Truefire guitar chord cookbook.pdf

The Chord Cookbook Compendium

Reference Library of Chords, Chord Systems and Harmony Matthieu Brandt © TrueFire and Matthieu Brandt 2008


© 2008 Matthieu Brandt

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Index

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Introduction Chords

5 7 Open Position Chords – Major and Minor Triads Open Position Chords – 4 Note Chords Barre – Chords Sus4 – Chords Sus2 – Chords Sus4 & Sus2 Chords Combinations Add 9 – Chords Add 11 – Chords Min 7 – Chords Maj 7 – Chords MinMaj 7 – Chords Add 6 – Chords m 6 – Chords m 69 – Chords Maj 7 & Add 6 Extended Chords Dom 7 – Chords Dom 7 Extended Chords Altered Dom 7 Chords Diminished & Augmented Triad Half Diminished Chord Diminished 7th Chord Powerchords Triads on 1st, 2nd and 3rd string Triads on 2nd, 3rd and 4th string Triads on 3rd, 4th and 5th string Expanded Triads on 1st, 2nd and 3rd string: Sus4 & Sus2 Expanded Triads on 2nd, 3rd and 4th string: Sus4 & Sus2 Expanded Triads on 3rd, 4th and 5th string: Sus4 & Sus2 Expanded Triads on 1st, 2nd and 3rd string: Dom 7 Expanded Triads on 2nd, 3rd and 4th string: Dom 7 Expanded Triads on 3rd, 4th and 5th string: Dom 7 Expanded Triads on 1st, 2nd and 3rd string: Maj 7 Expanded Triads on 2nd, 3rd and 4th string: Maj 7 Expanded Triads on 3rd, 4th and 5th string: Maj 7 Expanded Triads on 1st, 2nd and 3rd string: Min 7 Expanded Triads on 2nd, 3rd and 4th string: Min 7 Expanded Triads on 3rd, 4th and 5th string: Min 7 Powerchord Based Triads

7 8 10 12 13 14 16 17 18 20 21 22 23 25 26 28 30 32 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53

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Chord Systems & Tricks Open Position Chords Moved Up The Neck Bar Chords without A Bar Bar Chords without A Bar (Low E) Chords from Progressions with Pedal Notes Inversions of Triads and 4 – Note Chords Chords with Chimey Close Chord Voicings Complex Slash Chord Chords from Quartal Harmony

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Chord Harmony Introduction Chord Extensions Chord Formulas Formulas for Chord Families Chord Progressions Major Chord replaced by it’s dominant chord Adding chords from the minor key with the same root Alternative Chords in a minor key Replacing the Vm with a V major chord in a Minor key Changing keys (modulation) Modulation to the relative minor or major How to Modulate The V- I Modulation Modulating one whole note up Modulating to the Tonic Minor Other Modulations

74 77 79 81 84 86 87 92 94 97 98 99 100 101 101 101

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Introduction This chord reference library includes all open position chords, bar chords, all the important extensions a chord can have and a number of chord tricks and systems to classify chords. It is the companion to the TrueFire Interactive Video Course with the same name. Among these chord tricks and systems are ‐ moving an open position chord up the neck to create new sounds ‐ using bar chords without a bar ‐ build chords that have so called close voicings, which is the use of two notes in a chord that are ½ step or 1 step apart ‐ the use of pedal notes in a chord progression ‐ counterpoint, contrary motion and melodic movement within a chord ‐ an extensive look at inversions, triads, powerchord triads and ways to expand them ‐ and finally chords that are built with quartal harmony. You can go through this library much like you can with all the other TrueFire courses; start at the beginning, go through all the examples, the breakdown of the harmony, all the chord tricks that are described, the ways they are categorized and at a breakneck speed enlarge your chord knowledge. But because this subject is so vast and important, you can also use it as an encyclopedia. You can come back to the videos and powertabs whenever you’re stuck with playing the same old chords or when you need to find out how to create or extend certain chords. You can print this reference manual which will give you a systematic rundown of almost all the chords you’ll ever need, several ways they can be categorized and a set of harmonic and melodic tricks you can use to extend chords and chord progressions. It also includes a 30 page rundown of chord harmony theory you’ll need to place the chords into context. With every type of chord and approach to playing chords, standard chord progressions and chord tricks we’ve included a list of hit songs to help you get a solid grip on chord colors and the ways they are used by the writers of hit records. I encourage you to check out these songs and listen for the effect these chords and chord tricks have. It’s easier to remember what they sound like if you have heard a clear and practical example. You’ll be able to label chords by players or situations or even certain songs, like: the Jimi Hendrix chord, Andy Summers chord, the Wonderwall trick or the James Bond theme. Aside from references to these hit songs, I’ve included about 35 original compositions to illustrate how chords can be colored, how certain effects can be achieved, which chords will work in which situations and how to 5



embellish a chord progression.

This reference manual does not include all the chords you can possibly play on guitar and it doesn’t intend to. That whole approach is senseless, because there are probably a few million and no one is going to be able to remember them all and least of all, know how to use all of them. This reference manual does include 98 percent of all chords you’ll ever need playing pop, rock, blues, folk, r & b, soul, funk and other modern western music. I’ve stopped short of going into jazz and fusion but this manual will have given you several systems to build those chords yourself or analyze them with the extensive harmony section included. I have only included ‘playable’ chords, meaning chords for which you don’t have to break your fingers or extend them over too many frets. This library is for guitar players, not for guitar wizards. This is a load of material, so take your time going through it. I hope you enjoy this systematic approach and am convinced it will help you extend your chord knowledge. It will make you recognize chords and chord progressions quicker and help you find certain chord effects when you’re composing songs. This manual will give you all the tools you need to analyze tabs and chord progressions you find on the internet and play the ‘correct’ guitar arrangement.

Matthieu Brandt for TrueFire Haarlem (The Original), The Netherlands June 2008

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Open Position Chords - Major and Minor Triads Definition

Chord Formula Styles of Music Examples

: Major and Minor Chords, that use one or more open strings with 3 different notes: the root, the third and the fifth. Some of these notes can be doubled. : Major Triad = 1-3-5 & Minor Triad = 1-b3-5 : Folk, Country, Singer Songwriter, Pop, Rock, Americana, etc. : House of the Risin’ Sun (The Animals), A Horse With No Name (America) Riders on the Storm (The Doors), Cecilia (Simon & Garfunkel), etc.

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Open Position Chords – 4 Note Chords Definition Chord Formula Styles of Music Examples

: Major and Minor Chords, that use one or more open strings with 4 different notes: the root, the third, the fifth and the seventh. : Dominant Seventh = 1-3-5-b7 , Major Seventh = 1-3-5-7 & Minor Seventh = 1-b3-5-b7 : Folk, Country, Blues, Singer Songwriter, Pop, Rock, Americana, etc. : Angie (Rolling Stones), Knocking on Heaven’s Door (Bob Dylan), Streets of London (Ralph McTell), etc.

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Barre – Chords Definition

Chord Formula

Styles of Music Examples How To Use

: Major and Minor Chord Triads and 4 Note Chords, that use the barred index finger across 6 or 5 strings. One or more chord notes are doubled. : Major Triad = 1-3-5 , Minor Triad = 1-b3-5 , Dominant Seventh = 1-3-5-b7 , Major Seventh = 1-3-5-7 & Minor Seventh = 1-b3-5-b7 : Folk, Country, Blues, Pop, Rock, Americana, Roots, Heavy, etc. : No Woman No Cry (Bob Marley) : Root of the chord can be found on the 6th and 1st string. Place your index finger across all strings at the desired location of the root (F = 1st fret, F# = 2nd fret, G= 3rd fret, etc.). Shape your other fingers like the open position E, Em, E7 and Em7 chord shapes to get the desired chord color.

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How To Use

: Root of the chord can be found on the 5th string. Place your index finger across the top 5 strings at the desired location of the root (Bb = 1st fret, B = 2nd fret, C= 3rd fret, etc.). Shape your other fingers like the open position A, Am, A7 and Am7 chord shapes to get the desired chord color.

How To Use

: Root of the chord can be found on the 5th string. Place your pinky on the desired root on the 5th string of the root (C# = 4th fret,D = 5th fret, D# = 6th fret, etc.). Shape your middle and ring finger like the open position C or Cmaj7 chord shapes to get the desired chord color. Barre your index finger across the top 5 strings, three frets lower (closer to the nut) than the location of your pinky.

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Sus4 – Chords Definition


When to use

: 3 Note chords with root, suspended 4th and perfect fifth. The suspended 4th can be found 5x1/2 note (5 frets) up from the root. The chord is major nor minor and can be played as a replacement for both types of chords. : Suspended 4th = 1-4-5 & Dominant Sus4 = 1-4-5-b7 . : Folk, Country, Pop, Rock, etc. : sus4 My Generation (The Who), Monday Monday (Mama’s and the Papa’s), A Crazy Little Thing Called Love (Queen). 7sus4 Venus (Shocking Blue), Mr. Tambourine Man (Bob Dylan), Annie’s Song (John Denver), Needle and the Damage Done (Neil Young), Vincent (Don McLean), Pinball Wizard (The Who), Black Velvet (Alannah Myles) . sus4->minor Kathy’s Song (Simon & Garfunkel) hidden sus4 Wonderwall (Oasis), You’re Beautiful (James Blunt) : Suspends the Major or Minor Third of the Chord. Used for variation when a chord is played for a relatively long period of time or for melodic purposes.

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Sus2 – Chords Definition

Chord Formula Styles of Music Examples When to use

: 3 Note chords with root, suspended 2nd and perfect fifth. The suspended 2nd can be found 2x1/2 note (2 frets) up from the root. The chord is major nor minor and can be played as a replacement for both types of chords. : Suspended 2nd = 1-2-5 . : Folk, Country, Pop, Rock, etc. : One (U2), Fire and Rain (James Taylor), Green Eyes (Coldplay). : Used for variation when a chord is played for a relatively long period of time or to give a chord a mild flavor.

