No__74___Chord Progressions from. 5-1 through to 7-3-6-2-5-1

[Peter Anderson]

How to Use   “5-1”   Progressions To Enhance Your Playing

Here we are going to discuss Chord progressions, so first of all, what do we mean by a Chord Progression?     It is simply a series of chords played one after the other.
If you know anything about chord progressions, you’ll understand that each one has its own functions and roles.   For example, one progression may be common for beginning a song, while another progression may be common for ending a song.    Certain progressions are likely to be played during modulations to new keys while others aren’t.    In other words, you need to understand the roles of chord progressions.

To know a   “2-5-1”   chord progression, for example, but not to know where to play it, is useless when it comes to playing by ear.    So in the next few replies, we will explore different progressions and where to use them!

Peter .. I hope you don't mind me putting my oar in at this point.  Hopefully I won't rock the boat!

When reading your articles, one has to have to have a mental picture of what you are saying.  Now I understand that by using the 5 - 1 terminology you are covering every situation in every key.  But I never play a '2' chord, a '5' chord or a '1' chord.  I play a 'C' chord, an 'F' chord or a 'G' chord etc.  I can relate to music theory, and don't have to think twice about it so long as it is based in the key of C.  As I do know what the notes are in the scale of C, it doesn't take much effort to translate your '1', '2', '3' etc. into lettered chords in C.  I couldn't do this if the '1' was an F# or an Ab.  So I shall have to translate all your ones, twos and threes into lettered notes in the scale of C in order to fully understand what you are saying. 

The “5-1” Progression  (G - C .. Hugh)

You are quite correct, Hugh.
Using the numbers 1 to 7, is just another way of defining the chord we are talking about, but in a generic fashion to include all the scales.
To help us 'think' in the different keys, we can refer to our old friend, The Circle Of Fifths, and I will make this link in this topic in a few Replies time.
Throughout, I have and will continue to use the Key of C for my examples, which makes it, hopefully, easier to assimilate the ideas we are considering.

To read more about this see Peters Pearls No  61       You can open that in a new window, by clicking this link:

http://www.ar-group.org/smforum/index.php?topic=2409.0

So back to our original subject....

The   5-1 progressions   will commonly end a song, a chorus, or a verse.  Being that the   1 chord   represents the actual key that your song is being played in, it makes sense for it to be the very last chord played.   It also ensures we have a 'comfortable' harmony  to end on.
So again, in most cases, the   1 chord  will end the song.    However, there are times when other tones of the scale will end the song instead   (for example:   the sixth degree played as a major chord or the fourth degree played as a dominant chord in fast gospel songs are very common).                             But for the purposes of this posting, we will focus on the majority of songs that end on the   1 chord.

Think of the     5-1 chord progression   like this:
If you were watching a live theatrical performance or even a musical concert of some sort, when would you know the right time to clap?
Isn’t it true that the audience as a whole always knows when to clap even though they’re not all musicians?
How do they know when the song is over?
How do we know when to clap?

The answer is because, we have already been trained to recognize  5-1 progressions whether we’re musicians or not!

The    5 chord   by itself is that chord, immediately before the end of the song.   You know the song is about to end because you hear the   5 chord and of course, I am referring more to slow songs than fast ones.    Perhaps, the pianist will hold the   5 chord   for a while … but you still don’t clap because you know it’s not the last chord.      So, in essence, the   5 chord   prepares us for the     1 chord.      The   5 chord creates such a strong pull towards the   1 chord that we can even predict how the next chord is supposed to sound in our mind.
Imagine if a pianist was holding the  5 chord and all of a sudden, they get up and walk away.     The audience would be totally shocked.   Why?      Because they would think that the pianist didn’t finish the song completely. That’s because the  5 chord  gives us the feeling that something is about to end, but hasn’t quite ended yet (again, that’s why we don’t clap then).      And in cases where the song doesn’t actually end at that point, that same chord will alert us that the song is returning back to the beginning of the verse or chorus for another round.


