Questions tagged [chord-progressions]
For questions about sequences of chords, and the relationship of one chord to the next. Typically questions about chord progressions should also be tagged harmony if asking about in depth concepts about them. Questions that are about abstractions of chord progressions use Roman Numeral analysis should also be tagged with Roman-Numeral and analysis if applicable.
634
questions
2
votes
1answer
38 views
What is the harmonic function of this?
What is the harmonic function of the boxed beat in the fourth measure?
2
votes
2answers
68 views
Where to get the chords of a song in roman numerals instead of regular chords
In web pages like https://www.ultimate-guitar.com/ you get the chords of a song (see this for an example). And that's enough if you are aiming to be a campfire guitar player. But when looking for ...
5
votes
1answer
291 views
Meaning of slash chord without anything left of the slash
In chord charts what does it mean when it says /c#. I know what slash chords are, but what if it doesn't show the first part. An example of what I'm talking about is here.
0
votes
0answers
52 views
(Conflict) Kostka/Payne Cadence Chart vs. Authentic Cadence in Natural Minor [duplicate]
According to Is this generic cadence chart from Kostka/Payne generally accepted?,
However, the authentic cadence in natural minor, which is v-i, does not meet the definition by Kostka/Payne here. ...
0
votes
0answers
36 views
Variant Cadences
I've gone through many unusual cadences so far - conclusive cadences that are not V-I, V-i, v-i (rare), viio-I, #viio-i, IV-I, or iv-i, and progressive cadences that are not V, v (rare), V-vi, V-VI, ...
5
votes
1answer
128 views
Are there J.S. Bach pieces that do not start with the tonic chord?
I know some simple pieces where the initial phrase starts in the IV chord or the V chord, but I'm wondering if Bach used to do that.
4
votes
2answers
46 views
Use of sharps and flats when writing altered notes to chords in key
A quick question about the conventions of writing music. I have a song I am working on where I am going from a G major to a F#-b9. The song is in G major for most of it before going into a middle ...
1
vote
1answer
96 views
Chords of my song sound boring [closed]
I am not a musician, I have mostly self studied some music theory, and I really enjoy composing small pop pieces on the guitar.
Recently I got stuck. I have all the lyrics, and the rhythm works, but ...
1
vote
1answer
126 views
♭VII-I Cadence, ♭III-I Cadence: Name?
I've gone through a bunch of ♭VII-I and ♭III-I cadences in rock music. In C major, they are B♭-C and E♭-C.
Is there a specific name for the two cadences? So far, I've been calling them authentic ...
1
vote
6answers
174 views
Is a bass line the same as a bass progression?
In alot of songs there's a chord progression. Say we have a 4 chord progression. Each chord can correspond to a note the bass plays. So now the bass is playing a 4 note progression. Is that called a ...
6
votes
2answers
126 views
Letters m, n and v above roman numerals in functional harmony notation
I'm reading a functional harmony textbook and found the notation in the following passage confusing:
Consecutive VI and VII degrees in melody are harmonised with chords IV-VII6 (in minor: IVm-VII6) ...
2
votes
1answer
42 views
Pivot chord but different scale. ( Ex. G; C and C; C ) is it possible to use them as a pivot chord to one another?
Even though the scales are different,
G; C - lydian , C; C - Ionian .
Is it possible to use this as a pivot chord to modulate to one another ?
If it is possible, how ?
4
votes
0answers
61 views
What are the characteristics of Late Romantic English Music?
What common characteristics can you find in the works of composers like Holst, Vaughan Williams, or Grainger? I list these three in particular because of their propensity to build on existing folk ...
6
votes
2answers
1k views
Chords behaving as a melody
I've been learning some Christmas carols on the guitar and I noticed that the chord structure they have is very different from what I can usually see in popular/rock music.
I noticed that the ...
5
votes
4answers
180 views
Singing along to guitar chords (harmony)
Recently I started writing songs and I started to wonder:
Let's say I sing middle C (while playing open C chord on guitar) for a bar and then go to singing E, third higher in pitch. Should I follow ...
9
votes
1answer
485 views
What is this particular type of chord progression, common in classical music, called?
I don't know anything about music theory but I am a fanatic when it comes to listening to classical music. For a while I have been curious about a type of chord progression which is very common in ...
4
votes
5answers
693 views
Why is the G major to Bb major resolution so strong?