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Sus4 & Sus2 Chord Combination Definition


When to use

: Combination of sus4 and sus2 chords. Both suspended chords are often combined to create melodies within a chord. The major or minor third of the chord is also added in the melody. : Suspended 2nd = 1-2-5, Major Triad = 1-3-5 or Minor Triad =1-b3-5 and suspended 4th = 1-4-5 : Folk, Country, Pop, Rock, etc. : Summer of ’69 (Brian Adams), Brass in Pocket (Pretenders), Annie’s Song (John Denver), Happy Christmas (John Lennon), The Winner Takes It All (Abba), Vincent (Don McLean), The First Cut Is The Deepest (Cat Stevens). : To create melodies on top of a major or minor triad

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Add 9 Chords Definition


When to use

: A Major or Minor Triads that has an added 9th. A Minor Seventh Chord with an added 9th is called a Minor Ninth Chord. This is the same note as the suspended 2nd (2x ½ note or 2 frets above the root), usually played 7 whole notes or 14 frets above the root. : Add9 = 1-3-5-9, madd9 = 1-b3-5-9 and m9 = 1-b3-5-b7-9. : Folk, Country, Pop, Rock, Singer Songwriter, Rock Ballads, Latin, Jazz, etc. : add9 Lover You Should’ve Come Over (Jeff Buckley), Dust in the Wind (Kansas), I Got A Name Jim Croce), madd9 Fade To Black (Metallica), Every Breath You Take (Police), m9 Language (Suzanne Vega) : Gives the minor or major chord a more mellow flavor.

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Add 11 Chords Definition


When to use

: A Major or Minor Triads that has an added 11th. This is the same note as the suspended 4th (5x ½ note or 5 frets above the root), usually played 8 1/2 whole notes or 17 frets above the root. : Add11 = 1-3-5-11, madd11 = 1-b3-5-11 and m11 = 1-b3-5-b7-11. : Folk, Country, Pop, Rock, Singer Songwriter, Rock Ballads, Latin, Jazz, etc. : add11 Miss You (Rolling Stones) m11 Here, There and Everywhere (The Beatles) m7add11 About A Girl (Nirvana), Back To You (John Mayer) : Gives the minor or major chord a more mellow flavor, with a suspended twist.

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Min 7 – Chords Definition

Chord Formula Styles of Music When to use

: A Minor Triad that has an added flatted 7th. This flatted 7th lies 10 x ½ note or 10 frets above the root of the chord (same as 2 frets down). : 1-b3-5-7 : Folk, Country, Pop, Rock, Singer Songwriter, Rock Ballads, Latin, Jazz, etc. : Gives the minor chord a softer color. Can often be interchanged with the minor triad.

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Maj 7 – Chords Definition Chord Formula Styles of Music Examples

When to use

: A Major Triad that has an added major 7th. This major 7th lies 11 x ½ note or 11 frets above the root of the chord (same as 1 fret down). : 1-3-5-7 : Jazz, Pop, Rock, Singer Songwriter, Latin, etc. : Lying Eyes (The Eagles), Photographs and Memories (Jim Croce), God Bless The Child (Billy Holiday), Sunny Skies (James Taylor), Show me the Way (Peter Frampton), Old Friends (Simon & Garfunkel), Harvest Moon (Neil Young). : Gives the major chord a softer more mellow color. Makes the chord melancholic and light.

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MinMaj7 – Chords Definition


When to use

: A Minor Triad that has an added major 7th. This major 7th lies 11 x ½ note or 11 frets above the root of the chord (same as 1 fret down). : 1-b3-5-7 : Jazz, Pop, Rock, Singer Songwriter, Latin, etc. : My Funny Valentine (Standard), This Masquerade (George Benson), Don’t You Worry ‘ bout a Thing (Stevie Wonder), Stairway To Heaven Something (Beatles) ; all in a progression down from the Im-chord Static: It’s Probably Me (Sting), The Ragpickers Dream (Mark Knopfler) : The mMaj7 chord has a mysterious sound with a lot of tension. The most common place you’ll find this chord is in a progression downwards or from min->mMaj7->m7 on the I chord, which leads to the IV chord.

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Add 6 – Chords Definition


When to use

: A Major Triad that has an added major 6th . This major 6th lies 9 x ½ note or 9 frets above the root of the chord (same as 3 frets down). : 1-3-5-6 : Jazz, Pop, Rock, Singer Songwriter, Latin, etc. : Born To Be Wild (Steppenwolf), Lenny (Stevie Ray Vaughan), One of These Nights (The Eagles), All Along the Watchtower (Bob Dylan), Ventura Highway (America). : It can replace a major or a dominant seventh chord. It’s not as harsh as a dominant seventh chord (no tritone interval) and in a Latin Jazz setting you’ll often find this chord next to a major 7th. Sometimes found in upward or downward chord progressions from maj->maj7->b7->add6 vise versa; Ordinary Pain (Stevie Wonder) add9->maj->maj7->add6; At Seventeen (Janis Ian), Shine Silently (Nils Lofgren) 5th->add6->b7 ; Needle and the Damage Done (Neil Young)

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m 6 – Chords Definition


: A Minor Triad that has an added major 6th or flatted 6th (uncommon) This major 6th lies 9 x ½ note or 9 frets above the root of the chord (same as 3 frets down). The flatted 6th (also referred to as b13) lies 8 x1/2 note or 8 frets above the root of the chord. The major 6th stems from the Dorian Minor Scale and the flatted 6th from the Aeolian Minor Scale. The notation for this chord can also be min(min6). : 1-b3-5-6 or 1-b3-5-b6 : Jazz, Pop, Rock, Singer Songwriter, Latin, etc. : Play That Funky Music, White Boy (Wild Cherry) : In a downward progression on a min chord; min->mMaj7->m7->m6.

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m 69 – Chords Definition Chord Formula Styles of Music Examples

: A Minor Triad that has an added major 6th AND an added 9th. : 1-b3-5-6-9 : Jazz, Pop, Singer Songwriter, Latin, etc. : Forty Thousand Headmen (Traffic), 3x5 (John Mayer), Theme From the Pink Panther

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Maj 7 and Add 6 Extended Chords Definition Chord Formula Styles of Music

: A Major Triad that has an added major 6th and/or an added major 7th and/or one other extension : 1-3-5-6-7, 1-3-5-7-13, 1-3-5-7-9, 1-3-5-6-9 : Jazz, Latin, Fusion, etc.

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Dom 7 Chords Definition Chord Formula Styles of Music Examples

When to use

: A Major Triad with an added flatted 7th on top of the root of the chord. This note is 10 x ½ note (10 frets) above the root or 2 frets down. : 1-3-5-b7 : Blues, Jazz, Pop, Folk, Rock, Singer Songwriter, etc. : Almost all 12-bar blues progressions, Dom 7th on I-Chord Mrs. Robinson (Simon and Garfunkel) More than Words (extreme) : Chord creates some tension that wants to resolve, due to the tritone interval between the major third of the chord and the flatted seventh. This is an unstable interval. In blues this a dominant seventh chord can be played for a longer period of time without resolving. Also used to make a chord or chord progression more bluesy.

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Dom 7 Extended Chords Definition


: A Dominant Seventh Chord with one or more notes added from the parent scale. The Parent scale is the Ionian Major scale in which the dominant seventh chord is the 5th degree. Notes from this scale are added on top of the Dom 7th chord. : 1-3-5-b7-9 (Dom 9th), 1-3-5-b7-13 (Dom 13th), 1-3-5-b7-11 (Dom 11th ) : Blues, Jazz, Pop, Folk, Rock, Singer Songwriter, etc. : Almost all 12-bar blues progressions (Chicago style Texas and West Coast) : Chord creates some tension that wants to resolve, due to the tritone interval between the major third of the chord and the flatted seventh. This is an unstable interval. In blues this a dominant seventh chord can be played for a longer period of time without resolving. Also used to make a chord or chord progression more bluesy.

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Altered Dom 7 Chords Definition


: A Dominant Seventh Chord with one or more notes added that are NOT part of the parent scale. The Parent scale is the Ionian Major scale in which the dominant seventh chord is the 5th degree. Notes that are not part of this scale are added on top of the Dom 7th chord. The fifth of the chord can also be lowered or raised (alt-5th = aug or dim) : 1-3-5-b7-b9 (Dom 7b9th), 1-3-5-b7-#9 (Dom 7#9th), 1-3-5-b7-b13 (Dom 7b13th ), 1-3-b5-b7 (Dom 7b5), 1-3-#5-b7 (Dom 7#5) : Blues, Rock, Jazz, Pop, Fusion, etc. : Dom 7#9 Purple Haze (Jimi Hendrix) : These chords have a lot of tension that wants to resolve. They can be used as passing chords.

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Diminished and Augmented Triad Definition


: A 3 Note Major chord with the 5th of the chord lowered (diminished) or raised (augmented). The diminished triad can be found as the 7th degree of an Ionian Major scale. The augmented triad is a symmetric chord; it’s as stack of three major third intervals. Each of the chord tones can function as the root. : 1-3-b5 (dim), 1-3-#5 (aug) : Blues, Jazz, Fusion, Latin etc. : Stormy Monday (T-Bone Walker), All My Lovin’ (The Beatles), Mama Mia (ABBA), James Bond Theme. : These chords are unstable and are not often used. They want to resolve.

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Half-Diminished Chord Definition


: A Minor Triad with the 5th of the chord lowered (diminished) and an added flatted seventh. The Half-Diminished 4 Note chord can be found as the 7th degree of an Ionian Major scale and as 2nd degree chord in an Aeolian Minor scale. : 1-b3-b5-b7. : Jazz-Blues, Jazz, Pop, Fusion, Latin etc. : Autumn Leaves, Stella by Starlight, Put Your Records On (Corinne Bailey Rae), Change The World (Eric Clapton), Free as a Bird (Beatles) : These chords tend to only be used as a IIm7b5 chord in a ii-V7-I in minor. Because these 4 notes are also part of the upper extension of Dominant Ninth chord a major third lower than the root, it is also used as a replacement for that chord.

