The difference, by ear
Symphonic prog is the orchestral wing - Mellotron and full arrangements - as against the jazz-inflected or minimal wings of the same genre.
Both are sung cleanly, but symphonic prog keeps to a narrower band: 70 to 150 bpm against 60 to 180. To hear the difference, play King Crimson next to Yes. Symphonic prog grew out of progressive rock, two years later. United Kingdom appears in the origins of both.
In figures
Progressive rock
Where it sits
In short
Rock with classical ambitions: odd meters, twenty-minute suites, mellotron. The direct foundation of progressive metal.
How it sounds
- Odd meters - 7/8, 5/4, 13/8 - used routinely rather than as an effect.
- Mellotron, Hammond organ, Moog and later polyphonic synthesizers.
- Long suites, concept albums, sometimes a single piece per side of vinyl.
Key acts
- King Crimson
- Yes
- Genesis
- Rush
Start here
The pickKing Crimson - In the Court of the Crimson King. The first track tells you everything.
Full page →Symphonic prog
Where it sits
Rock › Progressive rock › Symphonic prog
In short
Orchestral arrangements transposed onto Hammond organ and Moog. Roger Dean cover art included.
How it sounds
- Hammond organ through a Leslie and a Moog acting as a horn section.
- Sectional arrangements with themes that return transformed.
- Instrumental virtuosity on open display, especially on keyboards.
Key acts
- Yes
- Emerson, Lake & Palmer
- PFM
Start here
The pickYes - Close to the Edge. The title track runs eighteen minutes and wastes none of them.
Full page →