Boards of Canada Chord Theory (Reverb Machine)

Everything related to our favorite Scottish duo.

Moderators: mdg, Mexicola, 2020k, Fredd-E, Aesthetics

User avatar
New Seed
Status: Offline
Posts: 3
Joined: 8 Sep 2023
Location: Glasgow, Scotland
Hi folks! I published my Boards of Canada Chord Theory article yesterday; it focuses exclusively on how they use fifth intervals (or power chords) in their music, which I've always found really interesting. I included 11 of my Boards of Canada transcriptions from songs that make use of these 'fifths chords'.

Here's the link - https://reverbmachine.com/blog/boards-o ... -part-one/

I also shared a quick remake of "Sundown" over on my Instagram page - https://www.instagram.com/p/Cw5Uv1Ysqyu/

You can view the article with either music notation or MIDI piano roll, and all of the examples can be downloaded as MIDI files at the end of the article. This is part one of a two-part series; I transcribed so many songs that I couldn't fit them all into one article. Part two will be more focused on their use of chromaticism.

If you have any constructive feedback, or songs you want to see in part two, please let me know!

User avatar
Posts Quantity
Status: Offline
Posts: 244
Joined: 24 Jul 2005
Thanks - I'm definitely interested in more of this stuff so please keep up the good work :)

User avatar
Happy Cycler
Status: Offline
Posts: 4951
Joined: 1 Dec 2005
A friend of mine sent me the link to this just yesterday. Good work!

Dayvan Cowboy
Status: Offline
Posts: 1039
Joined: 8 Feb 2011
Location: The Great White North(east)
I am going through this, it is very interesting to Me, because as a guitarist (mostly Black Metal and post-BM I can relate to the quality of having that ambiguous sound that creates a space where you can really jar the listener with a sudden pull of the fish hook line.

Thanks for posting this, I am really enjoying the work you put in this. :)
Molest me not with this pocket calculator stuff.

User avatar
New Seed
Status: Offline
Posts: 3
Joined: 8 Sep 2023
Location: Glasgow, Scotland
Thanks for great feedback! I’ll be working on part two soon which will defintely include more Campfire Headphase + Music Has The Right to Children songs.

User avatar
New Seed
Status: Offline
Posts: 3
Joined: 8 Sep 2023
Location: Glasgow, Scotland
Update - Part Two is now up! Here's the link - https://reverbmachine.com/blog/boards-o ... -part-two/

The second part looks at writing with exclusive chord types, transposing set chord voicings, chromaticism, suspensions and even looks at some Boards of Canada melodies and how they work over unusual chord sequences.

User avatar
Posts Quantity
Status: Offline
Posts: 244
Joined: 24 Jul 2005
Thanks very much for doing this, I found it really interesting


Return to Boards of Canada

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 9 guests