Why use ' SafeMode ' chords?

Please listen to my arrangement solution. I wrote a sax solo song with Band-in-a-Box 2014. Fifteen sax solo tracks were created with the best moments sliced & strung together. So my first question to myself was; "How do I add my piano progression to harmonize with the progression of this current song?"

The answer is to use SafeMode chords. SafeMode chords have a partial melody played with it. It's not a software, just a simple piano chord cheat sheet with melody notes associated to the chords. By choosing 2 SafeMode chords played like a see-saw through the whole song; it's a strange method. I created 15 pairs of Safemode chords on 15 separate tracks and eliminated viable competing substitute chords ... Note: to self must make a video explaining this!

The same way how I sliced & strung the sax solo together is the same way how I strung my harmonized piano progression. Which now can be embellished more easily.

Making a harmonized progression to go on top your current song progression is very difficult when writing music arrangements. I hope that the PG Music people might correspond with me in adding this SafeMode feature to BIAB.

"This new SafeMode method" is definitely worth exploring. Hope to hear from you!


Here is my first attempt below:

SoundCloud sax-solo-piano-played-strictly in SafeMode

Song without piano progression

SoundCloud jazz-track-no-piano-added-yet

Sweet Sax work, not to busy just the right amount. Thanks for sharing!

The "safe mode" thing kind of lost me but I sure love the music!! Really sweet! Take care. Greg

Hi LP. Amazing how well the safemode works. Is this what they call noodling? On the chord triad. Can't really get into trouble. Sounds quite lovely but not really definitive melody. Cheers.

I could care less what method you used on this outstanding song! It just sounds great!

But I did take notes

Very nice job on this - two thumbs up.

Thank you... appreciate that :-) marioD

RichMac... Noodling is an interesting term I need to research more to answer you. SafeMode played strictly leaves space for other instruments. I agree it's missing some melodic focus... But if I played it more melodicly.... I think it would have the same outcome. The sax is out staging itself in parts

Hi LP,

very smooth relaxing song.
I didn't understand how ypou did it, but I like it.

Guenter

I'll second that. Welcome:)

LPman,

Interesting stuff... I have a master's degree in music and access to Google and couldn't find anything on "safemode" chords. I'm guessing that you're looking for notes/modes that outline that of a particular chord, which is the foundation for all soloing. In theory-speak, that's called harmonic analysis. Most musicians START with a progression when it comes to soloing.

That being said, the tune is enjoyable. It would be fun to see how you use the method that works for you!

Very nice, indeed! loved the chord progression. The parts where you have just the piano, it sounds like a "bed", an approach Di and I use a lot when doing movie soundtracks. Very light melody with a mild rhythm and substantial background tracks.

The sax is real nice. if it were me, I would add a slight bit of reverb to it to give it that extra warmth and a mild "lift". We really enjoyed out listen best to you,

Alan & Di