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Diminished 7th Chords Definition


When to use

: A Minor Triad with the 5th of the chord lowered (diminished) and an added diminished seventh. This is a flatted flatted seventh. This chord is symmetric; it is a stack of 4 minor third intervals on top of each other. : 1-b3-b5-bb7. : Jazz-Blues, Jazz, Pop, Fusion, Latin etc. : Michelle (The Beatles), bar 6 of a Jazz-Blues, What a Wonderful World (Louis Armstrong), Need Your Love So Bad (Fleetwood Mac), Love ME (Elvis) : Often used as a substitution for a Dominant Seventh chord ½ note lower. If this Dominant seventh chord is extended with a flatted ninth to give it tension, the top 4 notes of that chord form a diminished 7th chord.

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Powerchords Definition


When to use

: A stack of a root with a perfect fifth. Often one of these notes is doubled (or both). Although technically a powerchord is an interval, because it only has two different notes, these intervals are mostly referred to as powerchords. : 1-5 : Rock, Heavy Metal, Pop, etc. : 11 AM (Incubus), Smoke on the Water (Deep Purple), My Generation (The Who), Knocking on Heavens Door (Guns & Roses Cover), The Unforgiven (Metallica), Rumble (Link Wray), You Really Got Me (The Kinks). : Chord has no major or minor third and can be used as a replacement for both. Because it has a limited ‘color’ it’s often used in rough edged songs. Too thicken up the chord, the fifth of the chord is sometimes doubled in the bass.

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Triads on 1st, 2nd and 3rd string Definition Chord Formula Styles of Music When to use

: Major and Minor Triads on 3 adjacent strings : 1-3-5 (major) and 1-b3-5 (Minor). : Funk, Rock, Pop, Singer Songwriter, etc. : As a second guitar part or part in a band setting with other chord instruments. Locate the root on one string and shape the chord around it.

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Triads on 2nd, 3rd and 4th string Definition Chord Formula Styles of Music When to use


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Triads on 3rd , 4th and 5th string Definition Chord Formula Styles of Music When to use


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Expanded Triads on 1st, 2nd and 3rd string: Sus4 and Sus2 Definition Chord Formula Styles of Music When to use

: Sus4 and Sus2 Triads on 3 adjacent strings : 1-4-5 (sus4) and 1-2-5 (sus2). : Funk, Rock, Pop, Singer Songwriter, etc. : As a second guitar part or part in a band setting with other chord instruments. Locate the root on one string and shape the chord around it. These can be seen as harmonic variations of the major or minor triads.

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Expanded Triads on 2nd , 3rd and 4th string: Sus4 and Sus2 Definition Chord Formula Styles of Music When to use


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Expanded Triads on 3rd , 4th and 5th string: Sus4 and Sus2 Definition Chord Formula Styles of Music When to use


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Expanded Triads on 1st, 2nd and 3rd string: Dom 7th Definition Chord Formula Styles of Music When to use

: Dom 7th “Triads” on 3 adjacent strings : 1-3-b7 (no 5th) and 3-5-b7 (no root). : Funk, Rock, Pop, Singer Songwriter, etc. : As a second guitar part or part in a band setting with other chord instruments. By definition a dom 7th chord has 4 notes (1-3-5-b7). By leaving out one note we can add a harmonic variation to a major triad. We can do this in a band setting because the bass will usually take care of the root of the chord and the 5th is a note we can leave out without changing the color of the chord too much.

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Expanded Triads on 2nd , 3rd and 4th string: Dom 7th Definition Chord Formula Styles of Music When to use

: Dom 7th “Triads” on 3 adjacent strings : 1-3-b7 (no 5th) and 3-5-b7 (no root). : Funk, Rock, Pop, Singer Songwriter, etc. : As a second guitar part or part in a band setting with other chord instruments. By definition a dom 7th chord has 4 notes (1-3-5-b7). By leaving out one note we can add a harmonic variation to a major triad. We can do this in a band setting because the bass will usually take care of the root of the chord and the 5th is a note we can leave out without changing the color of the chord too much.

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Expanded Triads on 3rd , 4th and 5th string: Dom 7th Definition Chord Formula Styles of Music When to use

: Dom 7th “Triads” on 3 adjacent strings : 1-3-b7 (no 5th) and 3-5-b7 (no root). : Funk, Rock, Pop, Singer Songwriter, etc. : As a second guitar part or part in a band setting with other chord instruments. By definition a dom 7th chord has 4 notes (1-3-5-b7). By leaving out one note we can add a harmonic variation to a major triad. We can do this in a band setting because the bass will usually take care of the root of the chord and the 5th is a note we can leave out without changing the color of the chord too much. The shapes shown here are the only playable shapes.

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Expanded Triads on 1st, 2nd and 3rd string: Maj 7th Definition Chord Formula Styles of Music When to use

: Maj 7th “Triads” on 3 adjacent strings : 1-3-7 (no 5th) and 3-5-7 (no root). : Funk, Rock, Pop, Singer Songwriter, etc. : As a second guitar part or part in a band setting with other chord instruments. By definition a maj 7th chord has 4 notes (1-3-5-7). By leaving out one note we can add a harmonic variation to a major triad. We can do this in a band setting because the bass will usually take care of the root of the chord and the 5th is a note we can leave out without changing the color of the chord too much.

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Expanded Triads on 2nd , 3rd and 4th string: Maj 7th Definition Chord Formula Styles of Music When to use

: Maj 7th “Triads” on 3 adjacent strings : 1-3-7 (no 5th) and 3-5-7 (no root). : Funk, Rock, Pop, Singer Songwriter, etc. : As a second guitar part or part in a band setting with other chord instruments. By definition a maj 7th chord has 4 notes (1-3-5-7). By leaving out one note we can add a harmonic variation to a major triad. We can do this in a band setting because the bass will usually take care of the root of the chord and the 5th is a note we can leave out without changing the color of the chord too much.

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Expanded Triads on 3rd , 4th and 5th string: Maj 7th Definition Chord Formula Styles of Music When to use

: Maj 7th “Triads” on 3 adjacent strings : 1-3-7 (no 5th) and 3-5-7 (no root). : Funk, Rock, Pop, Singer Songwriter, etc. : As a second guitar part or part in a band setting with other chord instruments. By definition a maj 7th chord has 4 notes (1-3-5-7). By leaving out one note we can add a harmonic variation to a major triad. We can do this in a band setting because the bass will usually take care of the root of the chord and the 5th is a note we can leave out without changing the color of the chord too much. Only playable shapes are shown.

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Expanded Triads on 1st, 2nd and 3rd string: Min 7th Definition Chord Formula Styles of Music When to use

: Min 7th “Triads” on 3 adjacent strings : 1-b3-b7 (no 5th) and b3-5-b7 (no root). : Funk, Rock, Pop, Singer Songwriter, etc. : As a second guitar part or part in a band setting with other chord instruments. By definition a min 7th chord has 4 notes (1-b3-5-b7). By leaving out one note we can add a harmonic variation to a major triad. We can do this in a band setting because the bass will usually take care of the root of the chord and the 5th is a note we can leave out without changing the color of the chord too much.

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Expanded Triads on 2nd, 3rd and 4th string: Min 7th Definition Chord Formula Styles of Music When to use

: Min 7th “Triads” on 3 adjacent strings : 1-b3-b7 (no 5th) and b3-5-b7 (no root). : Funk, Rock, Pop, Singer Songwriter, etc. : As a second guitar part or part in a band setting with other chord instruments. By definition a min 7th chord has 4 notes (1-b3-5-b7). By leaving out one note we can add a harmonic variation to a major triad. We can do this in a band setting because the bass will usually take care of the root of the chord and the 5th is a note we can leave out without changing the color of the chord too much.

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Expanded Triads on 3rd , 4th and 5th string: Min 7th Definition Chord Formula Styles of Music When to use

: Min 7th “Triads” on 3 adjacent strings : 1-b3-b7 (no 5th) and b3-5-b7 (no root). : Funk, Rock, Pop, Singer Songwriter, etc. : As a second guitar part or part in a band setting with other chord instruments. By definition a min 7th chord has 4 notes (1-b3-5-b7). By leaving out one note we can add a harmonic variation to a major triad. We can do this in a band setting because the bass will usually take care of the root of the chord and the 5th is a note we can leave out without changing the color of the chord too much. Only playable forms are shown.

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Powerchord Based Triads Definition Chord Formula Styles of Music When to use

: Triads derived from Powerchords on 3 adjacent strings : several. : Rock, Heavy Metal, Pop, etc. : As harmonic variations in a Powerchord groove.

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Open Position Chords Moved Up The Neck Definition Chord Formula Styles of Music Examples

When to use

: Open position chord shapes that are moved up the neck and in which open strings are kept ringing. : several. : Rock, Pop, Singer Songwriter, etc. : Saturday Night (Herman Brood & His Wild Romance), Sweet Bitter Blues (Cephas and Wiggins), Homeward Bound and Scarborough Fair (Simon and Garfunkel), Calling You – Theme from Bagdad Café (Jevetta Steel) : As harmonic variations on open position chords. The open strings that keep ringing often give the chord some extra color. These chords can used to replace ‘regular’ open position chords or provide colorful substitutions for barre chords. In some cases these chords are used on top of a pedal bass, to create harmonic motion within a certain key. Because of their well known shape these chords are easy to play.

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Bar Chords Without A Bar Definition

Chord Formula Examples Styles of Music When to use

: Chords that are derived from barre chord with the tonic on the 6th or 5th string. The barre played with the index finger is removed and only the root of the chord is played with the index finger. The rest of the fingers remain on the fretboard and the open strings are kept ringing. : several. : Daughters (John Mayer), Sacrifice (Anouk), Sail Away (David Gray), Trouble (Oasis), This Side (Nickel Creek), Joy (Janis Ian). : Rock, Pop, Singer Songwriter, etc. : As harmonic variations on open position chords or barre chords The open strings that keep ringing often give the chord some extra color. These chords can used to replace ‘regular’ open position chords or barre chords. The top open strings (E and B) create a pedal that can be heard throughout a progression that uses several of these types of chords.

