what are common chords and scales used in hip hop music

Dude, don't waste your time, this was asked four weeks ago and the thread degenerated into the original poster being told to fix his internal problems and then get back to making music. There are a lot of theory haters here: "If it doesn't come to you it doesn't come and it's no-ones loss but your own" is their basic credo.

That said, so that you know where the thread may go, try the following thoughts:

  • Major Scale
  • Natural minor Scale
  • Melodic minor/jazz minor scales

Any chord progression is up for grabs in this game.

Here are some collected examples for the major and the minor.

The Roman Numeral notation is used to identify chord type and position within the current key/scale (examples are in C major for ease of explanation)
  • Upper case for Chords with a major 3rd: I means a major chord built on note 1, CEG
  • Lower case for chords with a minor 3rd: ii means a minor chord built on note 2, DFA
  • Use a # or b in front of the chord to change its starting pitch:
    • bII means a major chord built on note b2, DbFAb
    • #iv7b5 means a minor7b5 chord built on note #4, F#ACE
  • b5 to lower the fifth, viib5 means a minor chord with a flattened 5th or a diminished triad built on note 7, BDF
  • #5 to raise the fifth, III#5 means a major chord with a sharpened 5th or an augmented triad built on 3, EG#B# (G# because it is major and B# because it is a #5 not a b6 (C))
  • 7/9/11/13 to add additional notes above the initial chord
    • ii7 becomes DFAC
    • V9 becomes GBDFA
    • IV#11 becomes FACEGB
 
If your going for the current synthy wiz kalifia type or dj toomp/ TI sound you can't go wrong with F#m, Am, and Gmaj

Some chord progressions that usually work for me for those kinda beats are 1,4 (simple but jammin all the same, 6545, and 1415.... Throw in a lil one finger 3 note melody, a lil bell or mallet instrument harmony and a rolling dirty synth lead and u got the current type of hip hop sound that these young rappers like to flow on.

Im no expert by any means but that lil simple formula seems to work, for whats out now atleast...and of course theres a million other ways that are just as good to go about it!

Play with arpeggiators and gates too!
 
Just learn your diatonic chords in all 12 keys.

Maj - min - min - Maj - Maj - min - dim

In the key of C this is

C Maj - D min - E min - F maj - G maj - A min - B dim

If you don't want to learn all 12 keys stick with the key of C for now and just play around with progressions. Start on the 1st tone and go anywhere in that key and find your way back home. Start on the 6th tone of the scale, start on the 3rd tone just play around and find out what works. Invert your chords also, don't just play them in the root position. There are a lot of songs made with basic triads it all comes up to creativity.
 
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