Here are some examples of “5-1” endings, to explain what we are discussing:
i)       Hap-py Birth-Day to You
Ending on the  5  in this example would be like not singing the final you.     You’ve sung the  happy birthday to…  but until you say you,  the song hasn’t ended.
The   5  in this example is the word  to,     while the final    1    chord would be played on you.
Are you following me?
If not, feel free to post replies below.

ii)       … Was blind, but now I see
This line is taken from the well known hymn Amazing Grace.     Can you figure out where the  5-1 progression would be played in this line?
If you’re having trouble, just think this to yourself…
If I wasn’t a musician at all and simply listening to this song, at what point would I know the song is just about to end?
The word   I   prepares you for the ending so it would definitely be accompanied by a 5 chord.     But don’t think that a    5 chord    only applies to the last but one word, just before the ending.       You can play this chord over multiple words.
So in this case, I would say that the     5 chord     begins on now and is held until   I   is sung.     Finally, when   see    is sung, the song ends and obviously you would play a   1   chord.

We extend this in the following postings.

Peter

[Peter Anderson]

Now we will explore    2-5-1   chord progressions

If you listen to music, you’ve definitely heard a 2-5-1 progression. They are found in just about any type of music — regardless of style, genre, or rhythmical pattern.    It is often the series of chords that end a song or phrase, but it can be used in several other situations.

In this chord progression, the 2 chord (you’ll learn what this is later on) leads to the 5 chord which in turn, as we saw earlier, produces a strong pull towards the ending chord (which is usually the 1st major chord of the scale).

Let me start by showing you what chords correspond to each tone of a major scale:

1 tone – Major
2 tone – Minor
3 tone – Minor
4 tone – Major
5 tone – Major (dominant)
6 tone – Minor
7 tone – Half Diminished

To understand the chart above, you must understand that each tone of a major scale has a chord which goes along with it.   

For example, the following is the C major scale:
C — D — E — F — G — A — B — C

Each tone above has a matching chord.

They are listed below, and to  further understand progressions, I've numbered each chord:

(You can start a major scale anywhere on the keyboard, of course, but for ease of explanation I am using the scale of C major.)

1 = C major
2 = D minor
3 = E minor
4 = F major
5 = G dominant
6 = A minor
7 = B half – diminished
8 = C major

Now, to create a   2-5-1 chord progression    (or any numbered chord progression), simply take the    2, 5, and 1 chord   out of the entire series of chords above.    That is, for this progression, we would not use the 3,4, 6, or 7 chord.

The 2 chord is D minor
the 5 chord is G dominant
and the 1 chord is C major

This is the most basic  2-5-1   chord progression you’ll ever see:
Dmin — Gdom — Cmaj

where
          min = minor
          dom = dominant
          maj = major

So we play:
D minor chord = (D) + (F) + (A)
G dominant chord = (G) + (B) + (D) + (F)
C major chord = (C) + (E) + (G)

Example: To play a Dminor chord simply play all three of the notes shown above at the same time (D+F+A)

Now let me show you a few chords that you can explore.   
 
I will simply give you the chord changes and you can apply them to your understanding of chords and variations.     All of these progression will be shown in the key of C major…

1)      Churchy 2-5-1 Chord Progression - Style #1

D7 (b9) — G13 —- Cmaj     (pronounced “D seven, flat nine —– G thirteenth — C major”)

D7 (b9) = Bass * Play “D” ——— F# + A + C + D#
G13      = Bass * Play “G” ———- F + A + C + E
Cmaj    = Bass * Play “C” ———– E + G + C (1st inversion)

Example: For D7 (b9), we would play F# + A + C + D# with “D” on the bass (left hand).
Inversion just refers to the way the chord is played.   Since “C” is the highest note, it is said to be played in its “first inversion”
This chord progression is very satisfying, so why don't  you try playing it and let me know what you come up with!

2)      Churchy 2-5-1 Chord Progression - Style #2

For this progression, every chord will be the same except for the D7 (b9). We will simply play a regular D9 chord.
D9 = F# + A + C + “E” (i.e.    not D#)
Notice: The only difference in a D9 and a D7 (b9) is the difference in the “ninth” tone. Since we are not flatting the 9th tone, we use “E” instead of “D#.”

D9     = Bass * Play “D” ——— F# + A + C + E
G13   = Bass * Play “G” ———- F + A + C + E
Cmaj = Bass * Play “C” ———– E + G + C

3)      Contemporary 2-5-1 Chord Progression - Style #1

For this progression, we are going to use:
D9 add 6 —> G13 —> Cmaj

D9 add 6 = Bass * Play “D” ——— F# + B + C + E
G13        = Bass * Play “G” ———- F + A + C + E
Cmaj      = Bass * Play “C” ———– E + G + C

4)     Contemporary 2-5-1 Chord Progression - Style #2

This progression will follow the same exact pattern as #3 with the following chord alteration:
D9 b5 —> G13 —-> Cmaj

Please Note:      You are going to have to extend your fingers for this one!
D9 b5 = Bass * Play “D” ——— F# + B + C + E + A#
G13   = Bass * Play “G” ———- F + A + C + E
Cmaj = Bass * Play “C” ———– E + G + C

Well, that’s it for now. Read on for longer chord progressions.