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Bar Chords Without A Bar (Open Low E) Definition


: Chords that are derived from barre chord with the tonic on the 6th or 5th string. The barre played with the index finger is removed and the low E string rings open, together with the high E and B strings. The rest of the fingers remain on the fretboard. : several : Melissa (Allman Brothers Band) : Rock, Pop, Singer Songwriter, etc. : As harmonic variations on open position chords or barre chords The open strings that keep ringing often give the chord some extra color. These chords can used to replace ‘regular’ open position chords or barre chords or provide. The top open strings (E and B) create a pedal that can be heard throughout a progression that uses several of these types of chords.

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Chords from Chord Progressions with Pedal Notes Definition

Chord Formula Examples

Styles of Music When to use

: Chords that occur in progressions where one or more notes keep ringing throughout the progression. These notes are called pedal notes or pedal points. Often these notes are open strings, but not always. : several : In The Air Tonight (Phil Collins), Fly Like An Eagle (Steve Miller), You Oughta Know (Alanis Morisette), Crazy (Seal), Superstition (Stevie Wonder), Relax (Frankie Goes To Hollywood). : Rock, Pop, Singer Songwriter, etc. : To create a dissonant, dramatic effect or a sense of impending doom or to glue chords together through one or more common tones. The tonic and sometimes the fifth degree of a scale are the most likely pedals. The pedal points can be the top note, the bass note or (very infrequently) one of the inside notes of a chord / chord progression.

Examples G & D

: Wonderwall (Oasis), You’re Beautiful (James Blunt.)

Examples G

: Between The Bars – Theme From Goodwill Hunting (Elliott Smith)

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Examples D

: Eskimo (Damien Rice)

Examples C

: Time in a Bottle (Jim Croce)


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Examples A


: Between the Walls (Anouk), Out on the Weekend (Neil Young), Billy Jean (Michael Jackson), Tied to the Whippin’ Post (Allman Brothers)

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Examples Low D


: Wish You Were Here (Chicago), Eight Days A Week (Beatles), Don’t Dream It’s Over (Crowded House).

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Examples E

Examples C

: Jump (Van Halen), Imagine (John Lennon on piano).

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Examples Middle G


: Blackbird (Beatles), Fast Car (Tracy Chapman), I Apologize (Krezip).

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Inversions Of Triads and 4 Note Chords Definition Chord Formula Examples


: Chord that have a note in the bass (lowest sounding note) that is not the root. : several : G/B Dust in the Wind (Kansas) D/F# Carolina (James Taylor) A/C# Here Comes The Sun (Beatles) Am/G While My Guitar Gently Weeps (George Harrison) E/G# Tears in Heaven (Eric Clapton) C/G Kathy’s Song (Simon and Garfunkel) Am9/G# Stairway To Heaven (Led Zeppelin) : Rock, Pop, Country, Folk, Singer Songwriter, etc. : To create a smooth bass line in a chord progression, introduce movement on one chord or to color a chord.

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Chords with Chimey Close Voicings Definition

Chord Formula Examples


: Chords that have all the chord notes stacked as close together as possible, often within the same octave. The voicings referred to here can contain two notes that have an interval of ½ note or 1 whole note between them. The tension between these adjacent notes within the chord voicing produce a chimey effect or tension. Often one of these notes is an open string. : several : Every Breath You Take & Message In A Bottle (The Police), Night Vision (Suzanne Vega), Fade To Black (Metallica), Masterplan (Oasis), Old Man (Neil Young), Scarborough Fair (Simon and Garfunkel version), Stealing Hubcaps (Larry John McNally) : Rock, Pop, Country, Folk, Heavy Metal, Singer Songwriter, etc. : To create a chord that has some tension and/or mesmerizing color / floating feel.

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Complex Slash Chords Definition Chord Formula Examples Styles of Music When to use

: Inversions of chords with a note in the bass that is not the root, third, fifth or seventh. : several : Gone Fishing (Chris Rea), All Blues (Miles Davis), Enough To Be On Your Way (James Taylor), Theme From ‘Hill Street Blues’ (Mike Post). : Pop, Singer Songwriter, Jazz, Fusion, etc. : To create a chord that has some tension or to create a harmonic motion with triads on top of a pedal note.

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Chords from Quartal Harmony Definition


: Western Pop Music is written with tertiary harmony, using the 1-3-5-7 formula on each of the notes of a scale to create chords. This leads to stacks of major and minor thirds. In Quartal Harmony you use the formula 1-4-7-10 to create stacks of fourths. This leads to suspended, add11 and add#11 chords. This makes it difficult to establish a certain key. Because the fourth interval is the compliment of a fifth interval, Quintal Harmony (stacks of fifth interval) can be regarded as coming from the same family. : several : So What (Miles Davis), Intro to Little Wing (Jimi Hendrix), Zoot Allures (Frank Zappa), The Cage (Charles Ives) : Jazz, Fusion, Modern Classical, etc. : Voice leading or modal jazz in which these chords are used to create melodies within a certain harmonic context. Can also be used to color a chord within tertiary harmony.

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Stacks of Fifth Intervals:

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Chord Harmony A song is written in a certain key. This key is the ‘home base’ of the scale of notes that are being used in a song. A scale is number of notes, stacked in a row in order of pitch from low to high. A list of all possible notes we can play :

All notes

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

1

C

C#

D

D#

E

F

F#

G

G#

A

A#

B

C

Enharmonic names*

Db

Eb

Gb

Ab

*

Distance between each tone = ½ note (1 fret). E.g. Distance between C and C# = ½ note (1 fret). Distance between C and D = 1 whole note (2 frets) Distance between D and F# = 2 whole notes (4 frets)

F# Gb

E F

G# Ab

G

A# B Bb

A

Bb

Enharmonic names these notes can have two names: # means raised with ½ note (C# is a raised C) b means lowered with ½ note (Db is a lowered D)

C C# D D# E Db Eb

Each scale is a subset of all these notes. Scales are made with a formula. The scales we use mostly consist of 7 notes, with a set distance between each note. This distance can be ½ note (1 fret), a whole note (2 frets), 1 ½ notes (3 frets), etc. A ‘major scale’ (a.k.a. an ionic scale) has the formula 2‐2‐1‐2‐2‐2‐1. This means that the distance between the first tone and the second tone is 2 x ½ note = 1 whole note (2 frets). the distance between the second and third tone is 2 x ½ note = 1 whole note (2 frets). the distance between the third and fourth note is 1 x ½ note (1 fret). Etc. You can create a major scale on every note on the fretboard. If you start with a certain note and follow the formula, you’ll always end up with a major scale. The note you start on is called the ‘key’. E.g. if you are playing in the key of G major the notes (and the distance between them) would be : G

A 2

B 2

C 1

D 2

E 2

F# 2

G 1

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The chords we use in Pop and Rock music come from the major (Ionian) scale or one of the Minor scales (Aeolian, Dorian, Phrygian). We’ll first take a look at chords derived from the Ionian Major scale In Western Pop, Rock, Blues, Funk, etc. music we use what is called “tertiary” harmony. This means that most common chords are stacks of third intervals; a major third (4x ½ note or 4 frets) or a minor third (3x ½ note or 3 frets). The chords we can build from an Ionian major scale can be found by taking each of the notes of the scale as the root and using the formula 1‐3‐5. You skip a note up from the root (nr. 2) and add the one you land on (nr.3). You do the same again, skipping nr.4 and adding the next (nr.5). This will result in a chord with tertiary harmony; major chord and minor chords. If you write down the scale, start at a note (tonic) and skip every other note, you end up with a chord. E.g. C=CDEFGABC. Start at C (=1). The other chord notes are E(=3) and G (=5). Start at D (=1). The other chord notes are F(=3) and G (=5). Start at G (=1). The other chord notes are B(=3) and D (=5). Note that when we ‘calculate’ the 3 and 5, we do this relative to each of the tonics we chose (=1). Depending on the distance in notes between the 1 and the 3, we end up with a major chord (4 x ½ note) or with a minor chord (3 x ½ note). If we calculate the chords for each scale, we end up with this chord table: Key I B E A D G C F Bb Eb Ab Db

ii C#m F#m Bm Em Am Dm Gm Cm Fm Bbm Ebm

iii D#m G#m C#m F#m Bm Em Am Dm Gm Cm Fm

IV E A D G C F Bb Eb Ab Db G

V F# B E A D G C F Bb Eb Ab

vi G#m C#m F#m Bm Em Am Dm Gm Cm Fm Bbm

vii A#dim D#dim G#dim C#dim F#dim Bdim Edim Adim Ddim Gdim Cdim

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Each Major Key has 7 notes and thus 7 chords. Major chords are notated with capital Roman Numerals (I,IV,V). Minor chords with small Roman Numerals (ii,iii,vi). In a major key the chord on the 7th degree vii is never used; you can disregard it. This is because the 5th of that chord (formula 1‐3‐5 on the 7th note of the scale) is lowered, which creates an unstable chord. In a major key the I chord is called the Tonic, the IV chord is called the Subdominant and the V chord is called the Dominant. These are the three most important chords in a major key. These chords are Major. The other three chords on the second, third and sixth degree are used as substitutes for the I,IV and V. They are Minor chords. Due to the notes in the chords the I chord can be substituted by the vii chord (e.g. C → Am ) the IV chord can be substituted by the ii chord (e.g. F → Dm ) the V chord can be substituted by the iii chord (e.g. G → Em ) This can be done because these ‘substitute’ chords have 2 notes in common with the chord they replace.

