Posts Tagged ‘chord progressions’
Greensleeves — Learn 4 chords & learn the entire song
Friday, March 20th, 2009Chord Progressions: How To Use Them In Your Piano Playing (Watch short video)
Monday, October 6th, 2008
Chord progressions are simply the way chords want to move. Every musician uses them whether they know it or not. The trick is to recognize them and then use them in other situations and modify them slightly for an original sound.
For example, the Happy Birthday song played in the key of F progresses like this: F, C7, F, Bb, F, Cb, F
In the key of G it would progress G, D7, G, C, G, D7, G.
In other words, the song starts on the I chord (the tonic or root chord of whatever key you are playing it in), progresses to the V7 chord, back to the I chord, then to the IV chord, back to I, then V7, ending with I.
In Silent Night the chord progression would be I, V7, I, IV, I, IV, I, V7 I, V7, I.
We could go through song after song like that, and what you would find is that the most used chord is the I chord, followed by the V7 chord, and followed by the IV chord. Plus most songs start and end on the I chord. That in itself is valuable information, because you immediately know what the most likely chords are in any song, in any key. Most musicians don’t know that, unfortunately – and it’s not rocket science.
So start analyzing what chords occur in the songs you play. If you read music, notice the chords carefully – generally you can figure out the chord even if the chord name is not given simply by adding up all the notes vertically at any given point. For example, if you have a song with D and A in the bass clef, and C and F# in the treble clef, by adding those notes up you can determine you are playing a D7 chord.
Same idea when you are playing by ear. Look at your hands and figure out what chord you are playing by adding up the notes at any given point.
Soon you will learn that chord progression patterns emerge – time after time the same chords are used, and follow in the same order. Make a list of the songs with similar chord progressions – a great teacher in Hollywood I had years ago taught me that – and it has been worth a great deal to me. If I know the chords in “Blue Mood”, for example, follow the same pattern as in “Heart and Soul”, then I have just learned two song instead of one – and there are literally hundreds and hundreds of songs that follow almost exactly the same pattern.
The 12-Bar Blues chord progression forms the basis for THOUSANDS of songs in the blues, jazz, R&B, gospel, rock and other styles as well. Here is the pattern:
• 4 bars of the I chord
• 2 bars of the IV chord
• 2 bars of the I chord
• 1 bar of the V7 chord
• 1 bar of the IV chord
• 2 bars of the I chord
• Rinse and repeat as many times as desired.
Chord Progressions And How They Work from chordman on Vimeo.
If you need some help in this area, come on over to Chord Progressions & The Riffs & Runs That Flow Out Of Them.
How To Play Piano Using Chord Symbols
Saturday, August 30th, 2008
Chord symbols (for example, Cmaj7 or G6) are a type of notation used frequently in jazz and other areas of modern music to notate chord progressions and changes. This type of notation differs from that of classical music in that chord symbols don’t show the function of a chord the way the Roman numeral notation does. Chord symbols, for modern music with lots of changes, are much easier to read. They function as a sort of shorthand for change-heavy music and are written with four chord parts in mind: the root, the quality, the extension, and the alterations.
The first part in chord symbols, the root, tells the musician which note is the root of the chord. In an E6 chord, for instance, the E serves as the root. Chord symbols also allow for inverted chords, or chords with a root other than the bass note. These chord symbols express that by showing the bass note with a diagonal slash under the original symbol.
Quality, the second part in chord symbols, denotes whether the chord is major, minor, diminished, or augmented. In a Cmaj7, the maj tells us that the C chord is major. The abbreviations for this area in chord symbols are maj, min, dim, and aug, respectively.
The extension in chord symbols, written after the quality, shows the musician if the chord differs from a triad (a third chord), such as an eleventh or seventh. This part of chord symbols is not always shown; if there is no indication of an extension, the musician is to assume that the chord is a triad.
The last part in chord symbols, the alteration, is usually but not always expressed. Think of this part as the “notes” section in chord symbols; it gives the musician any specific (and sometimes irregular) instructions for playing the chord and is always written in parentheses after the extension (or the quality, if no extension exists). For instance, (no fifth) would tell the musician that the chord is to be played with the fifth tone left out. Sus – short for “suspension”, would mean to play the 4th scale note instead of the 3rd. A minus sign would mean to lower (flat) a chord tone, such as C-9 which would mean to flat the 9th of the chord. Conversely, a plus sign would mean to raise (sharp) a particular chord tone.
