When he started playing I was like "WAIT ISN'T THAT THE INTRO FOR [insert every anime I've ever seen]"

@josephkuforiji9407

3 жыл бұрын

thought the same😂

@satsumaicecreamonsunday5671

3 жыл бұрын

at 2:15 it sounded like bungou stray dogs s2 ed

@WhatAreDrums729

3 жыл бұрын

Also almost the same melody as "Captain Awkward" by Moron Police

@TheAce736

3 жыл бұрын

It would fit with airman ga taosenai really well

@joechapman8208

3 жыл бұрын

While my brain was going, "No matter what I do, all I think about is you, Even when I’m with my boo..." [edit] Oops, I see someone else did too

I’ve been looking for something exactly like this for such a long time

@gavinleepermusic

5 жыл бұрын

Collin Bryson Glad I could help!

@isaacmoreira8124

5 жыл бұрын

@@gavinleepermusic Man, you are fuckin brillant! Thanks for your time studying, practicing and making this video!

@CamilaFuentes0227

4 жыл бұрын

Me too!

@mrbuck2646

4 жыл бұрын

Same here

@revenge_of_the_garbage

3 жыл бұрын

Me too!

Japanese composers LOVE using secondary dominants in their progressions, it sounds so colorful

@Kyubiwan

3 жыл бұрын

Sometimes they write these secondary 2-5-1s, such as vii°-V7/vi-vi (Bdim-E7-Am) and v-V7/IV-IV (Gm-C7-F)

@JoseSantos-hb4nx

3 жыл бұрын

@@Kyubiwan can we agree that 2 5 to the IV is the best 2 5?

@Kyubiwan

3 жыл бұрын

@@JoseSantos-hb4nx Yes. How about 2 5 to the vi, with the diminished vii° chord?

@sakigake_music

3 жыл бұрын

日本人だけど言われてみればそうだわ

@iankeithestenzo485

3 жыл бұрын

They are also use chromatic progression

Finally found an answer to japanese songs

@minka866

4 жыл бұрын

What was your doubts?

having grown up listening to so much modern japanese music, my ear naturally tends to lead me to these kinds of musical devices when composing, and i’m very thankful for that because they’re absolutely breathtaking.

@kalmonds

3 жыл бұрын

EXACTLY

@___xyz___

2 жыл бұрын

As a composer with a background in European genres, I am actually thankful I don't tend towards Japanese progressions. Much as they make decent music in and of themselves, they are very shallow devices, and very few Japanese composers earn my respect as able to break the mold of these hardcoded chords. That being said, I would definitely recommend people familiarise themselves with and learn Japanese pop music, as at least on the surface it's more diverse than Western pop music. If you play guitar or something, it's nice to get a comp going.

@odangoatama98

2 жыл бұрын

@@___xyz___ do you want a cookie

@KM41867

2 жыл бұрын

@@___xyz___ What do you mean by "shallow" and why is it supposedly significant in the context of comparing Japanese and Western chord progressions?

@sacr3dseeker

8 ай бұрын

@@___xyz___ honestly this reply feels hateful and dishonest

Modern Japanese chord progressions can trace their roots to the pentatonic scale used in traditional Japanese music. Modern Japanese chord progressions are essentially an evolution of the traditional Japanese pentatonic scale. Japanese musicians combined that with Western instruments and blues, classical, jazz and rock influences along with modern Japanese electronic synths. And the result is modern Japanese music.

I grew up listening to Western and Japanese music and learned these chords by ear by playing music from my childhood on guitar. I started to see patterns and I started gravitating toward “Japanese chord progressions.” Although I never learned music theory, it’s super interesting to see what is going on. I’ve heard people call the Rick Astley’s “Never Gonna Give You Up” or Franki Valli’s “ Can’t Take My Eye’s Off of You” chord progression the “Royal Road” progression. I’ve also noticed lots of Japanese songs use Pachelbel’s “Canon in D” progressions as well. I think Jpop was heavily influenced by Eurobeat, especially in the late 80s through the 90s, and they pulled influences from 60s rock bands like the Beatles, as well as jazz.

