Magical Fantasy Chord Progressions for Cinematic Music

Chromatic medians are chords built a major or minor third away from the tonic that contain non-diatonic tones, creating tension commonly used in film and TV scores; they can be used by pinging between the tonic and a chromatic median, alternating between different chromatic medians, or mixing chord qualities to enhance dramatic effect.

Chromatic mediant relationships are chord progressions where the mediant (a chord a third away) incorporates at least one chromatic note outside the original scale, creating dramatic, epic sounds commonly used in movie music; these come in three types: diatonic medians (sharing two notes, smooth transitions), chromatic medians (sharing one note with one outside note, epic/heroic feel), and double chromatic medians (sharing no notes, creating dark or goofy atmospheres).

Chromatic medians involve playing minor chords that are a third apart, meaning they are not in the same key. This technique creates an absolutely amazing sound commonly found in film scores and progressive metal. Using inversions helps smooth out voice leading and avoid awkward jumps between chord changes, making the progression more musical and sophisticated.

Passing chords and chromatic mediants add sophistication to the 1-5-6-4 progression. Chromatic mediants are non-diatonic chords formed by inverting the tonality of the mediant or submediant chord (e.g., A7 from Ami in F major). They create dramatic harmonic shifts while maintaining connection to the original key. Passing chords like Cmaj7 inserted between vi and IV create additional deceptive cadences, adding complexity and surprise. These techniques transform a simple progression into a vehicle for sophisticated harmonic exploration.

Advanced modulation techniques include using chromatic mediants (chords separated by three semitones) to create unexpected harmonic connections. In 'If I Fell,' Lennon connects Bb minor to E minor using chromatic mediant relationships, creating harmonic connections impossible through conventional diatonic progressions. These techniques allow composers to create dramatic tonal shifts that surprise listeners and expand the harmonic vocabulary available in popular music composition.

This section covers melody composition over chords. When composing a melody over chords, restrict yourself to quarter notes or longer initially. The final note should resolve to the root of the chord (like C in C major). A melody generally has a shape that should follow the shape of the chords - if the chord progression goes up, the melody tends to go up. Music composition can be approached as a 'sandbox' - you have rules (scales, chords, voice leading) and you can mess around within those rules.

To write a sentence form melody: (1) Choose a key (e.g., G minor); (2) Create a basic two-bar melodic idea; (3) Repeat this idea, possibly transposing it to a related chord (like Eb from Gm, which shares tonic function); (4) Develop the continuation section by fragmenting existing motivic material, sequencing motives upward, and using stepwise harmonic motion toward a climax; (5) Simplify and lead back home for the cadence. Interesting material should be placed toward the beginning and middle, with the ending serving as a calming resolution. The continuation section provides essential forward motion that prevents static music.

The 1-6-2-5 chord progression (I-VI-ii-V) is one of the most commonly used progressions in popular music, creating a romantic and emotional atmosphere. For C major: C (bậc 1), Am (bậc 6), Dm (bậc 2), and G (bậc 5). The 1-4-5 progression (I-IV-V) is another fundamental progression creating strong movement and resolution. The 1-5-6-3-4 progression (I-V-VI-iii-IV) creates more complex harmonic movement. The 1-2-5 progression (I-ii-V) is common in older Vietnamese music. Once you understand these formulas, you can apply them to any key—for example, D major would be D-G-A-Bm-Bm-A.

This comprehensive section covers the foundational techniques for creating melodies over existing chord progressions. It begins with the simplest approach: using only chord tones (notes from each chord) to ensure harmonic consonance. The video then explores chord inversions (root position, first inversion, second inversion) and their effect on musical feel. Next, it introduces non-chord tones including passing notes (filling spaces between chord tones), accented passing notes (creating tension on beats), suspensions (holding notes from previous chords), anticipations (playing upcoming chord notes early), and pedal tones (sustaining notes through chord changes). These techniques progressively add complexity while maintaining harmonic grounding.

To write effective melodies, musicians should start by using only chord notes, then incorporate non-chord notes strategically through techniques like passing tones (notes that glide between chord tones), broderie (ornamental flourishes around chord tones), appogiatures (dissonant notes that resolve on strong beats), retards (notes that delay resolution across bar lines), and anticipations (notes that belong to the upcoming chord); additionally, structuring phrases using the antécédent-conséquent model (where the first part poses a question with a half-cadence and the second part answers with a perfect cadence) creates memorable musical phrases.

This segment covers the process of exporting chord progressions from the online orchestra tool and integrating them into music production software. Users can export in WAV format for audio-only use or MIDI format to preserve chord information for further customization. When importing MIDI files, users should understand that chords come with bass notes and may not be in their natural position. The root note is typically in octaves below the main chord notes. To achieve a full orchestral sound, multiple instrument layers should be used: strings, brass, and woodwinds, each assigned to different frequency ranges (low notes to cello, high notes to violins). Different envelope settings (release time) and panning positions help create a natural, organic sound.

To extract chord progressions from MIDI files: (1) Import MIDI file; (2) In Piano Edit, remove extraneous notes; (3) Select all notes (Command+A) and quantize to grid; (4) Drag notes to make them longer; (5) Remove repeated sections; (6) Set Session Player track's internal MIDI to 'Off'; (7) Create 8-bar chord marker; (8) Turn on MIDI input, play, and capture each chord by hitting Play then Stop immediately after each chord triggers. This extracts chords like Bm7, Em7, Dmaj7 from the MIDI.

To create a chord progression in a DAW, users first need to create a MIDI clip. This is done by right-clicking on an instrument track and selecting 'Create Region.' Double-clicking the clip opens the MIDI Editor where notes can be added by clicking on the piano roll. Notes can be played back by pressing the spacebar or using the play button. The playhead can be returned to the beginning using the Return/Enter key or the Go to Beginning button.

A well-structured DAW template for orchestral mockups should be intentionally simple and minimalistic. Key principles include: avoiding instrument duplication, relying on key switches for efficiency, and limiting the number of libraries used to those the composer knows well. The template should start with only the piano enabled, as writing a clean piano sketch first makes subsequent orchestration much easier and helps catch issues early in the process.

MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) is a protocol that tells computers what notes to play at specific times—it doesn't produce sound itself. When combined with virtual instruments or VST plugins, MIDI allows computers to play synthesizers, pianos, orchestral instruments, basses, guitars, and synthesizers. This enables creating entire albums using only a computer and DAW software.