Chord Selection Made Simple | Stop Making Weak Melodies

Added: 2026-05-04

[00:00:00]So, I know like C minor 9.

[00:00:03]>> [music] >> Yeah, you just go up the scale, yeah.

[00:00:08]I know all the minor 9.

[00:00:10]>> [music] >> But, the thing with me is how I play in all genres is I know a bunch of different chords for each note.

[00:00:19]>> Mhm. [clears throat] So, like I can just pick three notes and it will make sense.

[00:00:23]But, my main go-to is like this is probably what a 7 is or something.

[00:00:27]>> [music] >> This is like the minor key is what And then you got 9.

[00:00:32]>> [music] >> Then you got minor 11.

[00:00:40]>> [music] >> That's all minor 11. Mhm.

[00:00:45]>> [music] >> That's 9.

[00:00:48]So, if I was you I would learn at least a C minor 9. It's just a shape, so I can move it anywhere I want on the keyboard and that's what we teach in the class.

[00:00:55]Me, I'm like making beats. Yeah.

[00:00:58]>> [clears throat] >> Yeah, he teaches us more like the chord progressions and which chord progressions would sound good and how you can make like inverse chords to sound good like minor 7s with this minor 9. [music] But, when it go to trap I would like go like >> [music] >> Y'all know that's the three note walk down.

[00:01:35]I use that a lot.

[00:01:40]The three note walk down going to get you there every time.

[00:01:42]>> Yeah, and it always sounds good.

[00:01:44]>> [music] [music] >> It's all whole steps.

[00:01:56]Yeah, three note.

[00:01:59]>> [music] >> Any anywhere, anywhere that you start you can do three note walk down with the minor 9 thing on top like >> [music] >> That's the first time I ever heard a 9.

[00:02:13]It's just the same chord in your right hand. That sound like some baby [ __ ] Or you can like do do uh y'all know my minor trick where I just go like >> [music] >> And then the half step, yeah.

[00:02:26]And then three note walk down.

[00:02:31]Okay. [music] Right?

[00:02:37]>> [music] >> Or I could keep going.

[00:02:43]But, they all have like a different feel for some reason.

[00:02:47]>> [music] >> And and what I try to do is I try to make a uh a melody that's like call and response with the top note. So, it's like >> [music] [music] >> I'm just doing the three note walk down.

[00:03:04]You know what I'm saying?

[00:03:05]Uh another example, three note walk down.

[00:03:12]>> [music] [music] [music] >> You know what I'm saying? I just need an epic bass.

[00:03:38]>> [music] >> Do you mean you have it on the piano in the first half and then pad in the second half?

[00:03:47]>> Yes. Okay, got you.

[00:03:49]>> [music] >> Then over the second half I'll just put a little bit of piano on top of the pad.

[00:03:57]>> [music] >> Oh, I got you.

[00:04:03]>> [music] >> But, the thing is like we can all play keys in here. It's just the difference between a producer and a musician >> [music] >> is I know that all I have to do is this.

[00:04:16]And that's fine. But, a piano [ __ ] going to be like Yeah, they're going to arpeggiate [music] and do all this fancy [ __ ] When we had the violin player and [ __ ] in here last night they were like playing all this intricate [ __ ] I was like, "I need a stab and then get the [ __ ] out." Mhm. Like just go like this.

[00:04:34]That's all I need you to do, but their brains can't comprehend. What do you mean I have to [ __ ] [snorts] >> Yeah, because they hear so much more.

[00:04:41]They're not thinking about oh >> A simple like yeah.

[00:04:45]>> thinking about the bass. Right. Yeah, they're thinking of oh we're making like a a song like a musical song.

[00:04:50]>> Yeah, she kept like playing a top line and I was just like stop doing that. I don't need you to sing with the violin.

[00:04:57]I need you to play the violin so I can make the beat.

[00:04:59]>> Yeah. Like we got to chop it, flip it.

[00:05:03]>> [music] [music] [music] >> But, it's really the baselines that make that make everything make sense. So, it's like doing the chord on top is the easy part. The baselines are really going to dictate where everything is going. So, this is the tip that I need y'all to know.