@christinenadeau6371

4 жыл бұрын

Eurobeat basically evolved from Japanese people dancing to high-nrg and italo-disco (amongst other genres) music in the eighties, the european producers making that stuff created eurobeat as a response to their tastes

@authoreyes101

3 жыл бұрын

Jpop did get its start in Jazz when soldiers were stationed there, as well as karaoke i believe 😊

@gwalla

3 жыл бұрын

IV-V-iii-vi was already ubiquitous in Japanese pop at least as far back as the 1940s. It is to enka what I-vi-IV-V is to doo-wop. It just never really went out of style in Japan the way the '50s progression did in America.

@greysonatha9948

3 жыл бұрын

Pachelbel's cannon, was built on an already heavily used progression. It's down 4 up 1 repeat till you get back to tonic.

@kokubo399

3 жыл бұрын

You completely skipped over my favorite part: 70s Jazz Funk babyyyyyy

THis is really exactly what I wanted to learn! I'm not sure if I'm at the stage of composing my own music, but I'm learning music theory on my own to try and grasp the basics of music composing.

@gavinleepermusic

4 жыл бұрын

Great to hear! I'm glad this was helpful :)

As a jazz musician, I've always been so fascinated by this particular style of Japanese music composition. It makes you wonder how much of it is based on jazz music and how much of it is the other way around.

I'm very glad I clicked on this as I am not an anime fan, but everything in this video gave me a lot to work with in my "midwest emo" mathrock in 4/4 guitar playing.

dude establishes an admiration for nintendo music, studio ghibli, AND chon in the first thirty seconds of the video. fastest sub ever ;3

Toe is one of the greatest bands ever. The drummer, the electric guitars and bass, the acoustic, the keys, every little thing about their sound is done so well.

Dude, seriously this video was kind of best lesson ever. i was able to sit in the piano and apply succesfully the progressions. thanks for this!

@gavinleepermusic

5 жыл бұрын

gabriel de giacomi Wow that's so awesome to hear!!

I'm currently working on my composition (final project) for AP music theory. I incorporated some of the stuff you mentioned in this video. Big thank you Gavin because this was very informative and helpful.

@gavinleepermusic

5 жыл бұрын

Katievent Amazing! Glad you found this helpful. I'd love to see your project when you're done, if you're comfortable sharing : )

@gavinleepermusic

5 жыл бұрын

Anime Rules! I think a lot of that R&B flavor can be achieved with choosing soulful voicings of these chords. Sus chords like F/G (which I have a whole video about btw) can help there. kzread.info/dash/bejne/k6KWs5aCY8qshbw.html I'd also see some of Jeff Schneider's early videos on the subject. Particularly his voicings of maj7 chords where he hammers on the 7 or 3rd late. kzread.info/dash/bejne/rKl81tt7frHUl7g.html I'm a sucker for that kinda thing. Glasper does it pretty frequently too.

@gavinleepermusic

5 жыл бұрын

Feel free to DM me a link to your project on Instagram! I'm @leapah.

I wish this was made sooner. I kinda took the long route to being able to write these kinds of progressions. You know how some people say that the music you listen to tends to come out in your playing? That's what inevitably happened in my case. I listened to Japanese music so much, that one day while just messing around, I hit the right chord and it all started falling into place. It took me about 4 years before that sound started coming out. Now every time I play with friends who strictly listen to western music, I have to consciously make myself play differently. One said that these progressions sound too random, that she can't find a melody and it sounds like smashing random chords together.

@gavinleepermusic

4 жыл бұрын

バカ兄貴 Welcome! Glad this helps, and I know what you mean.

This blew my mind and boosted the quality of my random improvisations, I wish I found this 2 years earlier...

Japanese chord progression sound so freaking awesome, relaxing, sad, happy and more

"one cadence to weeb them all" thx!!

Damn dude i was looking for this for so long

Love your composition! (and of course the info you gave)

"I'm only 4 on the weeb scale" proceeds to ja-ne peace sign his way out of the video

@shrinewitch

3 жыл бұрын

Yeah he's not fooling anyone 😂

@Anarqism

2 ай бұрын

4 out of 5

This video deserves a million views, great work !

This was really useful, amazing work!

Amazing video! Looking forward to your future videos!

Amazing video, your explanations are so clear! thank you :)

Although I am brazilian, I also grew around japanese stuff since I'm half japanese myself. I always had this ease of improvising bossa nova by accident, even if I didn't really listen to it at all, now I realise there's a reason for everything.