Chord

Notes in Chord

Substitute Chord

Notes in Chord

C

CEG

Am

ACE

F

FAC

Dm

DFA

G

GBD

Em

EGB

If a song only uses the 3‐note chords (triads) from the left six columns of the chord table, the resulting sound can be described as ‘folk’, ‘country’, etc. This is because there is a limited amount of tension in the chord progression; all the notes in all the chords come from one key and we have not added any ‘extensions’ to the chord. Each of these chords has certain character which stems from the type of triad. A major chord has the root, a major third and a perfect fifth. It’s “chord formula” is 1‐3‐5. A minor chord has a root, a flatted third and a perfect fifth. It’s formula is 1‐b3‐5. The unstable chord built on the 7th note (degree) has a flatted third and a flatted fifth. The chord formula for this chord is 1‐b3‐b5. 76



Chord extensions On top of the 3 note chords with the formulas 1‐3‐5 and 1‐b3‐5 you can add notes. The notes are called “Extensions”. They can give a chord more ‘color’. These notes are added to the “chord formula”. The most common extension is adding the 7th note in the scale up from each of the notes in the scale. The formula we used to build chords on top of the scale notes was 1‐3‐5. Skip one note up from the 5th note in the chord and add the one you land on. The formula will become 1‐3‐5‐7 . If we change the formula of the triad 1‐3‐5 to 1‐3‐5‐7 we end up with these chords: Key I maj7 Bmaj7 Emaj7 Amaj7 Dmaj7 Gmaj7 Cmaj7 Fmaj7 Bbmaj7 Ebmaj7 Abmaj7 Dbmaj7

iim7 C#m7 F#m7 Bm7 Em7 Am7 Dm7 Gm7 Cm7 Fm7 Bbm7 Ebm7

iiim7 D#m7 G#m7 C#m7 F#m7 Bm7 Em7 Am7 Dm7 Gm7 Cm7 Fm7

IVmaj7 Emaj7 Amaj7 Dmaj7 Gmaj7 Cmaj7 Fmaj7 Bbmaj7 Ebmaj7 Abmaj7 Dbmaj7 Gmaj7

V7

vim7 G#m7 C#m7 F#m7 Bm7 Em7 Am7 Dm7 Gm7 Cm7 Fm7 Bbm7

F#7 B7 E7 A7 D7 G7 C7 F7 Bb7 Eb7 Ab7

viim7b5 A#m7b5 D#m7b5 G#m7b5 C#m7b5 F#m7b5 Bm7b5 Em7b5 Am7b5 Dm7b5 Gm7b5 Cm7b5

Note that we are remaining within the scale. Each of these chords has a color. This color can be defined as ‘smooth’ when you’re adding a major 7th to a major chord. You can add tension to a major chord when you add the flatted 7th to it. Etc. If you are in the key of G for instance, the notes are : G

A 2

B 2

C 1

D 2

E 2

F# 2

G 1

Building a 4‐note chord with the formula 1‐3‐5‐7 would get you a chord with the notes G,B,D,F# . Because the distance between the tonic G and the added note F# (the 7th from the scale) is 11 x ½ note we call this chord a ‘major 7th chord’ or ‘maj7’ or ‘∆7’. The chord we end up with on the G tonic is a Gmaj7 . 77



Note: the ‘maj’ in major 7th refers to the 7th note. It has nothing to do with if the chord is major or minor. A chord is major or minor depending on the third of the chord. Which means that there is actually a chord like Ammaj7. Which is ‐ an A minor chord with a C note in it, which is the flatted 3rd (or 3 frets) above the tonic ‐ and a major seventh, which is a G# (= 11 frets above the tonic). If we remain in the key and build 4‐note chords with the 1‐3‐5‐7 method we end up with 4 different chords, each with their own chord formula: maj7th chords ‐ ‐ m7 chords ‐ ‐ 7 chord ‐ ‐ m7b5 chord ‐ ‐

the triad is major and the distance between the tonic and 7th note is 11 frets Chord Formula: 1 ‐ 3 ‐ 5 ‐7 the triad is minor and the distance between the tonic and 7th note is 10 frets Chord Formula: 1 ‐ b3 ‐ 5 ‐b7 the triad is major and the distance between the tonic and 7th note is 10 frets Chord Formula: 1 ‐ 3 ‐ 5 ‐ b7 not used in a major key: triad is minor, the fifth is lowered and the distance between the tonic and the 7th note is 10 frets. Chord Formula: 1 ‐ b3 ‐ b5 ‐ b7

In the key of G this results in: Gmaj7 – Am7 – Bm7 – Cmaj7 – D7 – Em7 – F#m7b5 For 4‐note chords the same rules for substitution apply: Due to the notes in the chords the Imaj7 chord can be substituted by the viim7 chord (e.g. Cmaj7 → Am7 ) the IVmaj7 chord can be substituted by the iim7 chord (e.g. Fmaj7 → Dm7 ) the V7 chord can be substituted by the iiim7 chord (e.g. G7 → Em7 ) This can be done because these ‘substitute’ chords have 3 notes in common with the chord they replace. You can also substitute these chords by the associated triads, e.g. Cmaj7 → Am . Chord

Notes in Chord

Substitute Chord

Notes in Chord

C maj7

CEGB

Am7

ACEG

F maj7

FACE

Dm7

DFAC

G7

GBDF

Em7

EGBD

Songs with 4‐note chords have more color. Modern pop songs, jazz and blues use these chords.

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Chord Formulas Each chord has a chord formula. The sound a certain chord has stems from this formula. Two chords with the same formula, built on different roots, will have the same character / color / flavor. Because we mostly use tertiary harmony in Western Pop and Rock music most chord will have chord formulas like 1‐3‐5 or 1‐b3‐5 or 1‐3‐5‐7, etc. But other formulas are possible too, each resulting in their own specific sound. A chord with the formula 1‐3‐5‐b7‐9 is called a dominant ninth chord. A chord with the formula 1‐2‐5 is a sus2 chord and the chord formula 1‐4‐5 results in a sus4 chord. The numbers in these formulas refer to the distance between the root of the chord and the note you add. The number 4 for instance refers to the distance of a “perfect fourth” which is 5 frets. We’ve seen that the number 3 means the chord has a “major third” in it, meaning 4 frets up from the root.

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This is a table of the numbers, the intervals they result in and the name.

Number in Chord Formula

Distance to Root in Notes

Distance to Root in frets

Name of Interval

1

0

0

Unison

b2

½

1

Minor Second

2

1

2

Major Second

b3

1½

3

Minor Third

3

2

4

Major Third

4

2½

5

Perfect Fourth

#4 / b5

3

6

Augmented Fourth Diminished Fifth

5

3½

7

Perfect Fifth

#5 / b6

4

8

Augmented Fifth Minor Sixth

6

4½

9

Major Sixth

b7

5

10

Minor Seventh

7

5½

11

Major Seventh

8

6

12

Octave

b9

6½

13

Minor Ninth

9

7

14

Major Ninth

#9

7½

15

Augmented Ninth

11

8½

17

Eleventh

#11

9

18

Augmented Eleventh

b13

10

20

Diminished Thirteenth

13

10 ½

21

Thirteenth

#13

11

22

Augmented Thirteenth

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Formulas for Chord Families Adding any one of these notes to the chord formula will influence the sound of the chord. The most important chord formulas can be divided into three ‘families’ of chords ; major, minor and dominant. We’ll also include some chord formulas that are harder to categorize. The most common chord formulas and their names are listed here.

Chord Symbol (Major Chords)

Name

Chord Formula

Major

1‐3‐5

6

Major 6th

1‐3‐5‐6

Maj7, ∆7

Major 7th

1‐3‐5‐7

9

Major 9th

1‐3‐5‐7‐9

add 9

Major Added 9th

1‐3‐5‐9

6/9

Major 6 / 9th

1‐3‐5‐6‐9

∆7/6

Major 7th / 6th

1‐3‐5‐6‐7

∆7/ #11

Major 7th Sharp Eleventh

1‐3‐5‐7‐#11

13

Major 13th

1‐3‐5‐7‐9‐13

Note: Whenever the number 7 shows up in a chord formula, one needs to be careful. In the formulas above the 7 means the major seventh; 11 frets up from the root. In the notation C7 the 7th is actually a flatted seventh; 10 frets up from the root. The chord formula for a C7 = 1‐3‐5‐b7

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Chord Symbol (Minor Chords)

Name

Chord Formula

m

Minor

1‐b3‐5

m6

Minor 6th

1‐b3‐5‐6

m7

Minor 7th

1‐b3‐5‐b7

m9

Minor 9th

1‐b3‐5‐b7‐9

m 11

Minor 11th

1‐b3‐5‐b7‐9‐11

m7/11

Minor 7 / 11th

1‐b3‐5‐b7‐11

m add9th

Minor add 9th

1‐b3‐5‐9

m ∆7

Minor Major 7th

1‐b3‐5‐7

m6/9

Minor 6th / 9th

1‐b3‐5‐6‐9

Chord Symbol (Dominant Chords)

Name

Chord Formula

7

Dominant 7th

1‐3‐5‐b7

7/6

Dominant 7th 6th

1‐3‐5‐6‐b7

7 sus4

Dominant 7th sus4

1‐4‐5‐b7

7/11

Dominant 7th /11th

1‐3‐5‐b7‐11

9

Dominant 9th

1‐3‐5‐b7‐9

11

Dominant 11th

1‐3‐5‐b7‐9‐11

13

Dominant 13th

1‐3‐5‐b7‐9‐13

7b9

Dominant 7th flat 9th

1‐b3‐5‐b7‐b9

7#9

Dominant 7th sharp 9th

1‐b3‐5‐b7‐#9

7b13

Dominant 7th flat 13th

1‐3‐5‐b7‐9‐b13

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Chord Symbol (Other Chords)