Please add your comments about this below.
Did you like the chords I have shared?
Have you tried them out?
Have you some more of your own    2-5-1’s to share?

Peter

[Hugh Wallington]

Peter,

I have added a comment into your first posting .. in green.

Another comment.  I am not familiar with the word 'dominant'.  Is this the same as 'fifth'?  So in the scale of C, the 'dominant'/'fifth' would be G?  I have discovered that eg. C⁷ is actually called a Dominant Seventh chord.  You have referred to it just as the 'dominant'.  Because of the way it is written (in letters) I just call this a 'seventh chord'.  The C 'seventh' chord.  C E G and Bb.  Which would 'lead you into F'.  It would be G⁷ that leads you into C.

I am very confused!

Hugh

[Peter Anderson]

Hugh,      If you look at the posting on The Circle Of a Fifths, Page 2 and the very first Reply, you will see the references to the Dominant.   
The Fifth is the Dominant of the Root or Home key chord.

Click on this link to open the page in a new window:

http://www.ar-group.org/smforum/index.php?topic=954.15


More information, and I am sorry if this sounds a little technical, but here goes.

In music theory, a dominant seventh chord, or major minor seventh chord, is a chord composed of a root, major third, perfect fifth, and minor seventh.

It can also be viewed as a major triad with an additional minor seventh.

When using popular-music symbols, it is denoted by adding a superscript "7" after the letter designating the chord root.

The dominant seventh is found almost as often as the dominant triad.    In Roman numerals it is represented as V7.

Of all the seventh chords, perhaps the most important is the dominant seventh.     It was the first seventh chord to appear regularly in classical music.     The name comes from the fact that it occurs naturally in the seventh chord built upon the dominant (i.e., the fifth degree) of a given major diatonic scale. 

Take for example the C major scale (C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C):       The note G is the dominant degree of C major—its fifth note.

When we arrange the notes of the C major scale in ascending pitch and use only these notes to build a seventh chord, and we start with G (not C), then the resulting chord contains the four notes G–B–D–F and is called G dominant seventh (G7).   The note F is a minor seventh from G, and it is also called the dominant seventh with respect to G.

In like fashion, yes C7 is a dominant chord, but as you correctly point out, of the key of F major.

I hope this clears it up for you.

Peter

[Peter Anderson]

As we have learned, the 2-5-1 chord progression  is the harmonic movement to the first degree, from the second and fifth scale degrees.

The 2-5-1 chord progression is one of the most important progressions in music, because it can and normally does end most of all songs.

Yes, there are songs that don’t follow the “2-5-1” ending and that’s because from time to time, composers tend to break rules or want to do something different.

It would pay you to learn how to play this  2-5-1 chord progression in every key, the following explains exactly how to do that!

We have to utilise our old friend The Circle Of Fifths.

If you are not familiar with this, then click on this link to open the subject in a new window:

http://www.ar-group.org/smforum/index.php?topic=954.0

"Lost Without You" is a pop ballad written by Bridget Benenate and Matthew Gerrard, produced by Gerrard for Delta Goodrem's first album Innocent Eyes (2003) and was released as the album's second single on 28 February of that year.

Here is a YouTube link to that song:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0DdCoNbbRvQ

I want to show you a simple way to play the chords of “Lost Without You” in all 12 keys!

First, let’s review the four chords that dominate this song.

Here are the four chords, for what is called a 2-5-1-4 chord progression.

I have shown them as three essential notes to form the chord, with the other one in brackets.

Dmin7      D   C   (A)   F
G7            G   B   (D)   F
Cmaj7      C   B   (G)   E

Fmaj7      F   A   (C)   E

The reason for this is to help you remember how to  play them in sequence.

When moving from the first chord in the series, move the second note down one          i.e.  C to B.
When moving from the second chord in the series, move the fourth note down one      i.e.  F to E.
When moving from the third chord in the series, move the second note down one        i.e.  B to A.


