What It Takes To Be Progressive

[Thorguitarist]

Ok this has been bothering me for a while... My favorite genre of music Is obviously Progressive Rock. I also have a band which I feel is gonna wind up bieng progressive. But what defines progressive rock, and how do you become a prog. rock band? Just wondering?

 

[AdrianFly]

To be a Prog rock band you simply write progressive music.. that's all there is to it.

Progressive music is usually well thought out patterns, unique chords and definitive structuring with creative changes. You know.. like the music you like to listen to.

Just listen to as many Prog rock bands as you can and decide what you can do better with it.. then move your band in that direction. Make sure your bandmates do lots of practicing and push themselves to improve. Progressive musicians are never slouches.. they are clear, concise thinkers and usually quite intelligent.

 

[Doombot]

Progressive music is usually well thought out patterns, unique chords and definitive structuring with creative changes.QUOTE]

That's it in a nutshell. I adore progressive music but I wouldn't call what my band plays progressive. Prog takes a high level of skill. Not just execution, although that certainly is essential, but also knowledge and creativity. You have to know what you're doing. Prog almost never has a happy accident. Everything is mapped out and planned. You have to break almost all the rules, sounds easy enough but breaking the rules AND making it work is a bitch like no other.

If your goal is to be a progressive band then study, not just listen to , but really STUDY progresive music. Saturate your ears with something like Kings X, Rush or Dream Theater. Eventually it will find it's way into your writing.
Put the work in. Don't learn your instrument; master it.

 

[lanterns]

prog used to be a label for german rock or avant garde. affiliated with an artistically pure aesthetic. it evolved into an association with vacuous virtuosity and comedic gold.

 

[mawtangent]

I've read comments about progressive rock (I think it mentioned Emerson, Lake, and Palmer) that mentioned the unusual meters that is often used in that music (compared to the 4/4 time that is heavily used in pop/rock)...When I try to play to a meter I am not used to it forces me create in a whole new way and to think differently and play differently.

 

[InTheFire]

I agree. Meter is definitely characteristic of prog rock. In truth, I'm not a big fan. I enjoy stuff like Rush but, I think I appreciate that it's rooted in song craftsmanship. I cannot stand Dream Theater. I feel like it's pretty arbitrary overall. Most of the people I know would prefer to watch Dream Theater than to listen. Maybe I'm just a simpleton... I love themes and in my life I find metaphors and patterns. I think it's the spice of art and progress.

I would consider a band like Soundgarden to have been progressive because of melody and meter.

 

[Toddskins]

good as any

AdrianFly's answer is about as good as any for wrapping up an answer.

Dream Theater members wants to much to be considered Progressive Rock, but I don't think so. But if they are (by whatever correct definition applies) I do not like any of their albums (I own two). Arbitrary was a good adjective. I have described their stuff as "lost" or "way out somewhere".

I would also add that I think, very unfortunately so, that that era is dead. The whole times thing, added to the magnificence of it all (the era, that is).

The 70's for the most part, was a time when there was so much competitive excellence, the rock stations had great DJ's who understood and related, the listening rock audience were in tune, and ooooooooooooooooh how i miss that so much.

Lastly... in addition to RUSH and ELP, add these to your list: Styx, YES, ELO, Kansas, Genesis, Boston, and I have to include Steely Dan.

Not as much so, but still certainly progressive (to me) would be: Renaissance, Doors, some Peter Frampton.

 

[rguagenti]

How about perhaps the most popular of ALL prog rock bands.

Pink Floyd. A lot can be learned by listening to them, pre- as well as post Dark Side of the Moon.

 

[barthoque]

I never really understood what progressive rock was all about. Now that Pink Floyd, Dream Theater, Rush, Genesis, ELO, Kansas, the Doors and Soundgarden are all being called "progressive" in this thread, things become more blurry. I really do not see what these bands have in common.