So, about a year ago, I composed a nocturne in Bb. And I used this harmonic progression in the B sections of it:
Bb -> Eb -> C -> F -> Gm -> G ->Bb
Now, out of the 7 chords in this progression(6 ...
1
vote
1answer
66 views
Is there a standard set of cadences designed for the seven modes?
On Cadences for Modes and Modal Cadence Options, Dom, Richard, and I came up with a group of modal cadences. Specifically (correct order from Ionian to Locrian):
Dom: ii-I, VII-i, II-i, II-I, ...
2
votes
2answers
69 views
11th or 13th harmonic in a progression
I know the dominant seventh chords include a 7th harmonic and there are progressions using them. What about utilizing higher harmonics? Maybe an add6 chord implies the ratio 13/8 for some certain ...
-1
votes
1answer
39 views
Ger.6-I cadence - Name?
I was looking at some Romantic era works, and I have found an unusual cadence of:
Is there a name for this cadence? I'm tempted to say it is a variant plagal cadence - A plagal cadence is ...
-2
votes
2answers
149 views
♭II6-I Cadence: Plagal or Authentic?
Chopin's Etude No. 16 in A minor, Op. 25 No. 4, ends with a cadence like this:
B♭/D - A
In Roman numerals, we write as:
♭II6 - I
Is this cadence viewed as Plagal (N6 - I), or Authentic (tt - ...
3
votes
2answers
73 views
Does the II chord in the Phrygian II-i cadence count as tritone substitution?
In Phrygian modal music, the II-i cadence is pretty common. Does the II chord here count as a tritone substitute chord that is substituting for vo?
1
vote
1answer
113 views
Are circle of fifths progressions generally practical for modes?
Earlier today I was working on mode utilizations, and as I was making a circle of fifths, here's what I got:
C Ionian mode: C - F - Bdim - Em - Am - Dm - G - C (I - IV - viio - iii - vi - ii - V - I)
...
4
votes
3answers
75 views
Using V and v chord when melody alternates between harmonic and natural minor
When using the harmonic (or melodic) minor scale for a melody, it is often combined with the natural minor, depending on whether the seventh is a leading tone going up to the tonic (in which case you'...
6
votes
2answers
148 views
song form in pop/rock music
I am stuck with one of my songs, and I believe this question relates to form--an area which I don't know much about. The form of the song was as follows:
Intro
Verse
Bridge
Chorus
This part is then ...
3
votes
1answer
104 views
Is there a name of “I - bVI - bIII - bVII” progression?
I heard a song with "I - bVI - bIII - bVII" and It's one of my favorite progression. So I want to know about that progression.
4
votes
2answers
680 views
Does a minor major 6th chord exist? [duplicate]
I'm playing some chords from a song that goes Fm (F, A♭, C, F on guitar), Fmin7 (E♭, A♭, C, F), and a chord I don't know what to call that uses D, A♭, C, F. This appears to be similar to an Fmin/maj7 ...
4
votes
3answers
131 views
Why does an f minor scale sound good on a c major chord?
I've been looping a C major chord on an app, and tried to play the F minor scale on that. Why does this work? I know that A minor is the relative scale of C major and that should sound good. But why ...
2
votes
2answers
92 views
Rationalizing this chord progression (I7-iii-IV)
Trying to expand my harmonic palette here, and came across this song.
Chorus of Stevie Wonder's "Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing" (in E♭ minor, but temporary shift to ...
7
votes
5answers
953 views
Bb13b9 confusion
Sorry simple question but how do you avoid confusion when writing a chord like Bb13b9? It can be read as either B with a b13 and a b9 or Bb with a 13 and a b9. I suppose context but I am wondering if ...
2
votes
1answer
35 views
Rising Fourth/Descending Fifth bass movement in inversions
I understand that the sense of resolution is strongest with the root movement of a rising fourth/descending fifth. However, is the important thing that the chords be a fourth/fifth apart (i.e. Cmaj - ...
3
votes
1answer
63 views
Why does the first diminished 7th in this progression not resolve?
So, I wrote this pastoral piece and it sounds good to me. One thing I am curious about though is why the first diminished 7th here builds up tension and more specifically why the restatement of C ...
1
vote
0answers
30 views
I have few confussion also how to find solo scale from my progression [closed]
I am progressing chords for riff
Chords: E5 - F5 - G5
E5 = with Palm Mute
F5 = Normal
G5 = Normal
Pattern:
A -2-2----2-2-2--3
E -0-0----0-0-0--1
P.M-------P.M-
it's sound like heavy music ...
