] - [sup]b[/sup]VI
[mp3]http://www.bandcoach.org/fp/audio/jlex-01.mp3[/mp3]
This uses the progression Dmin - B[sup]b[/sup] major and sometimes Dmin[sub]/A[/sub] - B[sup]b[/sup] major
The first chord appears to be the home chord or chord i. So the progression is best described as i - [sup]b[/sup]VI and i[sub]/5[/sub] - [sup]b[/sup]VI
Version 1
[mp3]http://www.bandcoach.org/fp/audio/jlex-02.mp3[/mp3]
Version 2
[mp3]http://www.bandcoach.org/fp/audio/jlex-03.mp3[/mp3]
This uses the progression Cmin - A[sup]b[/sup]major/C and Cmin/G - A[sup]b[/sup] major. the progression then modulates (changes key center) to Dmin - B[sup]b[/sup] major[sub]/D[/sub] and sometimes Dmin[sub]/A[/sub] - B[sup]b[/sup] major
In both keys, the first chord appears to be the home chord or chord i. So the progression is best described as i - [sup]b[/sup]VI[sub]/1[/sub] and i[sub]/5[/sub] - [sup]b[/sup]VI
The key difference is the rhythm used:
The chord i is played for the first 3 beats and chord [sup]b[/sup]VI is played on the last two 8th notes with an accent.
Version 1
[mp3]http://www.bandcoach.org/fp/audio/jlex-04.mp3[/mp3]
Version 2
[mp3]http://www.bandcoach.org/fp/audio/jlex-05.mp3[/mp3]
Lastly here are all three progressions put into the same key
[mp3]http://www.bandcoach.org/fp/audio/jlex-06.mp3[/mp3]
In each of the 12 keys, the progression would be
| i or i[sub]/5[/sub] | [sup]b[/sup]VI |
| Dmin[sub]/A[/sub] | B[sup]b[/sup] |
| Emin[sub]/B[[/sub] | C |
| Fmin[sub]/C[/sub] | D[sup]b[/sup] |
| Gmin/[sub]D[/sub] | E[sup]b[/sup] |
| Amin[sub]/E[/sub] | F |
| Bmin[sub]/F[sup]#[/sup][/sub] | G |
| Cmin[sub]/G[/sub] | A[sup]b[/sup] |
| C[sup]#[/sup]min[sub]/G[sup]#[/sup][/sub] | A |
| D[sup]#[/sup]min[sub]/A[/sub][sup]#[/sup] | B |
| F[sup]#[/sup]min[sub]/C[sup]#[/sup][/sub] | D |
| G[sup]#[/sup]min[sub]/D[sup]#[/sup][/sub] | E |
| B[sup]b[/sup]min[sub]/F[/sub] | G[sup]b[/sup] |
Oh, and if you substitute the relative minor for the second chord then it would be a fourth away, e.g.
Cminor-A[sup]b[/sup]Major (iii-I or i-[sup]b[/sup]VI)
CE[sup]b[/sup]G - A[sup]b[/sup]CE[sup]b[/sup]
becomes
Cminor-Fminor (iii-vi or i-iv)
CE[sup]b[/sup]G - FA[sup]b[/sup]C
But I still believe that it is C minor - A[sup]b[/sup]Major because of what the bass is doing
