Japanese Music
Learning Resources
J-Music Lover
Nostalgia's Mission
Hello! My name is Nostalgia. I am the creator and leader of Chromatic Dreamers.
I’ve been in love with anime forever and got into J-music around 2006.
While I always loved music class and exploring instruments, things changed when I picked up guitar as an adult to bring my band dream to life. I always loved how beautiful, nostalgic, and inspirational Japanese music sounded, but I didn’t know or understand why it sounded different.
I am a logical learner, but other people couldn’t give me the answers I was seeking. Or worse, they just assume all music is the same and that I was biased.
Luckily, I found a few Youtubers who brought up the J-Pop/Anime progression, and that helped point me in the right direction. I started doing my own research on the Japanese side of the internet, and digging deeper into music theory so I could analyze what was going on. I’m still learning, but I’m happy to write and share what I’ve learned to help others. I recently started writing music with what I’ve learned, so definitely check those out as well! 🙂
Starting Articles
Learn
Learn Japanese For Anime, Games & J-Pop Music
If you’ve been studying Japanese for some time, and realize you still can’t understand the shows, games, and music you enjoy, it can be disheartening. But listen up! ‘Real life Japanese’ is not going to cover the vocabulary usually used in their media. If you want to gain confidence reading manga, singing karaoke, and playing raw video games, you need to focus on those phrases and kanji. I have created a study guide that does just that! Dictionaries, sentences, clips, and flashcards that focuses on fictional, emotional, and action words. All material provides kanji, romanji, and English translations!
Study
Japanese Music Theory Course
This course is for anyone, from complete music beginners to those who have a good foundation. I explain the very basics of scales, chords, and progressions in a Western musical context, and then dig deeper into how Japan changes it up to create something that is unique and can evoke emotions. This is a great course for songwriters, musicians, guitar teachers, producers, and others who love Japanese music and want to utilize what they’re doing in their own music. You’ll get 50% OFF if you purchase before March 2023!
check out my ebooks
Japanese Music Progressions
I've searched hard and far for 10+ common chord progressions in Japanese music for you to take and use. I've also gone into depth of other things you can do to make your music sound more Japanese! There's lots of musical clips for your reference!
Japanese Lyric Dictionary
Continuing on from my 250+ lyric article, I've included common Japanese words and uncommon Japanese lyrics for a combination of 650+ words! This way, you can listen to your music, look up words with your handy dictionary, and get to understanding lyrics sooner!
Discover
playlists Made For you
I have created and saved hundreds of videos in multiple playlists to help you find new Japanese music, learn relevant music theory, and perhaps learn a few Japanese dances. Also check out channels I’m subscribed to for Japanese labels, music teachers, guitar tutorials and more!