Progressive Rock............sounds like Greenpeace propaganda music

 

[InTheFire]

I never really understood what progressive rock was all about. Now that Pink Floyd, Dream Theater, Rush, Genesis, ELO, Kansas, the Doors and Soundgarden are all being called "progressive" in this thread, things become more blurry. I really do not see what these bands have in common.

Progressive Rock............sounds like Greenpeace propaganda music

Progressive Rock challenges the formats and structures that our ears are used to. If successfully done(in my opinion), an honest sense of communication with continuity is achieved without a "lost" feeling, as Todd put it.

 

[Louddog]

Styx and Boston progressive rock?? I never thought of them as playing much more than radio ready pop/rock (i love both by the way) Maybe early Styx.
As far as music from this century, maybe Tool, A Perfect Circle, Iced Earth,Tourniquet... It seems like there are more european bands in that genre now than in the states. Maybe because bands here are always just trying to write 3-4 minute singles, rather than big compositions with odd timing and structure. I guess early Metallica would qualify as Prog rock too..??
I think it is a great goal to try to play and write more complex material than what is spoon fed to us on the radio. Keep it up Thor!

Doug

 

[lanterns]

What's with the labels already!

As home recordists and musicians, why do we insist on the pigeonhole? Progessive? what does that mean? I progress from the beginning of the song to the end.

listen to NEU!, Can, Popul Vuh, Amon Duul, King Crimson, Eno, Kraftwerk

This is PROGRESSIVE MUSIC because it changed the way American rock sounded DIRECTLY. Pink Floyd, ELP, among others, were directly inspired and influenced by a full first generation of German innovators.

Now, none of this is my opinion, per se. Just a bit of true history. I know for a fact as well that none of you really care about these weird names I listed.

PROG SUCKS

 

[Thorguitarist]

THe progressive bands i listen to are as follows:
Genesis, Rush, Yes, Dream Theater, Liquid Tension Experiment, King Crimson, ELP, ELO, Kansas, Symphony X, Dimmu Borgir, Children Of Bodom, Gentle Giant, Saga, and some others All these bands draw me in and I like what i hear. I guess progressive just involes use of scales, meters, and sometimes even changing keys and tempos.

 

[JKestle]

All your answers lie RUSH - All The World's A Stage.

Listen, you will not be disappointed

 

[lanterns]

WINDS OF THOR HAHAHAHAHA!

gimme some mp3s. are you guys like the Darkness?

 

[lanterns]

All your answers lie RUSH - All The World's A Stage.

Listen, you will not be disappointed

HITCHHIKIN' GURUS???!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAH!

 

[JKestle]

Do you like?

 

[EddieRay]

THe progressive bands i listen to are as follows:
Genesis, Rush, Yes, Dream Theater, Liquid Tension Experiment, King Crimson, ELP, ELO, Kansas, Symphony X, Dimmu Borgir, Children Of Bodom, Gentle Giant, Saga, and some others All these bands draw me in and I like what i hear. I guess progressive just involes use of scales, meters, and sometimes even changing keys and tempos.

I always liked the odd meter stuff. I still do. It just scratches an itch like nothing else can. Mahavishnu Orchestra, Return To Forever, UK, plus all the ones listed previosuly (except Styx? Boston?)... they had it whether you called it prog rock or jazz-rock fusion or whatever. Another factor that drew me to it was the fact that I would never in a million years be able to play it myself. A band I was in tried to do a Return to Forever tune but instead of playing Stanley Clarke's 32nd notes the best I could do was a half-assed slide.

BTW, where is the Steely Dan of today? Now THAT was a band that the music geeks and the unwashed masses both could appreciate!

 

[lanterns]

quick, into the sea! all of you!

 

[Thorguitarist]

Winds Of Thor? We're not like the darkness...you decide what we are like http://cornerband.com/html/bandPage/bandPage.asp?band_id=1017541
I saw Styx On VH1 classics and the played acousticly and I thought it was AMAIZING...Boston is awesome I didnt really think of them as Progressive but still a sweet band