[00:05:32]A lot of the times the last note in the baseline is going to lead back into the one, okay? Yes.

[00:05:41]>> [music] [music] [music] >> What's good you guys? Bricks here. Just want to let everybody know that I'm opening up three more slots for my 9-week one-on-one mentorship where I'm going to be taking producers up under my wing, showing them everything that they need to become successful as a producer.

[00:06:07]It's not cheap, but it's super super effective. And if you're somebody trying to take your game to the next level, click the link down below in the description and I'll see you guys there.

[00:06:17]These are the chords.

[00:06:21]I'm assuming these are the chords. So, it's I got [music] two things that I would do.

[00:06:28]I'm going to either go which I'm just playing these are the chords.

[00:06:37]I'm playing the notes.

[00:06:39]But, I'm just playing them in an octave.

[00:06:43]That's always going to work.

[00:06:45]Another one is going to be like anything like that.

[00:07:02]>> [music] >> All right, so I'll give you examples of what I'm playing.

[00:07:06]Super super simple.

[00:07:10]>> [music] >> I can't hear the piano for some reason.

[00:07:15]This [ __ ] probably got a lemon or something going You Yeah, probably not. No. Cuz every time I play the beat I can't hear the piano.

[00:07:27]But, I can't hear the piano when I stop it.

[00:07:30]No, that's not good.

[00:07:33]>> [music] [music] >> I was just doing the octave with the notes.

[00:07:55]You can go >> [music] [music] [music] >> which is >> [music] >> You can do that.

[00:08:21]Super super simple.

[00:08:25]>> [music] >> This is a short piano melody like >> [music] >> Then after I would come up with a melody that sounds super super simple, I'm going to think immediately what notes can I take out of this?

[00:08:44]Every time I play some [ __ ] I'm going to think what can I take out?

[00:08:48]How can I make this even simpler?

[00:08:50]And in this scenario let's say we're playing this, right?

[00:08:58]Don't need this.

[00:09:00]Don't need this.

[00:09:03]>> [music] >> Like I'm just trying to make [ __ ] simple as possible.

[00:09:14]>> [music] >> But, that that comes That's all sound selection.

[00:09:26]Cuz y'all know about the frequency range. We going to going to have a low, we're going to have a mid, we're going to have a high. The piano is the high, the pad is the [ __ ] mid, the bass is the the trumpet is the low. I'm not doing 10,000 different [ __ ] things.

[00:09:37]You know what I'm saying? And I can continue to change this pad as much as I want. And then any of them going to work because it's it's a formula. You know what I'm saying? It's not like I need the perfect pad. It's the fact that it's a pad, the frequency range that that I'm taking up with the sound. I can pick [ __ ] sounds. I'm not going to do that, but as long as it's taking up the right frequency range and not getting in the way because if you listen to the the melody that you did, there's a lot of [ __ ] in the way.

[00:10:03]Like and this come from not doing a lot of songs. Like a [ __ ] who don't do a lot of songs would not understand that that trumpet is in the [ __ ] way of where the main vocal is going to come.

[00:10:14]Where that trumpet is is where the main vocal should be at.

[00:10:17]What I'm doing is eliminating that part so that the vocal can sit right on top [music] of it. Y'all can hear what we talking [singing] on top of [ __ ] You know what I'm saying?

[00:10:28]You can just pick [music] any pad.

[00:10:31]But if you notice, when I'm picking the pad, like prime example, right? Let's say Let me get the drums.

[00:10:41]When I'm picking a pad, >> [music] >> you hear this one has those bells in the middle?

[00:10:45]Not going to use that one because it's in where the vocal is supposed to be at.

[00:10:49]I'm going to pick something that the vocal can sit on top of or inside of.

[00:10:52]You know what I'm saying?

[00:10:54]>> [music] [music] >> See, this [music] is like I can easily talk over this. You know what I'm saying? And that's where the main vocal [music] is going to go.

[00:11:21]And if I wanted [singing] to, I could just do the freedom walk down.

[00:11:29]>> [music] [music] >> This should sound like a [ __ ] saxophone.