Reading music using chord symbols allows a person to use written music as a map, rather than a note-for-note approach. By just reading the melody note and the chord symbols, musicians can improvise to their hearts content and create their own sounds on the keyboard.
The best of all worlds, however, is to be able to read music as it is written in a sheet music score, but also be able to read the chord symbols. Then the musician is free to choose which is best – the written part, or an improvised part. The sky is the limit for musicians who can do both. For a course on playing piano using chord symbols, take a look at “How To PLAY More Notes Without READING More Notes”
10 Piano Styles You Can Learn To Play
Friday, August 29th, 2008
When studying the piano, a student encounters a myriad piano styles. To master the instrument, at least several of these styles must be learned, and all if at all possible. Knowledge of various playing styles enables a pianist to enjoy and play in any genre and to cross-polinate styles to create a fusion he or she can call their own.
Many modern piano styles are based on the blues. The blues involve an emphasis on the major and minor pentatonic scales, with an additional note included. The flatted fifth is added to the minor pentatonic to create the blues scale. Many blues songs are based on a simple chord progression, known as 12-bar blues. This uses the I, IV and V chords of a scale to create a foundation for melodies and solos.
For example, rock piano was born out of the blues and then took on a life of it’s own in the stylings of Jerry Lee Lewis, Michael McDonald, Elton John, Billy Joel, and many others.
Cocktail piano is a style generally connected with Liberace, Eddy Duchin, Roger Williams, and others who play popular tunes with lots of great technique — lots of notes, runs, flourishes, and so on. But I hate to catagorize and of these great pianists, as many of them play in other styles as well.
Boogie-woogie is a piano style based on the blues. It started as a solo piano style, but has expanded into other genres, such as county-western and gospel. It differs from the blues in that it is considered dance music, while blues music traditionally expresses sadness and frustration.
Rhythm and blues piano is based on blues, jazz, and gospel styles. As the name suggests, the emphasis is on the rhythm of the song. Most R&B has a particular swing to it, with a strong feel of syncopation in the rhythm. Syncopation involves placing the stress on a normally unstressed beat. This often results in an almost off-time feel to the untrained ear.
Ragtime piano also incorporates syncopation. Ragtime uses syncopation in its melodies by placing melodic notes between the stressed beats of the rhythm. Ragtime is often considered the first completely American genre, even predating jazz.
Jazz piano encompasses such a broad palate of styles that it is impossible to describe. Many piano styles incorporate ideas borrowed from jazz, such as improvisation. An emphasis on extended chord forms also stems from jazz piano.
New age piano often involves less chord changes than other styles, instead relying on simple two-chord progressions and polychords. A polychord occurs when two different chords are played at once. This technique is taken from earlier classical works by composers such as Stravinsky.
Gospel piano is often similar to the blues, jazz and R&B. It emphasizes certain extended chords, such as the 11th, and usually has the swinging feel associated with jazz and R&B. The apparent simplicity of gospel songs often hides the fact that they are, indeed, quite musically complex. Syncopation is highly stressed in gospel music, as it contributes to the overall spiritual feel of the music.
Country and western piano has similar roots as blues piano. Both styles stem from earlier folk styles, often developed by the less fortunate people of the era. Many early country songs stem from Appalachian folk songs. Country and western piano is highlighted by very bright playing, with simple chord progressions underneath the melody.
Traditional sacred piano styles involve the playing of liturgical songs and hymns. These can range from the harmonically and rhythmically complex to simple two and three chord songs. Many hymns stem from folk songs of centuries past. The variety of sacred piano styles is as numerous as the liturgical songs themselves. These piano styles often involve a strict reading of notation, with less of an emphasis on personal interpretation than other styles.
The classical piano style is probably the most varied of all the styles. Classical music is older than other styles, and is considered to the proper grounds for musical instruction. Many elements of other piano styles come from classical music, and nearly all forms of musical theory are used in classical music. Classical music usually requires intense training to master, though there many pieces designed with the novice player in mind.
Though classical is often considered the high point of music, this “ain’t necessarily so.” For instance, many players who are “classically trained” have trouble adapting to the feel and sincerity of the blues. For this reason, a well-rounded player should be adaptable and learn as much about each of these piano styles as possible. In this way, a pianist is ready for any musical challenge. And besides, who knows where the future of music lies?
Piano Styles Galore at PlayPianoCatalog.com
Can You Learn to Tell The Future Of a Song?