3
votes
5answers
175 views
Question about IV chord in minor key
Key of A minor:
Am - Em/G - F - D - Dm - Am/C - B - E
How would you describe the D chord?
I'm not sure. Is it from a melodic minor?
Is there any specific reason why this progression works well?
...
3
votes
2answers
96 views
Chord symbol and Roman numeral for naming an Augmented 6th chord
While there are chord symbols & Roman numerals used to name a Neapolitan 6th chord, I haven't come across either of these for naming an Augmented 6th chord. The only names written were Italian 6th,...
4
votes
3answers
125 views
Can the melody determine the key of an ambiguous chord progression
I am writing a song in A major. The chords in the verse are A, C#m, F#m, F#m. Now it is clear to me the key of this part of the song is A/F#m but then in the chorus the C#m chord is switched with the ...
6
votes
4answers
371 views
How to make the Bass in SATB move more smoothly?
While writing for SATB, I realise I have a few chords where the Bass part is moving down in intervals of 6ths or 7ths from one chord to the next. For example, I have a chord progression iib in F ...
4
votes
3answers
171 views
What is a Bm chord with a G in it?
I am writing a song with G > Bm > Em as the main chord progression but I found a lot of nice fingerings on the guitar for the Bm chord with an added G in it. Does this make the chord a B minor 6 ...
7
votes
1answer
102 views
False modulation for doxology in a modal key
I am barely an organist, but occasionally cover for the real organist at my church. The next time I am doing this is three weeks from now, and because I'm a novice, I already have the hymns for that ...
4
votes
1answer
117 views
Chromatic 7th chords going upwards in Beethoven
This is about how the harmony is working in Rondo a Capriccio by Beethoven. Here is the passage I am talking about:
So starting at measure 291, there is a passage where 7th chords go up chromatically,...
1
vote
6answers
222 views
Analysis of the progression: Dm, G, C, F, Bb, E, Am, A
I've been trying to analyze the progression: Dm, G, C, F, Bb, E, Am, A.
The best I could come up with is ii, V, I, IV, bVII, V/vi, vi, V/ii in C major.
I considered the Bb to be the VII from the ...
0
votes
1answer
74 views
Modulation or passing through different keys in the following Bach chorale [closed]
This is Bach's chorale R.80. I want to know if the music has modulated to a particular key in certain, or is it only passing through different keys (and hence not a fixed modulation to only one key)?
4
votes
4answers
751 views
Modulation from major key to relative minor - what could be the pivot chord?
I want to modulate from D major to B minor. I have a perfect cadence (A7 - D) in D major, after which I need to use a pivot chord to go into B minor. I was thinking of using the F# chord, but I am not ...
1
vote
2answers
66 views
Using passing notes in SATB writing
When writing for SATB, which is the best voice in which you can use passing notes & auxiliary notes? Also, in a music exam where the Soprano part is given to you (and you have to harmonise the ...
8
votes
7answers
2k views
Using chord iii in a chord progression (major key)
I haven't come across music as yet where chord iii is used in a chord progression. I read somewhere that generally chord iii is not used, or very rarely used. Is this correct?
If chord iii is used, ...
3
votes
2answers
60 views
Chords between i and an augmented-sixth chord [closed]
I am wondering about chords that can go between i and different augmented-sixth chords. Are there any resources on this? I've googled and searched past questions and didn't find anything...
edit: in ...
0
votes
0answers
45 views
Writing characteristic chord progressions in inversion, & doubling notes other than the root
There are characteristic chord progressions taught in music theory, for example, the cadential 6-4, which is Ic - V - I. Then there's Ib - ii7b - V - I, & so on. I want to know if these cadences ...
1
vote
2answers
66 views
Identifying unusual chord progression & chord [closed]
I have come across this short piece. I am unsure about the key (even though it uses 2 flats as its key signature - so I am assuming it mostly is Bb major). I could not identify one of the chords (...
4
votes
2answers
152 views
Calculating the distance of chords
I was trying to create a chord progression in C major with borrowed chords from C based modes. There aren't too many "in-depth" materials about how to do this, and what I found says: "just try, maybe ...
3
votes
1answer
86 views
What does the author mean in these examples of chorales & harmony?
This is an example in G major. I am learning about Bach's chorales & how he uses modulation. I came across a page online (choraleguide.com), & in one example given, I couldn't understand what ...
