Articles tagged with: "progressions"
The Major Scale: The Foundation of Western Music
The major scale is the most fundamental scale in Western music. It's a seven-note diatonic scale that forms the basis for countless melodies, harmonies, and musical compositions across all genres....
Major Seventh Chord: The Jazz Standard of Sophistication
The major seventh chord elevates the basic major triad with a rich, colorful extension: the major seventh interval. This creates a sophisticated, dreamy sound that is foundational to jazz, bossa...
Suspended Chords: A Guide to Creating Tension and Motion in Music
Suspended chords, or "sus" chords, are a vital tool for any songwriter, composer, or musician. By replacing the defining third of a chord with either a more neutral second (sus2) …
Mastering the 7#11 Chord: A Comprehensive Guide to Dominant Seventh Sharp Eleven
The 7#11 chord, also known as the dominant seventh sharp eleven, is a rich and colorful extended chord that adds harmonic tension and sophistication to music. This chord is particularly …
The 6/9 Chord: A Comprehensive Guide for Musicians
The 6/9 chord is a beautiful and versatile extended chord that adds color and richness to music. It is commonly used in jazz, pop, and classical music to create a …
Common Chord Progressions: The Building Blocks of Musical Harmony
Chord progressions are the harmonic foundations that drive musical compositions across nearly all Western musical styles. This comprehensive guide explores the most common and influential chord...
Read more
Mastering the 7#11 Chord: The Complete Guide to Dominant Seventh Sharp Eleven
The 7#11 chord, also known as the dominant seventh sharp eleven or lydian dominant, is a rich and colorful extension of the basic dominant seventh chord. This sophisticated harmony adds …
The Neapolitan Major Scale: A Comprehensive Guide for Musicians
The Neapolitan Major scale is a fascinating and somewhat exotic scale that offers a unique sound palette for composers and improvisers. This scale, also known as the Lydian Dominant scale, …
The Complete Musician's Guide to the Locrian Mode
The Locrian mode is the seventh and final mode of the major scale, known for its dark, unstable, and tense sound. This mode is unique because it features a diminished …
The iii-vi-ii-V Progression: Circle of Fifths in Motion
The iii-vi-ii-V is one of the most elegant and common chord progressions in Western music, particularly in jazz and classic pop. It functions as a powerful extension of the fundamental …
Understanding Musical Chords: The Building Blocks of Harmony
Chords are the fundamental building blocks of harmony in Western music. This comprehensive guide explores chord construction, types, functions, and applications across musical genres. From basic...
Cadences: The Punctuation Marks of Music
In music, cadences function as harmonic punctuation marks, providing closure, pause, or surprise at the end of musical phrases. This comprehensive guide explores the principal types of...
Decoding Bird Changes: A Deep Dive into Charlie Parker's Harmonic Labyrinth
This article provides an expert analysis of "Bird Changes," the iconic chord progression from Charlie Parker's bebop masterpiece, "Confirmation." We will dissect its advanced harmonic structure,...
Mastering the Locrian Mode: The Darkest Scale in Music Theory
The Locrian mode is the seventh and final mode of the major scale, known for its dark, unstable, and dissonant sound. Often considered the "darkest" of the seven modes, it …
Major Chords: The Building Blocks of Happy Music
Major chords are the bedrock of Western music, creating the bright, resolved, and "happy" sounds that power countless songs across every genre. This definitive guide breaks down their theoretical...
The Hendrix Chord (7#9): A Deep Dive into the Iconic Dominant Seventh Sharp Nine
The Hendrix Chord, formally known as the dominant seventh sharp nine (7#9), is a rich and dissonant chord that has become synonymous with the sound of Jimi Hendrix. It is …
vi-IV-I-V Progression: The Emotional Journey of Modern Music
The vi-IV-I-V progression, often called the "sensitive female" or "pessimistic" pop progression, is one of the most emotionally resonant chord sequences in modern music. Unlike progressions that...
Mastering the Natural Minor Scale: The Complete Beginner's Guide
This article explores mastering the natural minor scale: the complete beginner's guide, covering its fundamental concepts, practical applications, and musical examples.