Wednesday, August 20th, 2008
Most people don’t realize that they could learn how to be a “prophet” — see into the future — and tell all these things about almost any song:
What’s the most likely chord for the song to start on…
What’s the most likely chord for the song to end on…
What the three most likely chords in any song are…
What the second chord in a song will probably be…
What the 4th, 5th, and 6th most likely chords in any song are…
What chord follows a 7th chord 85% of the time…
Why a knowledge of “consecutive dominant 7ths” can revolutionize your understanding of what’s happening in any given song…
Why a knowledge of the “circle of 4ths” gives you a huge edge about what chords are coming next…
Do you have any idea how valuable this knowledge is? Can you see how it could benefit you right away and give you a big edge in music? Let’s take an example from another field:
What if you had the ability to predict what the price of a stock, let’s say IBM, would be tomorrow morning? Would that give you ad edge in the stock market? Even if you were wrong 15% of the time, it would only be a matter of months until you were so rich you wouldn’t be able to spend all the money you made. Right?
Of if you could predict what the price of pork bellies, or cattle, or soybeans, or corn…or anything — you would soon own the world and most of the solar system.
In music, money isn’t involved directly, but another kind of riches is — satisfaction, enjoyment, mutual respect of other musicians, etc., and you have it within your power to gain the ability to accurately predict — with accuracy ranging from 60% up to 85% — what will happen next in a song in terms of chord progressions.
Will you ever be wrong? Of course. I still miss now and then. But you’ll understand the framework of why chords progress the way they do, so your confidence level will soar.
Wouldn’t it be nice if you could predict which chord would probably come next in a song?
I’ve got some good news for you.
It is possible. Not 100%, but somewhere on the order of 75% to 85% accurate.
That’s because music has FORM — like the skeleton that holds your flesh, muscles, and skin up. If you had no bones — no skeleton — your flesh and all the other parts of you would fall in a heap on the floor. Not a pretty picture. But because you DO have a skeleton, you are able to walk around and pretty accurately predict which way your next step will take you.
It’s the same in music. Music has FORM — a skeleton to hold it up, hold it together. And that skeleton is made out of chords — harmony — the tonal center of the song or piece.
You Can Predict Which Chord Comes Next. You Can Become a “Musical Mindreader”!
In any given key you can play in, there are PRIMARY CHORDS — chords that occur way more than other chords. They are like family members of that particular key.
At your house, let’s say you have 3 people in your family — your spouse, your child, and you. On the same block, but down the street a few houses, lives your cousin and her family.
At any given moment, who are the most likely people to be in your house?
Obama?
Payton Manning?
Rush?
Michael Phelps?
I don’t think so!
It’s possible, of course, but not too likely. If I had to guess, I would say it would be either you, your spouse, or your child. It might be your cousin down the street – there’s a much better chance of that than, say, Hillary or George — but my best odds would be to guess that the family members would be there.
It’s the same way with chords. In any given key, there are 3 “family members” that are residents of that key — the I chord, the IV chord, and the V chord. They are far and away the most likely chords to occur in any given key.
What chord comes next?
So how could I tell whether it should be F or G?
If the melody is a “B”, then the chord is probably a G chord. Why? Because “B” is in the G chord, but is not in the F chord.
If the melody is a “A”, than I would guess that the chord is F. Why? Because “A” is in the F chord, but is not in the G chord.
Does that mean that there are always just 3 chords in a song? No, but there are literally hundreds of songs that are made of just 3 chords.
What if there are more than 3 chords in a song? What then?
That’s what we’ll take up in the course so you’ll understand it clearly!
How will it help you to become a “musical mindreader”?
You’ll amaze other musicians & friends who don’t know what you know…
You will develop more confidence in your playing as a musician…
If you play for a living, there’s a good chance it will increase your income!
If you teach piano or guitar or any instrument, you’ll have a wealth of knowledge about music that you can share with your students.
Exciting things you’ll learn…
Learn what chords will occur in any key…
Learn what chord to start on — once you know the key of a song…
Learn what three chords are the most likely to be used in any song…
Learn what chords 7th chords “want” to progress to…
Learn “the family of chords” and never wonder who is in each family again.
Apply your new knowledge to any song in any key — major or minor.
You’ll learn about the “fam”, the “cousins”, and the “neighbors” — enough chords to keep you going (and other guessing) for a long time.
You’ll also learn all about the “Circle of 4ths” and how it reveals “family secrets” of key relationships, chord relationships, chord progressions, chord substitutions…
Do you see the power in this? Once you understand the Circle of 4ths and how it works, there’s no key that can stump you — you’ll understand every single key that any song or piece could be written in. People who know and understand this circle are at a tremendous advantage over other musicians.