Name

Chord Formula

dim

Diminished Triad

1‐b3‐b5

aug

Augmented Triad

1‐3‐#5

dim 7, o

Diminished 7th

1‐b3‐b5‐bb7

aug 7

Augmented 7th

1‐3‐#5‐b7

sus2

Suspended 2nd

1‐2‐5

sus4

Suspended 4th

1‐4‐5

m7b5 , Ø

Half Diminished

1‐b3‐b5‐b7

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Chord Progressions Chord progressions consist of a number of chords, taken from one or more scales. The I, IV and V chord are the most important chords in a major key. The others can be added for variation. In pop songs the chords can move freely from one to the other, with a few rules of thumb: ‐ generally the last chord in a song is the tonic / key in which the song is written* ‐ the strongest chord progression is from the V chord to the I chord ‐ if you add notes to a chord from a different scale, you’ll be playing a chord from a different scale ‐ adding chords from a different scale adds tension to a progression * We’re not looking at songs that change key (modulate) just yet. The V‐I progression in the key of G would be a D‐G or a D7‐G or a D‐Gmaj7, etc. The relationship the tonics of these chords have, is the bases for this tension/resolution. Even a Dm‐G or Dm‐G are relatively strong chord progressions. The strength of the V‐ I progression and the amount of tension / release depends on the types of chords involved. Generally a major chord as a V chord wants to resolve more than a minor. This makes the D – G a stronger progression than a Dm – G. And a dominant 7th chord as a V chord wants to resolve even more. This makes a D7 – G an even stronger progression. Anytime you have a V‐I chord progression, you’ll have some tension / resolution. The distance between the tonic of the V chord and the tonic of the I chord is 5 x ½ note (5 frets). Anytime there is a distance of 5 x ½ note between the roots of two chords, we have a strong chord progression. In a major scale 5 of the 6 chords we use in pop music can function as a V chord for some I chord. And even the m7b5 chord on the 7th degree can function as a V chord The key of G has the notes G, A, B, C , D, E and F#. In the key of G the distance between the G note and the C note is 5 x ½ note the A note and the D note is 5 x ½ note the B note and the E note is 5 x ½ note the D note and the G note is 5 x ½ note the E note and the A note is 5 x ½ note. the F# note and the B note is 5 x ½ note 84



Any progression between chords that are built on a pair of these roots (G‐C,A‐D,B‐E,D‐G,E‐A and F#‐B) will have a strong tension/resolution . This means that in the key of G:

the G wants to resolve to a C the Am wants to resolve to a D the Bm wants to resolve to an Em the D wants to resolve to a G the Em wants to resolve to an Am the F#m7b5 wants to resolve to a Bm (never used; if used the progression becomes F#m ‐ Bm)

In general this means that:

the I chord wants to resolve to the IV chord the iim wants to resolve to the V chord the iiim wants to resolve to the vim chord the V chord wants to resolve to the I chord the vim chord wants to resolve to the iim chord the viim chord wants to resolve to the iiim chord

Both the I‐IV progression and the V‐I progression use major chords. The first chord being major makes for a stronger tension/resolution than if the first chord would be minor. If we change the minor chord into major in one of the strong progressions described above, we’ll be creating an even stronger progression. To change a minor chord to major we need to raise the flatted 3rd of that chord by ½ note. This makes the distance between the tonic and the third of the chord 4 x ½ note (4 frets). The chord will become a major chord. In the key of G this would mean: Chord iim iiim vim viim **

Name Am Bm Em F# m

Notes in chord ACE B D F# EGB F# A C#

Flatted 3rd C D G A **

Raise the 3rd C# D# G# A#

Result A C# E B D# F# E G# B F# A# C#

Name A B E F#

Chord II III VI VII

th

The dim chord on the 7 degree can be replaced by a regular minor chord in these cases by raising the th th flatted 5 to a perfect 5 . Because this introduces another note from a different scale, it is only applicable in a V‐I progression.

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In a major key, changing the minor chords to major is a common alteration: one of the minor chords will be replaced by it’s major counterpart. Although often used in a V‐I progression they don’t have to resolve to ‘their’ I chord. Changing the minor chords into major adds notes from a different scale. This makes for a stronger need to resolve. Examples: G–C–A–D–G G–E–C–D–G

is a stronger progression than G – C – Am – D – G has a major chord substitute (key of G holds an Em) that is not part of a V‐I progression. It still sounds good.

When this chord substitution is used, the melody/solo needs to be adjusted accordingly. Most often on the chord that is made major, the melody can’t hold the flatted third of that chord anymore, because the chord in the backing contains the major third. This type of chord substitution is often used to modulate (temporarily) to a different key. Examples: G – C – D – G – E – Am The first four chords are in the key of G. The E makes for a strong tension / resolution to Am. If the chord progression stays on Am for a few bars, you’ll start to feel the Am as the I chord. The chord progression has modulated.

Major chord replaced by it’s dominant chord Anytime we see a V – I chord progression we can make the tension / resolution stronger by making the chord dominant. This means we add the flatted 7th to the chord. This can be done with any major chord, even the ones that were substitutes for a minor chord. Examples: G – G7 – C is stronger than G – G – C G – C – D7 – G is stronger than G – C – D – G G – C – E7 – Am is stronger than G – C – E – Am which in turn is stronger than G – C – Em – Am This flatted 7th that is added to the chord is often not in the original key. Notes that are not from the key a chord is in, will give the chord tension. The chord will want to resolve more eagerly. In the key of G, the chord G7 will have an added F note. There is an F# in the key, not an F. The chord gets (more) tension and will want to resolve in a V – I progression to the C chord. 86



Adding chords from the minor key with the same root Modern pop, folk and rock music is rooted in the blues. Blues is a mixture of major and minor keys. A cliché blues progression is 12 bars long and uses three major chords, almost always played as dominant 7th chords, e.g. G7. These are the I7, IV7 and V7 chords. In a major key we only have a dominant 7th chord on the V chord, e.g. D7 in the key of G major. This means that on the I and IV chord, we’re introducing notes that are not part of the major scale. In a blues in the key of G we would play a G7, which has an F note in it, and a C7, which has a Bb note in it. Both the F and Bb are not part of the G major scale. On top of that we’re playing melodies that use notes out of the G minor pentatonic scale. It’s a minor scale (meaning it has a flatted third in it) and it only has five notes instead of the seven a regular major or minor scale has (“penta” is Greek for five). Because many pop and rock songs use blues elements, we’ll see chords out of the minor scale with the same root show up in a major chord progression. In the key of G major we’ll encounter chords out of the key of G minor. The key of Gm has the same chords as the key of Bb major (see diagram – section ‘Chords in Minor Keys’). Key of G Key of Bb Key of Gm

G Bb Gm

Am Cm Adim

Bm Dm Bb

C Eb Cm

D F Dm

Em Gm Eb

F#dim Adim F

G Bb Gm

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If we compare these keys and study which chords can be added to the major key out of the minor key, we end up with: Gm Adim Bb Cm

‐ ‐ ‐ ‐

Dm

‐

Eb F

‐ ‐

not used often, because this means a modulation from major to minor not used this is the bIII major chord in relation to the key of G major this is the IVm chord in relation to the key of G major; not often used, has a very sad effect this is the Vm chord in relation to the key of G major; not often used, has a sad effect. this is the bVI major chord in relation to the key of G major this is the bVII major chord in relation to the key of G major

The result is that we can add the bIII, bVI and bVII chord to a major key to give the chord progression a rocky, bluesy sound. To get this we’ve used the chords out of the minor scale with the same root and added them to the major scale In modern pop / rock music we don’t often play extensions on these chords . If we do play them they are also taken out of the minor scale, so bIII7, bVI7 and bVII7 . Borrowing these chords from the minor scale with the same root results in playing in ‘mixed mode’.

VII dim chord altered The 7th degree of a major scale is a diminished triad or (in it’s 4 note form) a m7b5 chord. We can alter that chord to a regular minor by raising the flatted fifth of the chord to a perfect fifth.

In the key of G this would mean changing the F#dim to an Fm. The 4‐note version would be an F#m7. And because we can replace any minor chord in a major key by it’s major counterpart or the dominant of that chord with the same root, we can also add the VII major chord and the VII dominant chord to the mix of usable chord in a major key. These latter substitutions can be done, because the VII chord can function as a temporary I chord in a progression to the IIIm chord.

In the key of G we would replace the F#m by the F# and / or the F#7. 88



Table for Chord options in a major key (triads) Key I B E A D G C F Bb Eb Ab Db

Mixed Mode ii C#m F#m Bm Em Am Dm Gm Cm Fm Bbm Ebm

iii D# G#m C#m F#m Bm Em Am Dm Gm Cm Fm





bIII D G C F Bb Eb Ab Db Gb B E

bVI G C F Bb Eb Ab Db Gb B E A

Min → Maj bVII A D G C F Bb Eb Ab Db Gb B

II C# F# B E A D G C F Bb Eb

III D# G# C# F# B E A D G C F

VI G# C# F# B E A D G C F Bb

Maj → Min

Dim →Min

iv Em Am Dm Gm Cm Fm Bbm Ebm Abm Dbm Gm

A#m D#m G#m C#m F#m Bm Em Am Dm Gm Cm

v F#m Bm Em Am Dm Gm Cm Fm Bbm Ebm Abm

vii

Table for Chord options in a major key (4‐note chords) Key I maj7 Bmaj7 Emaj7 Amaj7 Dmaj7 Gmaj7 Cmaj7 Fmaj7 Bbmaj7 Ebmaj7 Abmaj7 Dbmaj7