@jdechello

2 жыл бұрын

Ryuichi Sakamoto had a trio with Jacques and Paula Morelenbaum playing Brazilian music about 20 years ago.

@Ewang2727

2 жыл бұрын

You guys are extremely common lol there's so many Japanese ppl in Brazil I'm not surprised there's a lot of mixed ppl there

@ivansoto9723

Жыл бұрын

@@Ewang2727 There's actually a Brazillian population in Japan funny enough

Fun and educational! Thanks for putting this together :)

Thank you so much for this! Amazing work! :)

Good ideia man! I just did this when I first started listening to CHON, they totally got me into learning guitar and music theory in general!

I appreciate your vibe. Sometimes theory videos make my eyes gloss over but you kept it grounded.

wow, it's extremely useful! THANK YOU!

Exactly what I was looking for!! Thank you!

This was super interesting and I'll probably incorporate it into my own songwriting. Also, thanks for introducing me to a bunch of cool new bands.

*hears the first bits of the "Orange" ED from Toradora* *begins crying*

This is exactly what i was looking for thank you!!!

Thank you so much! This is tremendous stuff.

This is amazing! Very eye-opening stuff.

@gavinleepermusic

5 жыл бұрын

DCBeats Glad you think so!

FYI, Sakamoto's gorgeous "Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence" is an instrumental version of an even more beautiful song "Forbidden Colours" with David Sylvian (of the band Japan) on vocals. Sylvian wrote the touching lyrics and sang them in a way that only he can. And if you haven't seen this Oshima's film, it stars David Bowie, Takeshi, and even a 30-year-old Sakamoto :)

Great video! Keep up the great work! Have an awesome day!

Excellent and well broken down. Thank you so much for this. Subscribed!

Loved this video!, thanks so much! I really liked that you included a ton of prior art for each talking point. Very research oriented! 😁

@gavinleepermusic

5 жыл бұрын

Alain Galvan Thank you! Yeah this one actually required quite a bit of research

Wasn't expecting to see Chon when I clicked this. Ive seen the live twice. Such a great band

Great video, it was fun and informative!

Yessss! Thank you this was beautifully arranged, video and piece!

I love the visuals you use it really helps me understand

@gavinleepermusic

3 жыл бұрын

Glad they help!

great your video, i have been looking for this class for a long time thanks

@abrancaeopreto4669

2 жыл бұрын

I am artist on the spotfy looking for me " A Branca e o preto on the spotfy there are my compose

Thank you so much dude, this is mad eye opening stuff

Dude thank you so much for this. Very informative and easy to understand! I’m definitely going to be using this in my bands new stuff!

this is one of the most thoughtful and comprehensive tutorials on what gives anime "THAT" sound. . .I can't thank you enough my dood.

@gavinleepermusic

3 жыл бұрын

I'm so glad and honored to help you understand this music!

This is such a great video! I love how you take time to break it down into small steps, use music examples, show piano chords and finally make it yours with an awesome creation. I learned so much within only 15 minutes and will definitely rewatch it a lot to get more from it. Hope you'll keep on this great work, thank you!

@gavinleepermusic

5 жыл бұрын

Jordan Caussat aww thank you Jordan!! Follow up video in the works!

I've been waiting for this video for such a long time-- bless your soul

Is what I was waiting for a long time, you read my mind. Thanks You!

Thanks for the super clear explanation, you've been well analysing those scores and songs! Was always wondering how they got their sound! Will try to incorpore some of those progressions in my compositions! Cheers

@gavinleepermusic

5 жыл бұрын

MichaelBogaMusic Glad you liked it! Do share anything you make. I'd be curious to hear. I'm @leapah on insta. You can DM me there if you like :)

@MichaelBogaMusic

5 жыл бұрын

Super informative yes! Haven't really tried yet but i will i'll let you know! Cool i'll follow you on IG then and let's chat! Cheers

It's interesting, I feel like the lack of 1 chord really gives the sound a sense of 'journeying' which is great for an anime opening and great for a video game soundtrack where we are never reaching our destination, we are leading the ear to keep expecting more music (since it's likely a loop.)

This is incredible. So much info and so many great examples. Thank you!

Super inspiring, thanks man !