If this is a skill you would like to have, check out Musical Mindreader!
Piano Improvisation: How To Create Exciting New Music As You Play!
Sunday, July 6th, 2008
Improvisation (also known as improvising) is the act of making something up as you go along — an act with which we all have a little experience. Remember playing House or Doctor as a child, letting the game go wherever your mind would take you? That was improvisation. No rules, no boundaries, just the limitless potential of your imagination.
Similarly, musical improvisation is the act of “writing” (creating it as you play) a song while performing it, a technique found most often in jazz and bluegrass (but can be traced back to renowned classical improvisers like Handel and Bach). Of course, it’s a little more complicated than an imaginative children’s game. Though improvisation is a highly creative and flexible technique, it requires great skill on the part of the musician. A musician involved in an improvisation must have a detailed knowledge of chord structure and complicated scales and modes. The musician must also have an intuitive ability to structure a song on the fly; great improvisation thrives on its ability to sound not improvised but rather wholly composed. That illusion, the ability of a song to seem anything but spontaneously made up, is part of improvisation’s allure.
There are two basic forms of improvisation: structured improvisation and free improvisation. Structured improvisation, though a contradiction in terms, is the most common of the two. In this form, musicians will use a pre-determined series of chord changes, usually held down by the rhythm section, as the song’s base. The lead instrument in the improvisation (sometimes also pre-determined) then have the freedom to create new melodies and harmonies from these pre-determined chords. The flexibility of this improvisation form is dependent on the flexibility of the chord changes, and the musicians involved must be able to play exactly what they hear in their heads, as some complicated changes may not allow for large deviations.
If we were to improvise on a song such as “Billy Boy”, for example, we would follow the chord progressions of the song, but make up a different melody for it. Some musicians choose to stay fairly close to the melody by using neighboring tones and half-step slides and so on; other musicians feel free to completely abandon the traditional melody and make up a new melody entirely.
In addition to songs, many musicians in the jazz and rhythm & blues tradition improvise endlessly on the 12-bar blues, which has a chord progression using only the I, IV and V chords (also known as the “primary chords” of a given key) of whatever key the musicians are playing in. For example, if a jazz group was playing in the key of Bb, the improvisations would be based on the I, IV and V chords in the key of Bb: namely Bb, Eb, and F.
Of course musicians also add extra notes to chords such as the 7th — especially in the blues — and sometimes also change the harmony somewhat from time to time. But the recurring theme always reverts to the I - IV - V formula.
Free improvisation, on the other hand, is far more like a game of House or Doctor — it has no rules. Instead of focusing on harmony or melody, free improvisation focuses on the feeling and texture of the music and the way the instruments complement each other. This form tends to be far more experimental and rarely adheres to one style or genre or music — it is, quite simply, what it is.
How To Predict Which Chord Comes Next In A Song…
Monday, May 26th, 2008Wouldn’t it be nice if you could predict which chord would probably come next in a song?
I’ve got some good news for you.
It is possible. Not 100%, but somewhere on the order of 75% to 85% accurate.
That’s because music has FORM — like the skeleton that holds your flesh, muscles, and skin up. If you had no bones — no skeleton — your flesh and all the other parts of you would fall in a heap on the floor. Not a pretty picture. But because you DO have a skeleton, you are able to walk around and pretty accurately predict which way your next step will take you.
It’s the same in music. Music has FORM — a skeleton to hold it up, hold it together. And that skeleton is made out of chords — harmony — the tonal center of the song or piece.
Please go to the web page now:
I called it a “half-step slide from above” until I found out its real name…
Saturday, April 26th, 2008I used the tri-tone substitution for years before I knew the name of it, and perhaps you do also. It makes sense, because it allows you to “slide in” to the target chord for a smoother transition. In fact, I always refered to it as a half-step slide from above when moving from a V7 chord to a I chord.
A tri-tone substitution is the use in a chord progression of a 7th chord that is three whole steps (in other words, a tri-tone) away from the original 7th chord. For example, if you were moving from G7 to C, you would substitute a Db7 for the G7 chord before you land on the target chord C.
The reason these chords may be substituted for each other is that they have two notes in common — and the two notes are always a tri-tone (3 whole steps) away from each other. In a G7 chord, the third is B and the seventh is F. In the Db7 chord, the third is an F and the seventh is Cb (same sound as B, but written enharmonically).
Watch the short video, and I think you will understand.
Click here to go to the Play Piano Catalog of piano courses.
Click to subscribe in a reader