Mixed Mode iim7 C#m7 F#m7 Bm7 Em7 Am7 Dm7 Gm7 Cm7 Fm7 Bbm7 Ebm7

iiim7 D#m7 G#m7 C#m7 F#m7 Bm7 Em7 Am7 Dm7 Gm7 Cm7 Fm7

IVmaj7 Emaj7 Amaj7 Dmaj7 Gmaj7 Cmaj7 Fmaj7 Bbmaj7 Ebmaj7 Abmaj7 Dbmaj7 Gmaj7

V7 F#7 B7 E7 A7 D7 G7 C7 F7 Bb7 Eb7 Ab7

vim7 G#m7 C#m7 F#m7 Bm7 Em7 Am7 Dm7 Gm7 Cm7 Fm7 Bbm7

viim7b5 A#m7b5 D#m7b5 G#m7b5 C#m7b5 F#m7b5 Bm7b5 Em7b5 Am7b5 Dm7b5 Gm7b5 Cm7b5

bIII D G C F Bb Eb Ab Db Gb B E

bVI G C F Bb Eb Ab Db Gb B E A

bVII A D G C F Bb Eb Ab Db Gb B

Min → Dom II7 C#7 F#7 B7 E7 A7 D7 G7 C7 F7 Bb7 Eb7

III7 D#7 G#7 C#7 F#7 B7 E7 A7 D7 G7 C7 F7

VI7 G#7 C#7 F#7 B7 E7 A7 D7 G7 C7 F7 Bb7

Maj → Min iv7 Em7 Am7 Dm7 Gm7 Cm7 Fm7 Bbm7 Ebm7 Abm7 Dbm7 Gm7

v7 F#m7 Bm7 Em7 Am7 Dm7 Gm7 Cm7 Fm7 Bbm7 Ebm7 Abm7

Dim→Maj VII / VII7 A# / A#7 D# / D#7 G# / G#7 C# / C#7 F# / F#7 B / B7 E / E7 A / A7 D / D7 G / G7 C / C7

89



This is a list of all the chords you can build with notes from the Ionian Major scales. E.g. : C major scale: C,D,E,F,G,A and B . Chords in C Ionian: C,Dm,Em,F,G,Am and Bdim. Key (major) I B E A D G C F Bb Eb Ab Db

ii C#m F#m Bm Em Am Dm Gm Cm Fm Bbm Ebm

iii D#m G#m C#m F#m Bm Em Am Dm Gm Cm Fm





If we list these chords starting and ending on the 6th degree, we’ll have a list of all the chords of the Aeolian minor scales. E.g. A Aeolian Minor: A,B,C,D,E,F and G. Chords in A Aeolian: Am, Bdim, C, Dm, Em ,F and G. Key (Aeolian minor) i G#m C#m F#m Bm Em Am Dm Gm Cm Fm Bbm

ii * A#dim D#dim G#dim C#dim F#dim Bdim Edim Adim Ddim Gdim Cdim

III B E A D G C F Bb Eb Ab Db

iv C#m F#m Bm Em Am Dm Gm Cm Fm Bbm Ebm

V D#m G#m C#m F#m Bm Em Am Dm Gm Cm Fm

VI E A D G C F Bb Eb Ab Db G

VII F# B E A D G C F Bb Eb Ab

We can see that the chords on the 1st, 4th and 5th note are now minor and the chords on the 3rd, 6th and 7th degree are major. nd

* The chord on the 2 degree is a dim chord. Contrary to the major scale, this odd chord will sometimes be used, predominantly in jazz. It will be played as a 4‐note chord in a ii‐V‐i progression in minor. The chord will be a m7b5 chord. In pop and rock we don’t encounter this chord.

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This is a list of 4‐note chords built on the notes of the Aeolian minor scales: Key (Aeolian minor) im7 G#m7 C#m7 F#m7 Bm7 Em7 Am7 Dm7 Gm7 Cm7 Fm7 Bbm7

iim7b5 A#m7b5 D#m7b5 G#m7b5 C#m7b5 F#m7b5 Bm7b5 Em7b5 Am7b5 Dm7b5 Gm7b5 Cm7b5

III maj7 Bmaj7 Emaj7 Amaj7 Dmaj7 Gmaj7 Cmaj7 Fmaj7 Bbmaj7 Ebmaj7 Abmaj7 Dbmaj7

ivm7 C#m7 F#m7 Bm7 Em7 Am7 Dm7 Gm7 Cm7 Fm7 Bbm7 Ebm7

vim7 D#m7 G#m7 C#m7 F#m7 Bm7 Em7 Am7 Dm7 Gm7 Cm7 Fm7

VImaj7 Emaj7 Amaj7 Dmaj7 Gmaj7 Cmaj7 Fmaj7 Bbmaj7 Ebmaj7 Abmaj7 Dbmaj7 Gmaj7

VII7 F#7 B7 E7 A7 D7 G7 C7 F7 Bb7 Eb7 Ab7

An Aeolian minor scale has: ‐ a major second distance between tonic and major second ‐ a flatted third ,, ,, ,, ,, flatted third ‐ a perfect fourth ,, ,, ,, ,, perfect fourth ‐ a perfect fifth ,, ,, ,, , , perfect fifth ‐ a flatted sixth ,, ,, ,, ,, flatted sixth ‐ a flatted seventh ,, ,, ,, ,, flatted seventh

= 2 x ½ note (2 frets) = 3 x ½ note (3 frets) = 5 x ½ note (5 frets) = 7 x ½ note (7 frets) = 8 x ½ note (8 frets) = 9x ½ note (9 frets)

The Ionian Major scale has a formula: 2,2,1,2,2,2,1 that describes the intervals between each note of the scale. This formula makes for a certain type of sound, in this case the “Doe a Deer, a Female Deer, Ray, a drop of Golden sun, …” sound. Each set of notes that has this formula will be an Ionian Major scale. The Aeolian Minor scale also has a formula: 2,1,2,2,1,2,2. Each set of notes that has this formula will sound like and is an Aeolian Minor scale.

91



Alternative chords in a minor key Depending on the flavor and sound a progression in minor is going for, you’ll see a number of alternative chords show up. In major keys we disregard the dim chord built on the 7th degree. This chord is a minor chord with a flatted fifth in it, which is an unstable interval. All other chords from the scale have a distance of 7 x ½ note between the root of the chord and the fifth of the chord. This interval is called a perfect fifth and is a stable interval. In a dim chord that distance is lowered with one half note to 6 x ½ note; a flatted fifth. In a minor key that dim chord is now the 2nd degree and this is an important chord. In pop and rock music this dim chord is almost always altered. The flatted fifth of the chord is raised ½ note and becomes a perfect fifth. The resulting chord is a regular minor chord. In the key of Em the 2nd degree is an F#dim (triad) or F#m7b5 (4‐note) chord. By raising the flatted fifth C we end up playing a C# which leads to the chords F#m / F#m7. When we alter this note, we’ve actually changed the scale we’re playing. Instead of playing a C note in the E Aeolian Minor scale (E,F#,G,A,B,C,D,E) we’re now playing a C#. This leads to a different minor scale, called Dorian. The notes of an E Dorian scale are E,F#,G,A,B,C#,D,E . The C note in the E Aeolian Minor scale formed a flatted 6th interval with the tonic. This interval is now enlarged to a major 6th C# , which is 9 x ½ note. Because this C# note is also part of other chords in that scale, these chords are also effected. The C is part of the iv chord Am. If we raise that C to a C# we end up with an A or A7

92



Getting rid of the odd dim chord on the 2nd degree in a minor scale means raising it’s fifth with ½ note. The consequence is that we end up with a iim and a IV chord. Key (Dorian minor) i G#m C#m F#m Bm Em Am Dm Gm Cm Fm Bbm

ii * A#m D#m G#m C#m F#m Bm Em Am Dm Gm Cm


iv C# F# B E A D G C F Bb Eb

V D#m G#m C#m F#m Bm Em Am Dm Gm Cm Fm

VI E A D G C F Bb Eb Ab Db Gb


Key (Dorian minor) im7 G#m7 C#m7 F#m7 Bm7 Em7 Am7 Dm7 Gm7 Cm7 Fm7 Bbm7

iim7b5 A#m7 D#m7 G#m7 C#m7 F#m7 Bm7 Em7 Am7 Dm7 Gm7 Cm7

III maj7 maj7

B Emaj7 Amaj7 Dmaj7 Gmaj7 Cmaj7 Fmaj7 Bbmaj7 Ebmaj7 Abmaj7 Dbmaj7

ivm7 7

C# F#7 B7 E7 A7 D7 G7 C7 F7 Bb7 Eb7

vim7 D#m7 G#m7 C#m7 F#m7 Bm7 Em7 Am7 Dm7 Gm7 Cm7 Fm7

VImaj7 maj7

E Amaj7 Dmaj7 Gmaj7 Cmaj7 Fmaj7 Bbmaj7 Ebmaj7 Abmaj7 Dbmaj7 Gbmaj7

VII7 7

F# B7 E7 A7 D7 G7 C7 F7 Bb7 Eb7 Ab7

93



Replacing the Vm with a V major chord in a Minor scale. In the chapter about major chords we’ve seen that the V‐ I progression is the strongest progression we know in music. In the Aeolian and Dorian minor keys, the V chord is a minor chord. We’ve seen that we can replace that minor chord by it’s major counterpart, to create a tension / resolution that is stronger. To do this we have to raise the flatted third in the Vm chord with ½ note and make it into a major third. In the key of Em this would mean playing a B7 chord instead of a Bm. Sometimes both the Bm and B chord are used in the same song. The stronger tension / resolution is often held back till the end of the chord progression to get a more satisfying return to the home base. In pop, rock and folk music altering that chord does NOT have an effect on the other scale notes. The flatted third of the Vm chord is temporarily raised. In the rest of the progression we don’t change that specific note. In the key of Em we raise the D note in the Bm to a D#. That D is also part of the G chord on the IIIrd degree. We do not raise that particular D note, because the resulting Gaug chord would be unstable.