Finally found a legitimate answer to what I was wanting to know! Holy crap mate, THANK YOU!!!

For future reference, I suggest analysing these in minor keys, rather than major. The progressions IV - V - vi and IV - III - i should really be VI - VII - i and VI - V - i respectively - it makes much more harmonic sense that way. Otherwise, great video!

@tuckvison

3 жыл бұрын

Yeah, I was kinda surprised by how far down I had to scroll to find this comment. To be fair, the key can be ambiguous in some of these tracks or change... though with the specific chord progressions he went over, these are definitely minor progressions when analyzed in a vacuum. I suppose when writing specifically anime music which often resolves in major, looking at them as IV - V - vi and IV - III - iv can be a more effective way to go about it -- maybe this is a little advanced for the scope of the video but some mention of modulation/key pivoting would've been helpful to alleviate that ambiguity for some people. Great video overall and I love the way he synthesized with what he found.

@shuppypuppy17

3 жыл бұрын

I want someone to explain the scale a lot of Kpop Japanese releases have idk they sound similar and have this cool scale

@menriquez89

3 жыл бұрын

Yeah these songs are all minor

@boots4snootin571

3 жыл бұрын

I find its just easier to have one way to think about it. I don't wanna remember that a IV in the major sounds like what a bVI(??) in the relative minor its the same notes. Simpler to always view of it from the lens of the relative major, or the minor if you've learned it like that. There's not really a point to learning it twice

@FirstLast-uj9ud

3 жыл бұрын

​@@boots4snootin571 There is a point though... the whole purpose of functional analysis (i.e., the Roman numerals) is to show the relationship between chords and their functions. Those relationships get lost when you analyse something in the wrong key. For example, V - i in a minor key, when analysed in its relative major, becomes III - vi. This makes no harmonic sense, because III is not a dominant function chord, and vi, while it is technically a tonic function chord, doesn't really serve the same purpose as the i chord. Analysing a minor song in its relative major makes about as much sense as analysing something in C major as though it were in G major.

Incredible video, very well structured, well explained and entertaining to watch. Thank you !

I've been looking for a video that explains these concepts for so long, and I finally found this one. Thank you for your hard work.

So awesome! My favorite ending song from One Piece called "Shining ray" uses the first progression (which I knew) but each verse also ends with the picardy third (which I didn't know till now!) thank you for the awesome vid & new tools!

@gavinleepermusic

4 жыл бұрын

Jon Aschalew Music Correct! Glad you found this useful.

Finally! a video where there is someone that is concentrated on “music theory” Instead of cringy video edits made for a quick laugh and cheap thrills Bravo! for your work and studying the chord progressions, I was actually thinking of doing a video myself discussing the music theory behind it

@joycesanders4898

4 жыл бұрын

..do it!🥼🎹🎵

Finally!! I have been looking for ever for a video like this! I would love more like this!

I was about to start researching on this and found out you had done most of the work already. Thanks dude!

Your modern japanese stylized guitar riff sounds like “Dilemma” by Nelly ft. Kelly Rowland I dig it.

@gavinleepermusic

3 жыл бұрын

Alex Ketner Haha yes, a friend made me well aware of this in draft stages. Good ear!

@nataliem4434

3 жыл бұрын

this is literally all I could hear lol

@ethanscott9761

3 жыл бұрын

I knew it sounded super familiar lmao. Thank you for reminding me what song

@kikoishere

3 жыл бұрын

my thoughts exactly haha

Clicking this video: What is this BS? Watching this video: This is amazing. Really great job, as a music nerd I love it, and as a Japanese music fans, your examples were great! Uchu Combini, Fox Capture Plan, amazing... Subscribed!

Amazing Gavin! Thank you for making this video... very informative and well thought out.

Thank you so much for this video! Was trawling everywhere for this kind of video!

Gavin, would you ever do a video breaking down Triste or common musical devices found in Samba music? Your channel looks pretty focused on Japanese, progressive rock, and neo jazz prog rock etc type styles. Which is super cool, just wondering if you're planning any other "genre specific music theory break downs" of commonly used musical ideas in other styles as well? You did an excellent job on this video and I'd love to see how dissect other styles as well. Thanks!

