Learning Chord Progression

[jar546]

I was messing around while learning more about chord progressions and wanted to try and make a baseline from a chord progression of: I vi ii V7 I in G. This is what I came up with using simple quarter notes 4/4

 

Would this fit? I used a 1st inversion for the last measure.

 

Do you know of any popular songs that use this progression?

 

http://www.forcepest.com/images/Progression1.tif

 

 

http://www.forcepest.com/images/Progression1.bmp

 

http://www.forcepest.com/images/Progression1.tif

[jar546]

You will have to cut and paste the link portion since neither format is showing up on the post. sorry

[Robitaille59]

http://www.pianoweb.com/chord-progression2.htm

 

 

[jeremy c]

There are thousands of songs that have that progression. How about "You Send Me". I've worked with a guy that played that progression for a whole hour and used it for a medley of old 50's ballads...he did one verse of each.

 

Jeff, you have a few problems in your line. A fourth is a dangerous note to use...it really should only a passing note on a weak beat.

 

Measure 1:

Get rid of the C....change it to a B.

 

Measure 2:

You end this measure on A and the next measure starts on A....Change the A to a G#.

 

Measure 3:

Now that we have connected the two measures, bring the first A up an octave so the connection is smooth.

The D's have to go.....Replace them with C and E.

 

Measure 4 and 5.

OK. you ended measure 4 on the C, the seventh and then you started measure 5 on a B, the third. This is good, but the B has to be up an octave so that the C leads to it.

 

Measure 5.

You've got a major seventh in there, could you change the F# to an E?

 

But....

I don't know why you have a 5 bar progression. In the songs that use these chords (and nearly every other song as well), chords are in groups of four measures. After the fourth measure, there should be a repeat sign. Maybe your fifth measure is the first measure of the second four bar phrase.

 

Jeff, I hope this helps. Keep working on this stuff. You're off to a great start.

 

 

[Eric VB]

Here's a "minus one" track you can practice to, Jeff. I don't recall the key but it is a I vi ii V7 progression. I recorded all the instruments except for bass. (It's not polished; please excuse the rough nature.) There's even a section where you can practice a bass solo, if you so desire. From a PC, right click the link below and save the MP3 to disk. If it doesn't work my account may be over limit; just try again at a later time. If you still have trouble PM me and I'll send it to you directly.

 

Sixteen Twenty-Five (mp3)

 

As an aside, the name of the song derives from the chord progression -- 1 6 2 5 or 1625 -- and I used that as inspiration to write some lyrics. They follow the little guitar melody at the beginning and end of the song. They're not done yet but they're a fun peek back at the people and life from the year 1625. Maybe someday I'll be inspired to finish it off. "In sixteen twenty-five, the old king had just died, would the newly crowned survive?"

[jar546]

 

Jeff, you have a few problems in your line. A fourth is a dangerous note to use...it really should only a passing note on a weak beat. Thanks, Noted.

 

Measure 1:

Get rid of the C....change it to a B. Got it

Measure 2:

You end this measure on A and the next measure starts on A....Change the A to a G#. I actually thought about that and decided to keep it for ease of playing but did not realize the musical implications

Measure 3:

Now that we have connected the two measures, bring the first A up an octave so the connection is smooth. Makes senseThe D's have to go.....Replace them with C and E.

Measure 4 and 5.

OK. you ended measure 4 on the C, the seventh and then you started measure 5 on a B, the third. This is good, but the B has to be up an octave so that the C leads to it. Again, makes sense.

Measure 5.

You've got a major seventh in there, could you change the F# to an E?

I can do anything. I forgot about the 5th bar being the start of the 1st again and tried to use an inversion to end on the root.

But....

I don't know why you have a 5 bar progression. In the songs that use these chords (and nearly every other song as well), chords are in groups of four measures. After the fourth measure, there should be a repeat sign. Maybe your fifth measure is the first measure of the second four bar phrase.

 

You dont know how much I appreciate this type of input. Thank you!

 

I was trying to follow along with the chords and match them up the best that I knew how. I was using minor arpeggios for minor chords, majors for majors, etc as you can see.

[jar546]

Thanks Ric, I am able to download it and listening right now.

 

Jeff

[jar546]

Lets see if I learned anything;

 

http://www.forcepest.com/images/Progression2.tif

 

How about this one?

[jeremy c]

Jeff, I could see that your fifth bar was a GMa7 arpeggio.

 

The reason why I wanted you to change the F# to an E is that you don't usually hear people play that arpeggio. The 6th is heard more often and is a good note because, whether the G is a triad, a Major 7th, or even a 7th chord, it will sound OK. If your chord instrument person is playing a straight G triad, playing an F# may be a little unsettling. On the other hand, on a minor chord, if they are playing a triad, the seventh always seems to fit....especially if you use the note in a melodic fashion.

[jar546]

On my second attempt to put together a bass line I listed too. On the first attempt I was just using my new knowledge.

[Phil W]

Lets see if I learned anything;

 

http://www.forcepest.com/images/Progression2.tif

 

How about this one?

The G# is a strange tone to put on bear 3 of an A7 chord.

 

The rest sounds OK, but each bar leads into the next by playing the fifth of the nest chord then the root. e.g. F# on beat 4 of bar 1 to B natural on beat one of bar 2 etc....This is fine but you might want to break it up a little.

 

You really need to get a copy of Ed Friedland's Walking Bass Lines - it's not expensive.

 

When playing walking lines you really need to start thinking about the next bar a beat of two ahead at least so that your lines run smoothly.

 

You can get a long way with

 

Beat 1 - chord tone beat 2 - note leading to next downbeat beat 3 - chord tone - beat 4 note leading to chord tone on the one of next bar of next bar.

 

The notes on beats 1 and 3 can be roots or thirds or fifths (and very occasionally sixths and sevenths).

 

The notes on beats 2 and 4 can lead into the next note by going up a fourth as you have used or by scalar or chromatic movement (much more common).

 

Remember to play the 2 and 4 beats slightly louder but the strong beats to outline the harmony are 1 and 3 .

 

If in doubt, KISS!

 

Examples D / / / Bm / / / Em / / / A7 / / /

 

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

 

or

 

D F# A A# | B C# D D#| E B E D| C# B C C# |

 

or

 

D E F# E | D C B F | E B E Bb | A E C# E |

 

or

 

D F# A A# | B C# D D# | E D# E D | C# B A Eb |

 

Try them. Thank about when to ascend or descend.

Think about making the changes smooth and emphasising the changes for the soloist.

 

[jeremy c]

The second one is very nice. (and I flunk the teacher exam by hearing the G#).

 

For your next assignment:

 

One of the features of a smooth walking bass line is that every measure connects to the next measure by either a half step or a whole step. You can do this using only notes in the chords. You can also add scale notes and chromatic notes to help achieve this goal.

 

Don't forget the downward direction. After you play the root, the next note can be lower than the root. Since we learn that chords are 1 3 5 etc., we tend to play the third higher than the root but of course that is not necessary.

[jar546]

Thanks guys. The G# was an accident, I forgot it was a dominant 7th and put the # there by accident.

 

I have been getting a lot of questions answered and a lot of good direction. I hope I don't end up with a bill in the mail

 

[Phil W]

Yeah, if your playing my yourself, the G# might not stand out but if someone else is playing an A7 it would sound 'out' in such a prominent position in the bar.

 

Practising along to CDs and music-minus-one tracks is worthwhile. Another reason to get the Ed Friedland books.

[Phil W]

Ed Friedland - Building Walking Basslines

 

http://www.edfriedland.com/books.htm

[jar546]

I know what my next book purchase will be now. Thanks Phil