6 steps that can help you take any chord progression you write and make it sound like it could be in a Studio Ghibli film.

*please note that there are two typos in the video. the first is around 3:06 when the diagram lists the diatonic chords. The diminished 7th should be written as b,d,f,a,c. The second comes shortly after, when I show the chord progression we're using. I wrote a VI for the minor 6th instead of vi. thank you for your understanding and patience!

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NOTES:

Step 1: 2:24
Pick your key and chord progression. Leaving at least the first 2 measures (preferably the first 4) empty, write your chord progression down and copy and paste it so it’s played twice in a row.

Step 2: 4:26
Look at the first chord of your chord progression, and find its dominant 7th chord (find the scale that starts with your first chord, and select the 5th chord of the scale, add a 7th to it. If your first chord is a minor chord then first write it as a major and then find its dominant 7th. For example, if your first chord is an e-minor, then write an E major 7 for this part). Write this chord down in the measure before your chord progression starts and add a 9th to it (add the note that would fit between the 1st and 2nd note of the chord and raise it an octave). Then Take the first note of your chord and raise it 2 octaves. Finally take the 3rd note of your chord and raise it 1 octave.

Step 3: 7:38
Take the first chord of your scale and write it in the first measure (if you are using a minor scale, change the first chord to a major chord for this part). Add a 7th and a 9th to the chord so you have another Maj7add9 chord. This time take the 2nd and 4th notes of the chord (technically called the 3rd and 7th) and raise them both 1 octave.

Step 4: 9:28
Look at the bottom notes of your first and second chords and fill the space with two notes that you think fit well between them (don’t worry about staying in key, use any notes you think sound good). Turn these new notes into quartal chords by stacking more notes on top of them in perfect 4th intervals (5 half steps).

Step 5: 11:10
Go back to your original chord progression. Look at the very first time all the chords are played and delete everything except for the 1st notes of each chord (but only do this to the first play through of the progression, leave the repeated chords as they are). Using these bottom notes, build some more quartal chords. This time, however, you want to stay in your key! If you enter a note a perfect 5th above your first note, and it doesn’t belong in your key, then raise it one more half step before adding another perfect 4th note above that one.

Step 6: 14:35
Add some finishing touches! Play with the velocity of your notes so that they’re played softly, arpeggiate (roll) your Major7th add9 chords and everything between them, and maybe even try some voice leading for the chord progression that you’ve left alone! Do what you want to make it sound the way you want it to!

Play through: 15:48