Your video was a revelation for me. I always had a love for the OOT ocarina melodies and Sakamoto's Mr. Lawrence, but I didn't think they had anything in common. Fast-forward 15 years and I'm getting into Anime in a big way, discovering new favorite works from Hisaishi, Yokoyama and Ushio, among others. Now I hear you casually mention relatively obscure bands who's sound I've recently fallen in love with (as part of my general discovery of Math Rock) like Toe, Chon and Uchu Conbini? You blew my mind. I only know the name Fox Capture Plan because they were attached to an anime OST recently; judging from the clips in your video, though, it sounds like I'm going to dig their music too. I guess I'm just a sucker for the cord progressions in your video. Thank you - It's so satisfying to have something tangible to explain why I like all these seemingly disparate pieces of music, instead of the opaque "I just like how it sounds". As far as suggestions go, listen to George Yanagi's Weeping In The Rain. I'd love to know how the melody manages to have a soulful 70's-esc sound while retaining an asian flavor.

@gavinleepermusic

5 жыл бұрын

Wow, so glad this was of so much use to you! This is precisely what excites me about making these videos in the first place. Oh wow, I didn't know they did an OST. Are you talking about Seishun Buta Yarou? I'll give that George Yanagi tune a listen and let you know! If I'm able to figure it out and communicate it in a minute, I'll post in on my insta (@leapah) for you. I also don't know Yokoyama. What should I check out?

@Burningrush

5 жыл бұрын

@@gavinleepermusic I am indeed talking about Seishun Buta! I haven't had a chance to sit down and listen to the OST yet though. Masaru Yokoyama is a pretty prolific composer - I think his best anime works are the Your Lie in April and Scum's Wish OSTs. He's not purely an anime composer, though; he's done plenty of scoring for live action works. One of my favorite compositions is his theme to the NHK show Family History: kzread.info/dash/bejne/iop4r8agj93OYdI.html I think it's a real showcase of his style. I don't know any music theory to tell you what aspects of the composition are distinctly his, but his use of short string notes and melodically complex piano rhythms are a Yokoyama staple, I think. While I'm recommending live action soundtracks, the Begin Japanology theme blends traditional Japanese instrumentation with a pretty modern-sounding arrangement; I've always dug it: kzread.info/dash/bejne/hJmgy6eog7zPlKQ.html Look out for Hiroko Sebu - originally a singer, she's gotten into scoring and composition lateley. Her live action OST's are solid (though hard to find online), and she's started doing Anime very recently. Lastly, Taku Takahashi's pieces on the Biblia Koshodō no Jiken Techō OST, who (bringing it back to composers for Anime), had some of the best tracks on the Space Dandy OST - an anthology OST, which is an entire conversation in and of itself.

@gavinleepermusic

5 жыл бұрын

@@Burningrush Thank you for all of this! I'll start checking things out.

Great video, that helped me a lot to see what stands behind Toe guitar patterns :)

Awesome analysis! Thanks for the info. Mint sounded rad, too.

this is one of the most insane videos on music theory ever, its like the 3rd chord and secondary dominants actually exist in music, this is so eye opening how music can actually work with something else other than I,V,vi and ii or IV

@adriatic.vineyards

Жыл бұрын

Third eye opening

please more videos with actual examples pulled from real music! it was great and really illustrated the points youre making!!

Great video! Learned a lot :)

Thank yo so much for this treasure, Gavin! Please continue adding examples with actual songs in the future - it's absolutely genius.

That iii/IV is such a nice sound, I'll have to keep it in mind for this kind of harmony. also, mm mm, that toradora feature.

6:30 the Seal Progression is also sometimes referred to as a Mario Cadence, which I think is brilliant.

Awesome video! Really broke down some of the chords in an easy to understand and visual way! Using popular openings really helped too. Can't wait for more

Man I've been looking for content like this for ages, well done and thanks for providing us with it ^^

IV V vi (vi/I) is so common in touhou music (which is hugely prolific) that some people have started calling it zun's default emotional chord progression

I like this video! You did a great job explaining why Japanese music sounds so good!

This video is great wow. Thanks for sharing it!

great video and analysis!

