South Sound Theory

[proz9c]

Okay..

I would like to think that I know music theory, but still i can't come up with any of the melodies that I like to hear.

What i usually do is pick a scale, lets say b minor. and then build my song from there via circle of fifth. I either try to come up with a melody or some chord progressions WITHIN that scale (which is where i feel i'm doing somewhat wrong?)

When i try for practice to replicate a melody I hear on a beat or song it feels like they are playing out of scale or moving away from the scale to some degree (i am especially talking bout the south sounding stuff)

A few examples of stuff i don't understand:



This beat for instance, is A, F, A#, D, A, F, A#, D (thanks chuck GREAR)

So when i try to study this it looks to me like he starts in A minor and uses the circle of fifth to get to where he gets ? (A# = Bb)

How would one build up on top of this for instance ? what key is the song in now, can i use all white keys since we are in a minor or how would i go about to build a counter melody on top of this

 

[bandcoach]

Firstly it sounds to me like it is in Fmajor/Dminor and so that A# must be a Bb - i.e. even if we accept that A minor is the tonic chord it is the tonic chord of A Phrygian minor - A-Bb-C-D-E-F-G-A

then taking the A/F\Bb/D\ line and the line before it A\F/Bb\F/ etc (/ = moves up from, \ = moves down to) we can further assert some different interpretations of the underlying harmony

1) the start moves from F-Bb and back again if we take the pairs of notes used: A\F is part of an F major chord, Bb\F is part of a Bb major chord
2) an alternative harmonisation is that it is Am-F-Bb-F, i.e. each note is harmonised
3) a 3rd alternative is Am-Dm-Bb-Dm, each note is harmonised again but now we use the F as the 3rd of the Dm chord
4) a 4th alternative could be Am-Am#5-Bb-Am#5
5) the next line (the one you quoted) can then be considered in the same terms
a) F-Bb
b) Am-F-Bb-Dm
c) Am-Dm-Bb-Dm
d) Am-Am#5-Bb-Dm

the last interpretation is the one that seems to be in play

so going from that to a counter melody you would need to consider each chord in turn and use notes that are either dissonant or consonant to each chord:

Chord	Chord Tones	Consonant tones	Dissonant tones
Am	A-C-E	F, G	Bb, B, D
F	F-A-C	D, E	G, Bb, B
Bb	Bb-D-F	G, A	C, E
Dm	D-F-A	Bb, B, C	E, G

I have included B natural as it can be useful in providing additional tension through its dissonant combination with each chord

chord spellings
F ~ F-A-C
Bb ~ Bb-D-F
Am ~ A-C-E
Dm ~ D-F-A
Am#5 ~ A-C-E# (this could be an F major chord but the intent seems to be to follow the Russian cadence - Am-Am#5-Am6-Am#5 (Am6 = A-C-F#))

E#=F