Will Hatton has a real knack for understanding the essential qualities of countless genres of music and how to emulate those popular styles. The producer and educator has garnered a dedicated following thanks to his in-depth explanations of music creation in his “Inspired By” series on YouTube. His music under the moniker Hush Child has amassed over 7 million streams.
With his finger always on the pulse of musical trends, watch as Will teaches us how to take our tracks to the next level with five interesting chord progressions inspired by the best in contemporary music. “It’s just as important to think about sound selection and sound design,” he says, so with Seaboard RISE 2 powering his creativity, he turns the simplest of chord progressions into sonically intriguing melodies.
Easy triads to expansive jazz pads
Focusing on chord progressions found in ambient music, Will begins by taking simple triads and pushing them along a more jazz-oriented route with 7th and 9th chords. He embellishes the sound with expansive, breathy pads, using Seaboard to give the progression a more dynamic and emotive tonal quality.
Creating tension with Drill-type sounds
Taking chord progressions inspired by chart-topping British rapper Central Cee for his now world-famous Drill beats, Will’s aim was to create a sound with a “lazy feel on a plucked instrument”. While this organic sonic texture may be hard to replicate on most keyboards, Seaboard RISE 2 makes light work of it. Will plays the melody with fluid ease, and the “lazy feel” comes through effortlessly through an arpeggiated melody played with a very light touch.
Classic EDM and House vibes
Will takes us through a G minor to E Flat Major chord progression that appears frequently in EDM and House music. Despite being a relatively simple and common progression, Will maintains that the “feel” of how this progression is played by “pushing the beat” is where the music comes alive. With Seaboard RISE 2, emphasizing the real human feel in every movement is made easy, and the simplest chord progressions can come alive in new ways every time you play.
Lofi jazzy beats
Inspired by the likes of Grammy award-winning artist Laufey and the ever-popular “lofi hip hop radio”, Will brings the warm and vintage appeal of trending jazz sounds. The appeal of a beat like this is its simplicity where a “less is more approach” allows the chords to speak for themselves, and the expression of the player can be heard with exacting clarity.
Sharp, expressive beats with future bass
In his recreation of a hard-hitting future bass beat, Will focuses on the rhythmic playing style to give the track its distinctive character. With three simple triads and a more percussive approach to his Seaboard playing, the track takes on a totally different identity, adding tension to an otherwise simple arrangement.
RISE 2’s ultra-responsive playing surface further enhances the dynamic tension of the track owing to its ability to capture the nuances of each Strike Will makes.
Throughout all of Will’s melodies, From Drill to Lofi jazz, it’s clear to see that Seaboard RISE 2’s versatility across so many musical genres makes it a powerful and inspiring instrument for producers of all styles.
Find Will Hatton on Instagram, YouTube and Spotify (Hush Child) Learn more about Seaboard RISE 2