94



Chord options in minor keys : Key (Aeolian minor ‐ Triads) i G#m C#m F#m Bm Em Am Dm Gm Cm Fm Bbm

ii * A#dim D#dim G#dim C#dim F#dim Bdim Edim Adim Ddim Gdim Cdim

III

iv C#m F#m Bm Em Am Dm Gm Cm Fm Bbm Ebm

B E A D G C F Bb Eb Ab Db

V D#m / D# G#m / G# C#m / C# F#m / F# Bm / B Em / E Am / A Dm / D Gm / G Cm / C Fm / F

VI E A D G C F Bb Eb Ab Db G


Key (Aeolian minor – 4 Note Chords) im7 7

G#m C#m7 F#m7 Bm7 Em7 Am7 Dm7 Gm7 Cm7 Fm7 Bbm7

iim7b5 A#m7b5 D#m7b5 G#m7b5 C#m7b5 F#m7b5 Bm7b5 Em7b5 Am7b5 Dm7b5 Gm7b5 Cm7b5

III maj7

ivm7

maj7

7


C#m F#m7 Bm7 Em7 Am7 Dm7 Gm7 Cm7 Fm7 Bbm7 Ebm7

vim7 D#m7 /D#7 G#m7 / G#7 C#m7 / C#7 F#m7 /F#7 Bm7 / B7 Em7 / E7 Am7 / A7 Dm7 / D7 Gm7 / G7 Cm7 / C7 Fm7 / F7

VImaj7 maj7

E Amaj7 Dmaj7 Gmaj7 Cmaj7 Fmaj7 Bbmaj7 Ebmaj7 Abmaj7 Dbmaj7 Gbmaj7

VII7 7


Key (Dorian minor ‐ Triads) i G#m C#m F#m Bm Em Am Dm Gm Cm Fm Bbm

ii * A#m D#m G#m C#m F#m Bm Em Am Dm Gm Cm


iv C# F# B E A D G C F Bb Eb

V D#m / D# G#m / G# C#m / C# F#m / F# Bm / B Em / E Am / A Dm / D Gm / G Cm / C Fm / F

VI E A D G C F# Bb Eb Ab Db Gb


95



Key (Dorian minor – 4 Note Chords) im7 7

G#m C#m7 F#m7 Bm7 Em7 Am7 Dm7 Gm7 Cm7 Fm7 Bbm7

iim7b5 7 A#m D#m7 G#m7 C#m7 F#m7 Bm7 Em7 Am7 Dm7 Gm7 Cm7

III maj7 maj7


ivm7 7

C# F#7 B7 E7 A7 D7 G7 C7 F7 Bb7 Eb7

vim7 7 D#m / D#7 G#m7 / G#7 C#m7 / C#7 F#m7 / F7 Bm7 / B7 Em7 / E7 Am7 / A7 Dm7 / D7 Gm7 / G7 Cm7 / C7 Fm7 / F7

VImaj7 maj7

E Amaj7 Dmajj7 Gmaj7 Cmaj7 Fmaj7 Bbmaj7 Ebmaj7 Abmaj7 Dbmaj7 Gbmaj7

VII7 7


96



Changing keys (modulation) A key change means that the song gets a different ‘home base’; it feels like the song has a different I chord than it started out on. We tend to speak of modulation if this is the case for a longer period in the chord progression. The most common key change is to one of the other chords in the original key. If the original key is C, the chords in the key are C,Dm,Em,F,G,Am,Bdim . Cliché modulations are to the key of Dm,Em,F,G and Am. Songs in pop and rock music don’t often modulate to more than one other key. A verse could be in one key and the chorus could be in another or at the end of the song it modulates up, to create some extra excitement. Most of the songs written on guitar do not modulate. This is due to the fact that modulation almost always involves playing more bar chords. Most songwriters in country, folk and pop tend to steer away from using too many bar chords, because they’re harder to play. You need more strength and during your singing you’ll need to keep looking at the neck of the guitar to make sure your bar chord is positioned in the right fret. Most acoustic guitar players like to have open strings to their chords; it makes the guitar ring through more. The bar chord creates a more ‘closed’ sound, that will be featured more on an electric guitar. There are several types of modulation. If you change to a key that only differs one or two notes with the original key, you modulate to a ‘near’ key. The amount of sharps (#) and flats (b) is almost the same. You can even modulate to a key that has the same amount of sharps and flats : the relative minor or relative major. A distant key does not have a lot of notes in common with the original key. The more distant a key is to the original key, the more unusual the modulation will sound. Modulating from C to D is more pleasant to the ear than modulating form C to C#; D has only 2 different notes from C and C# has almost no notes in common with C.

97



Modulation to the relative minor or major We’ve seen that the chord on the tonic of the key we’re in can be substituted by the vim chord. This is because that chord on the 6th degree has 2 notes in common with the I chord. The scale that is built on that 6th degree is an Aeolian minor scale, which holds the exact same notes as the original major scale, but starts and ends on the 6th note from that scale. In C this would mean playing the C major scale (C,D,E,F,G,A,B,C), starting and ending on the A note. The chords that we can construct with the Aeolian minor scale notes are the exact same chords as in the original major key. The Am Aeolian scale is the relative minor to the C Ionian major scale. The C Ionian major scale is the relative major to the A Aeolian minor scale. Changing keys between the major scale and it’s relative minor is the most common modulation. The chord progression will have the same chords as in the original key, but it feels like there is a different ‘home base’. A song in the key of C would modulate to Am, vise versa. If this happens for only a few bars we call this ‘temporary modulation’. In many cases it’s ambiguous in which of the two keys a song is played, because the chords are picked from the same group. Most common modulation per key (to relative major/minor): I – chord

Modulate to

vim – chord

C

↔

Am

G

↔

Em

D

↔

Bm

A

↔

F#m

E

↔

C#m

F

↔

Dm

Bb

↔

Gm

Eb

↔

Cm

The vim ‐ chord is built on the 6th degree of the major scale. The I – chord is built on the 3rd degree of the Aeolian minor scale.

98



How to modulate It feels like we’ve modulated to a different key if for a longer period in the chord progression, the chords revolve around a different home base. Staying on one chord that is not the I‐chord for a longer period of time can achieve this feeling. In a progression in the key of C, this would happen if you play an Am for four or eight bars in a row. Am would start to feel as the new key. This feel of a new home base would also happen if Am is played and the other chords that follow have a IV or V relationship to the new home base, instead of the original key. In the key of C the IV and V chord are F and G. Both these chords have a strong relationship with the I – chord. All the other chords (iim, iiim and vim) can be used as substitutes for the I,IV and V. Their relationship with the original tonic is weaker. By moving to a new home base (modulating) these relationships change. The new key will have a different IV and V chord and have different strong / weak relationships. You’ll feel a new home base when a song moves from the original key to it’s relative major or minor and expresses the new key, by making use of it’s new IV and V chord. In a progression in C this would mean playing an Am chord and having the chord progression revolve around Am, Dm, and Em. These chords would start to feel as a new I, IV and V chord in the key of Am. The same could happen vise versa. If the original key is Am, the chords in the progression would predominantly be Am, Dm and Em. These are the I,IV and V in the key of Am. You would feel like you’ve modulated, if the chord progression revolves around C, F and G for a number of bars. These are the I, IV and V chords in the relative major key of Am; C major. Note: we’ve seen that there are more than one minor scales that all have alternative chords. The most common being the V chord made major (originally it’s a minor chord), the IV chord made major (was minor) and the II diminished chord made minor. In chord progressions in a minor key, these alternative chords can show up. All the above applies to all these minor scales, their chords and alternative chords in the minor progressions.

99



The V – I modulation A modulation is often introduced by preceding a new I‐chord with it’s V chord. If we’re modulating to the relative minor (C → Am) we can precede the new I‐chord by it’s V chord, which is the iii chord in the original key (3rd degree in C = Em; Em = 5th degree in Am). This chord is almost always made major (or even dominant) to make the modulation feel stronger. The Em chord would be replaced by an E major or an E7 chord. In a minor key you can accentuate a modulation to the relative major by preceding it with it’s V chord, which is the VII chord in minor. In the key of Am the relative major is C. It’s V chord is a G.

Intended Modulation

I → vim

C → Am

im → III

Am → C

Precede with it’s V

I → iiim → vim

C → Em → Am

im →VI → III

Am → G → C

Accentuate modulation

I → III → vim

C → E → Am

same

same

Accentuate modulation more

I → III7 → vim

C → E7 → Am

im → VI7 ‐ III

Am → G7 → C

The V‐ I modulation where the V chord is major or dominant feels more satisfying and makes the key change more obvious. A V chord can resolve to a major OR minor chord A V chord can resolve to a major OR a minor chord. E resolves to A because it’s the V chord in the key of A major. But E or E7 can also function as a V chord in the key of Am. Originally the V chord in a minor key is minor (Em in the key of Am). But we can alter that chord to a major chord to make the progression stronger. This means that E can resolve to A or Am. This means that any V chord can resolve to a major or minor chord. This feature can be used to modulate to a different key. Any major chord can function as a V chord to introduce a modulation A dominant chord is even stronger 100



In the progressions above we modulated to the relative minor / major by means of a major chord (dominant chord) that was the V chord in the new key. If the target chord can be altered from major to minor and vise versa we end up with these possible modulations: Intended Modulation

I → vim I →VI

C → Am C→A

im → III im → iiim

Am → C Am → Cm

Precede with it’s V

I → iiim → vim I → iiim → VI

C → Em → Am C → Em → A

im →VI → III im → VI → iiim

Am → G → C Am → G → Cm

Accentuate modulation

I → III → vim I → III → VI

C → E → Am C→E→A

same

same

Accentuate modulation more

I → III7 → vim I → III7 → VI

C → E7 → Am C → E7 → A

im → VI7 → III im → VI7 → III

Am → G7 → C Am → G7 → Cm

Modulating one whole note up Another common modulation used in pop / rock music is by raising the key one whole note (2 frets), e.g. from C to D. This is predominantly done in major. If we use the V7‐I progression to establish the key, the progression would become: I‐ VI7 – II in which the II chord would be major and start functioning as a new I chord. In the original key the II chord is minor. In the key of C this modulation would be achieved in this progression: C – A7 – D . Modulating to the Tonic Minor Moving to the tonic minor is another cliché modulation. E.g. from D to Dm . Because the V chord is often made major in minor key, that V chord will be the exact same chord as in the major key. This means that using a V – Im progression does not clearly establish the new key. If a IVm chord is added to the progression, the modulation is made even clearer. Other modulations There are a number of other modulation used in modern pop and jazz music. The more musically ‘sophisticated’ a song sounds, the more complex the modulations become. 101

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