[00:11:42]It does. This will be the bass.

[00:11:45]>> [music] >> It's supposed to take up that frequency range.

[00:11:48]You know what I'm saying?

[00:11:50]This is kind of getting in the way.

[00:11:53]Like this one though is [music] accomplishing what the [ __ ] the goal of this [ __ ] You know what I'm saying?

[00:12:01]>> [music] [music] >> And >> [music] >> once you understand the concept of the frequencies, the pad I'm picking is [ __ ] irrelevant. All of them going to die.

[00:12:18]>> [music] >> Like I wouldn't use that because it's in the [ __ ] way. I want this [ __ ] filling up a frequency range, but out of the way.

[00:12:28]>> [music] >> That's cool.

[00:12:35]But a lot of them do that.

[00:12:36]>> [music] >> And I'm picking some [ __ ] that's not doing too much. I'm trying to >> [music] >> accomplish a goal.

[00:12:45]Like okay, let's say this one, right?

[00:12:47]This is like as far as I would go as far as like some [ __ ] that's going [music] to get in the way.

[00:12:52]Like this is acceptable. Bring on that more, yeah.

[00:12:56]But >> [music] >> I would try to find some [ __ ] that's like like this is in the way.

[00:13:00]See what I'm saying? But if you're not a [ __ ] [music] that do a lot of songs, you would be like, "Oh, this is hard."

[00:13:05]But that [ __ ] is in the way of what we trying to do.

[00:13:07]>> [music] >> I want [ __ ] to feel the presence of the pad without >> [music] >> being like, "This is the pad."

[00:13:18]You know what I'm saying?

[00:13:22]>> [music] >> Then I would go back to this piano and be like, "What can I take out?" And then I would end up just leaving it like this.

[00:13:29]>> [music] >> You know what [music] I'm saying?

[00:13:38]I would just have it as simple like what's the most simplest [ __ ] line I can come up with because I'm not trying to be like, "Look at me, I can play keys. Look at Oh, listen to how fire this piano melody is." No. Could I play some crazy fire [ __ ] on top of it? Yes, but I need the presence of the piano without it being in the [ __ ] way of what it was doing.

[00:13:57]If that makes sense.

[00:13:58]Space. You know what I'm saying?

[00:14:05]Lot [music] of space.

[00:14:09]You got the the brass doing what it's supposed to do, the bassline. [music] The piano is here.

[00:14:15]Pad is the mid. That's the bed.

[00:14:17]Everything going to lay on. So now, y'all [music] can hear me talking clear as [ __ ] right now.

[00:14:21]That's going to translate in the song, [music] in the mix.

[00:14:24]I was still accomplishing all the objectives of having the frequency ranges You know what I'm saying? Together.

[00:14:29][music] Now, the snare is right in the middle. [singing] Like you can hear everything clear [music] as [ __ ] while we're still accomplishing everything that we need.

[00:14:42]You know what I'm saying?

[00:14:44]>> [music] >> This sound I would I'm panning and turning down like >> [music] >> It's there. It ain't right here.

[00:14:54]I just pan it and move it to the left.

[00:14:58]>> [music] >> You know what I'm saying?

[00:15:00]But like when I had the violin players and the musicians in here yesterday, they like trying to be the lead vocal.

[00:15:06]Like the violins was like trying to go and then the saxophone was like You know what I'm saying? Instead of like I I told them, "I need a stab and then shut the [ __ ] up. Just give me one note that I can use and then get out the booth. I don't need you to sing a whole song. You know what I'm saying?"

[00:15:23]>> [music] >> To to the to the effect of even that second piano note can get can get taken out.

[00:15:34]Just be [music] that.

[00:15:39]>> [music] >> Don't even [music] need it for real cuz we got that little [singing] do.

[00:15:47]It's taking up the same frequency range as the piano. So we don't even need the piano.

[00:15:51]>> [music] >> I just took the [singing] piano out. You couldn't even tell.

[00:15:57]>> [music] >> Piano not even there no more. You know what I'm saying? Cuz [singing] we already have something filling up that frequency range. You know what I'm saying?

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