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Hey guys, thanks again for taking an interest in these posts. If you've missed any of the previous posts please feel free to check those out before moving on.
Part 1 : Harmonizing Melodies
Part 2: Writing & Harmonizing Bass Lines
Part 3: Writing Chord Progressions
In Part three I went over the fundamentals of music theory when it comes to writing chord progressions. I want to mention again, these rules come from classical music. They're a good place to start because you can learn basic tension and resolution.
The thing is, modern music (Rock, Electronic, Pop, etc..) often "breaks" these rules. There are some common patterns and you can achieve different vibes and sounds with them.
Try to walk away with these progressions as templates for your own ideas. Of course, you can do and make whatever you want. But these can serve as good starting points for you to experiment and get your ear used to traditions across various genres. Also, as you'll soon see, using a common chord progression does NOT mean you're going to sound like every one else.
Let's explore some common chord progressions.
- | I | V | vi | IV |
- This is probably the most popular chord progression in pop music. You've absolutely hear this countless times.
- Notice that I didn't specify a key. You should start thinking of chords in roman numerals, this way each chord serves a function and you're not attached to any specific chord. A five chord is a dominant chord regardless of the key.
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Here are a few examples of songs that use this chord progression.
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As you can see this progression is use A LOT! Across many different genres. Take this as an example that even if you use the same chord progression as some one else you can still end up with something very unique. There is so much that goes into writing/composing that you can end up with something that's uniquely yours.
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This breaks the rules in that according to diatonic harmony rules you really can't have the vi chord going to a four chord, that ends up resolving back to one. According to the rulebook a predominant has to go to a dominant, not back to tonic.
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Something to keep in mind with all this rule breaking. This movement from IV to I creates a different sound. It's just a tool to achieve a different effect. I like to think about it as using a different color
1b. It's very common to take the previous progression and switch the order around. You can start the cycle almost on any of the four chords. I won't list any songs just to try and keep this short. But you can check out this list. It's the same set of chords just arranged differently. | I | vi | IV | V |
- This progression is often referred to as the "Doo Wop" progression. It was on so many 50s hits. Still the progression is used to this day across many genres.
- The 12 bar blues. This form is it's own thing. It breaks away from the rules of western music and is very popular in rock music.
- It consists of a specific progression that is twelve bars long.
- It only uses three chords. I - IV - V
- | I | IV | I | I |
| IV | IV | I | I |
| V | IV | I | V |
- The Andalusian Cadence. A fancy name for | i | VII | VI | V |
This chord progression is really big in flamenco. Probably THE Flamenco chord progression. Again it has been used across so many genres and styles.
TAKEAWAYS
- If you're feeling stuck you can take these ideas and use them in any way that you like.
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Keep in mind that chords serve a function. That's why we use roman numerals. The I chord is called the one because it's the most stable. It's in the tonic category. It provides a point of reference and grounding.
- The V chord is tense and unstable, and it belongs in the dominant category.
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When you're writing your own progressions, think about what you're trying to convey. If it's a chill vibe then maybe don't go to a dominant chord. That's how you can start breaking the rules. Keep what you want to convey at the forefront.
Thanks so much for taking the time guys!
As always if you have any questions please let me know.
Submitted February 23, 2021 at 04:06PM by theissachernandez https://www.reddit.com/r/Learnmusic/comments/lqq8vm/common_chord_progressions_that_break_the_rules_a/?utm_source=ifttt
Javier Rodriguez
Tuesday, February 23, 2021