OK, here is why we call this a “2-5-1-4” chord progression.     Because if you compare the bass notes of the 4 chords listed above to the C major scale, the key this progression is in, you’ll find that

D    is the 2nd tone of the scale —
G    is the 5th tone of the scale —
C    is the 1st tone of the C major scale, of course —           and
F    is the 4th tone of the scale.

So the numbers come straight from the scale.                      It is that simple.

In the next Reply, we'll focus on the   2 - 5 - 1   part of this chord progression and playing them in all 12 keys.

Peter

[Peter Anderson]

But for now, we are only going to focus on the “2-5-1” part of the chord progression. As has already been said, this is probably one of the most commonly used chord progressions in music history!    You will find it hard to come across a tune that does not have this chord progression in it.

They’re used to end songs because of the strong pull and resolution back “home.” 

Basically, you get a feeling of “ending” when you play a “2-5-1” progression.    It’s as if that “2” chord is sort of away from home.    But when it progresses to the “5” chord, it tells your ear, “OK, we’re getting ready to go back home.”     

And finally when you hear any kind of “1” chord, whether you’re a musician or not, your ear tells you, “At last, we’re home!”   

That’s basically the whole concept.

Music is a combination of tension (being away from home) and release (coming back home).  If you think about it, everything in life is a combination of tension and release.  You go through something in life - tension… and then you overcome it - release.    But you had better not get too comfortable because something else will inevitably turn up.    That’s just how chord progressions are.      It is also the basis for films, books, driving, marriages, sports, etc — that’s how everything is!

So how can we learn this same exact “2-5-1” progression in every key?
It’s simple. We’re going to use the famous circle of fifths chart!

Here it is for you:



If you look closely at this circle, our “D to G to C” progression lies on the right side, going counter-clockwise.

If you compare this chart to a clock, “D” is at 2 o’ clock, G is at 1 o’ clock, and C is at 12 o’ clock.

Here’s the secret…
This circle is filled with every “2-5-1” chord progression you’ll ever want to play. What do you do to find them?

Just circle any 3 neighboring tones on this circle and move in a counter-clockwise direction. The last note circled in that direction will be your “home” chord just like “C” is our home chord in the example above.

If we want to play a “2-5-1” chord progression in Bb major, we do the same thing.    Circle “Bb.” Then circle the note right next to it, going clockwise = “F” — then circle the note right next to that = “C.”   

Always remember that these kind of progressions always work in a counter-clockwise direction when you use this circle.     In other words, it’s like telling time backwards.     To play the correct progression going in the opposite direction to your clock, but to find the series of chords, work back from your home Key.

If we want to play a “2-5-1” in “A major,” the process is the same.    Circle the note “A.”    Then back up and circle the note right next to it, “E” — then the note right next to it, “B.”      This is so simple.

Next time I'll show you how to move from one set of 2-5-1 chords to the next, in an easy and logical fashion.

Peter

[Peter Anderson]

So, with that in mind, here’s how to play these chords in all 12 Keys.

We'll start with C major
From what we have stated earlier here are our first 3 chords

Dmin7      D   C   (A)   F
G7            G   B   (D)   F
Cmaj7      C   B   (G)   E

Now we have to convert that CMaj7, into a minor chord, so that we can use it as a "2" chord in the next key.
To do this move both the second and fourth notes down one.

So     C major 7       turns into        C minor 7
          Cmin7            C   Bb   (G)   Eb


Then you just repeat the same pattern, except now, “C minor 7” is the beginning of your chord progression. You’ll lower its second note and it will take you to an F dominant 7.   Just like you did in the first example, you’ll then lower its fourth note and it will take you to a Bb major 7.   So now we’ve just played a “2-5-1” in the key of Bb major.
Namely   Cmin7      F7      Bbmaj7

Notice, that all we are doing is following the circle of fifths.
What was once D to G to C is now C to F to Bb.     
The next one will be Bb to Eb to Ab,  all in alignment with the circle.

Once you know the Circle Of Fifths, you’ve opened the door to tons of musical shortcuts!

After we’ve successfully played Bb major 7, we lower both of its 2nd and 4th notes so that it becomes Bb minor 7.   It now operates as a “2” chord for our next progression. It’s an unending cycle, basically!

Peter

[Peter Anderson]

We can extend these ideas on chord progressions, in two ways, and we will do this in the following posts.