I think it comes from the traditional Japanese scale A B C E F (I don't know the name). The common chord sequence Fmaj E(power chord) Am have only the notes A B C E F in them.. Even though they use westernized melodies in these examples, the melodies and chord tones resolve naturally to these tones of the traditional Japanese scale, it's their traditional musical instinct I believe. The last progression Bbmaj Am cycle is a modulation from D E F A Bb to A B C E F, a common modulation in western music because there is only one note difference in these transposed scales, which offers for a smooth change. The western scale equivalent is D minor (=relative minor of F major) to C major, they are the neighboring tones on the circle of 5ths, and is the most common used modulation in western music. There is another explanation for this sequence, that is tritone substitution, Bbmaj is a substitute for the Emaj chord, but it makes more sense in a dominant to tonic resolution. Your example has a Fmaj Bbmaj Am which is a substitute for Fmaj E Am, which again is the same common progression in your first example.

I always saw that {bVII} as a work-around for the pesky (vii)min7(b5) by changing the root note a half-step down. In my mind, that was a modulation down a fifth, just for a split second. For example, in C major: Cmaj7 (I chord) / (Bb)maj7 (IV chord of F major) / Amin7 / etc. I also find that #11 quite amusing, but I view it as part of a Lydian chord (in the example, Bb Lydian), with a #4.

Thank you very much! Great and very useful video!!

This is the best video I’ve seen on this topic! Thanks for making it

4:58 reminds me of your lie in april ost

@ketexon1815

4 жыл бұрын

I thought so too, but Again has a completely different chord progression (in standard classical harmony too). Dm: im7, iio, VII7 (V7/III), III, v, im7 The Japanese progressions don't seem to put as much emphasis on the root (but seem to love the iii->vi resolution) and seem to be way more diatonic in progression.

@alphacrocodile5947

4 жыл бұрын

thanks now im cutting onions again lmao

"Wait, so it's all the same chord progressions?" "Always has been."

Wonderful video, I really enjoyed the fact that you always had audio examples, making the progressions much more tangible

Didn't know your channel... Pure gold!

I think there is a lot of history behind this sound. I felt a very big influence from Ravel and Debussy and Messiaen in Japanese composers. You can hear this in Takemitsu and Sakmoto. In the 50s and 60s it was very ubiquitous in serious music as well as in film and television music. The Enka sound developed separately. Something I would add, although there is a lot of rubbish, there are a lot of very skilled musicians in Japan, including amateurs. Extraordinary attention to detail.

@gavinleepermusic

2 жыл бұрын

Agreed! Esp about Debussy!

Shouting out chon!!! Mmmm tasty jams

@rome1283

5 жыл бұрын

@Ryan yeah man, chon just dropped a self titled album 2019. this song called "peace" is out for the tasting rn.

Why was I unaware of such an amazing channel for so long! Love this content ❤️❤️

Thank you for this video. It was very clear and helpful

Yoasobi has used IV V iii vi IV V vi v I7 IV V III vi ii V I as their signature in almost every songs they write

After watching this video I tried looking at some of the japanese tunes I like the most, especially those that feel more "typically japanese": Driver's High by L'arc-en-ciel has the IV-V-iii-vi progression (often throwing a 6th in the chords), and also substitutes the VIsus and VI7 a couple of times throughout the song. Also Yokan by Dir-en-Grey uses the VI V vi progression a lot.

@gavinleepermusic

4 жыл бұрын

Alessandro Rumbo yayy! They're super commonly used devices aren't they?!

@alessandrorumbo490

4 жыл бұрын

@@gavinleepermusic and yet they are so elusive! Thank you for pointing them out! One thing that I've noticed about the sound choices (and it looks like you have incorporated into Mint Chip) is the bright overdriven guitar, and I've noticed it is often paired with very "crunchy" chord voicings. Some examples are the aforementioned Driver's High, but also Crawl by Veltpunch (Nabari no ou opening). I couldn't really figure out the voicings (I'm fairly new to this kind of analysis, I'm formerly a bass player so I usually care about the root alone :P ), it'd be cool if you could elaborate on that, if you care to!

@gavinleepermusic

4 жыл бұрын

Alessandro Rumbo I'll have a listen!

@brianmarr8309

2 жыл бұрын

I was looking for Driver's High in the comments!

Great analysis! I love the work that you put into this. Your video came up just when as I was searching for an answer!

this is pure gold, I cannot highlight enough how much I enjoyed this video! you gave me a huge composing boost!