Dreamy CUSH Chords

[AROIOS]

Been using these progressions for over 20 years and never knew they actually had a name. 😄

[CyberGene]

Thanks, that's interesting, I've intuitively used that but never knew it had a name either. Wondering if the actual explanation can be that it's some variation of modal interchange but with a temporary modulation into that parallel borrowed key. For instance, if you're in C major key, borrow the same tonic minor, i.e. C minor, then use the enharmonic major: Eb major.

 

C major -> C minor -> Eb major.

[stoken6]

Interesting, he's at a keyboard, but he explains it like a guitarist. "Just move it up three frets a minor third". Nothing about the harmonic-theoretical foundation that underpins this idea, which I think is basically what @CyberGene posted. It's modal interchange with the relative minor. 

 

Cheers, Mike.

[ElmerJFudd]

Harmonic cliches from extensive historical use that are now part of our  musical language.  
 

C | D/C :||, wistfully  longing for, reaching for.  Alan Menken loves this one. 
 

F | Fm| C ||, a sentimental moment, regret, if only.  
 

F | G | A ||, we win! triumph, success. 
 

Have others to share? 

 

[CyberGene]

9 minutes ago, ElmerJFudd said:

Have others to share?

Ab | Bb | C :||, an unexpected detour/surprise but nevertheless we’re heading back home 😀

[ElmerJFudd]

2 minutes ago, CyberGene said:

Ab | Bb | C :||, an unexpected detour/surprise but nevertheless we’re heading back home 😀

👍 Same one as F | G | A, right?  Video game music used to use this all the time when you clear a board.  It was a journey, but we got there!  

[CyberGene]

And here two melancholy ones:

 

G | Gaug | Em/G then backwards and forward. Or basically playing a simple G major chord whose fifth moves up from D to D# to E and then back. Usually implies longing. Used in the beginning of the third part from Scheherezade by Rimsky-Korsakov and considered a typical part of the Russian sound of the group of composers called “The Five” which also includes Mussorgsky. 

Another similar but in the opposite direction and rather pessimistic due to the inevitable falling down. And a staple of trip-hop and similar somber genres:

 

Em | D#aug | G/D | C#m7b5 | (sometimes ending in Cmaj7) :||
 

Basically it’s the opposite of the first one, you start with Em and move the lowest note down a semitone on each step: E D# D C# C

 

Michelle by The Beatles 😉