Mastering the Minor 11th Chord: Theory and Application
The Minor 11th chord is a rich and complex extended chord that adds depth and color to musical compositions. This guide will explore its construction, historical context, and practical applications...
Mastering the Neapolitan Minor Scale: Theory and Practice
This article explores mastering the neapolitan minor scale: theory and practice, covering its fundamental concepts, practical applications, and musical examples.
Mastering the Half Diminished Chord: Construction, Applications, and Exercises
A half diminished chord, also known as a minor seventh flat five (m7♭5), is a four-note chord consisting of:
The 7#11 Chord Demystified: Construction, Usage, and Musical Applications
The 7#11 chord, also known as the dominant seventh sharp eleven, is a rich and colorful extended chord that adds a unique flavor to harmonic progressions. This chord is widely …
Unlocking Coltrane Changes: A Deep Dive into Jazz's Harmonic Revolution
This article explores the complex and influential harmonic concept known as "Coltrane Changes." We will deconstruct this revolutionary chord progression, examine its theoretical underpinnings, and...
The Complete Musician's Guide to Altered Dominant (7alt) Chords
The altered dominant, commonly notated as 7alt, is a sophisticated dominant 7th chord that incorporates one or more altered extensions (b9, #9, b5, #5) to create maximum harmonic tension. This …
Mastering the Mixolydian Mode: A Complete Guide for Musicians
The Mixolydian mode is one of the seven musical modes derived from the major scale. It is often described as a major scale with a flattened seventh (♭7), giving it …
Minor Blues Progression: The Soul of Emotional Expression
The minor blues progression transforms the familiar 12-bar blues by using minor chords, creating a darker, more sophisticated, and introspective emotional landscape. While preserving the core...
Unlocking Harmonic Journeys: A Guide to the Extended II-V Progression
This article offers a comprehensive guide to the Extended II-V progression, a cornerstone of jazz and modern harmony. We'll break down how this chain of related chords creates powerful forward...
Read more
Mastering the Perfect Eleventh: A Complete Music Theory Guide
A Perfect Eleventh is a compound interval spanning an octave plus a perfect fourth. In simpler terms, it's the distance from a root note to the note eleven scale degrees …
Mastering the Minor Thirteenth: A Complete Guide to This Expressive Interval
A minor thirteenth is a compound interval that spans a minor thirteenth above a root note. It consists of a minor tenth (an octave plus a minor third) plus a …
The Perfect Octave: A Fundamental Interval in Music
The perfect octave is one of the most fundamental intervals in music theory. It is the distance between two notes where the higher note has exactly double the frequency of …
Modal Rock Progression: The Dark Power of i-bVII-bVI
The i-bVII-bVI progression is a cornerstone of rock harmony, creating a dark, epic, and mysterious atmosphere. Derived from the natural minor scale (Aeolian mode), this sequence avoids traditional...
Secondary Dominants: Adding Color and Direction to Chord Progressions
Secondary dominants are one of the most powerful tools in functional harmony, used to add color, tension, and forward momentum to chord progressions. By temporarily "tonicizing" chords other than the...
Bossa Nova Chord Progressions: A Guide to the Brazilian Sound
Bossa nova chord progressions are the heart of the genre, blending the harmonic complexity of American cool jazz with the subtle, syncopated rhythms of Brazilian samba. This guide explores the...
Unlocking the Dark and Dramatic: A Guide to the Phrygian Progression (i-bII-bIII-iv)
This article explores the i-bII-bIII-iv Phrygian progression, a powerful chord sequence known for its dark, tense, and exotic sound. We will break down its theoretical foundation in the Phrygian...
Mastering the Minor Thirteenth: The Complete Guide to This Colorful Interval
The minor thirteenth is a compound interval that spans 20 semitones above the root note, combining an octave plus a minor sixth. In chord construction, it typically appears as an …
Decoding Giant Steps: The Pinnacle of Modern Jazz Harmony
This article delves into John Coltrane's seminal composition, "Giant Steps," a cornerstone of modern jazz. We will dissect its revolutionary chord progression, known as "Coltrane Changes," exploring...