1      We can increase the length of the progression and
2      We can vary some of the notes in the basic chords.

But before we get into that, we need to refresh our knowledge at the very helpful, and I hope, the familiar tool and friend, that we considered earlier.

More about progressions and using the Circle of Fifths.

The Circle of Fifths is a very powerful tool that you can easily use to generate a progression by picking up at any point on that circle, and progressing round it, in an anti-clockwise direction.

Here is the Circle of Fifths for you:



So if we want to generate a progression starting on a 6 chord and finishing in the key of C Major, at a C major chord, you can start a 6-2-5-1 progression with an A chord.   

But here is a helpful note of caution…..Let us use the Key of C as an example.

You know that the key of C major has NO #s or ♭s  , I repeat NO Sharps or Flats.    (I do appreciate that some tunes in the key of C can and often do introduce accidentals.)

Therefore if we start on A, and play each of these chords as Major Triad chords   
that is     A major, B major, C major, etc we will find ourselves playing some non natural notes, which we cannot do in the Key of C, if we want to obey the rules for that particular key.

To get round this
A major     = A + C# + E   must have the C# removed to comply with the Key of C, having no #s or ♭s.   

So if we do that and make the C# a C natural, we finish up playing an A minor chord.

Here is a chart showing each of the 7 key notes in the scale of C, together with their major triads, and the subsequent adjustment to remove sharps and flats, which finally gives the base chord that we should use.



In the next Reply, we fit these resultant chords around the Circle of Fifths.

Peter

[Peter Anderson]

Let us fit those 7 resultant chords in the key of C around the Circle of Fifths.


I have added a link to an interactive version of the Circle of Fifths as a p.s. at the foot of this Reply.

Now you can see how they relate to each other and how a progression can be structured.

With the note     C   =   1
                          D   =   2
                          E   =   3
                          F   =   4
                          G   =   5
                          A   =   6
                          B   =   7

You can easily work out how a    2–5-1 progression    is formed.

From the list above
       2   =    D
       5   =    G
       1   =    C

So for a    2–5-1 progression   you play chords of     Dm :  G or G7 :  C


And for a    6-2-5-1 progression , you simply add the first chord of
     6   =   A

so for a    6-2-5-1 progression ,   you play chords of       Am :  Dm :  G or G7 :  C etc.

I think you can now see clearly where this is going.......read on.

Peter
 
p.s.
To access an Interactive version of the Circle of Fifths, please click on this link to open it in a New Tab:

http://randscullard.com/CircleOfFifths/

Peter

[Peter Anderson]

The     6-2-5-1  chord progressions are incredibly powerful.
   
We have seen how the basic sequence works from the Circle of Fifths.

So you can play through these progressions, using the suggested major, minor and seventh chords, and repeat the series as often as you like, from whatever point in the series you wish.

Don't forget that you do not have to limit yourself to just one chord of each number, in the sequence.

For example, you could play a    6-2-5-1  chord progression    in this way:

  Am :   Am :  Dm :  Dm :   Dm :   G  :   G  :   G7  :  C

Try it out.

In the next Reply we begin to look at chord variations in this and other subsequent chord progressions

Peter

[Peter Anderson]

I guarantee that sometimes you hit a 'wrong' note in a chord, or your finger slips off the intended key, but the final effect doesn't sound wrong, but rather different or interesting.

For instance, you should recognise that there are a multitude of different seventh chords, and these include major, minor, diminished, augmented, but some others with many added notes.

Here is something you may want to explore, for your own interest.

In the following chart, I list some variations on the “6-2-5-1” progressions, by slightly changing the actual chords used.

Each progression starts with the 1 chord just so that you get a sense of what major key the chord progressions start and end on.

6-2-5-1 Chord Progressions

The following chart shows some examples, which are all in the key of C major, but they can easily be transposed to the key you want or prefer.

The  slash  " / "   suggests that the note to the right of it should be played on the bass pedals.    However, this is not a rule, so feel free to change the bass note if it suits your taste.



If you 'finger' each of these chords on your Lower Keyboard on your Yamaha AR, you will be able to read the name of that chord in the CHORD box near the top left of your VOICE DISPLAY Screen.

Notice that they are made up of 3, 4 or 5 different notes.     Even just 3 notes can make a real impact, to your music.

One other very important point to be aware of, is to keep in mind that just because the progressions say   6-2-5-1  does not mean that you must only play one chord on the 6, then one chord on the 2   and so on.

If you want you can play multiple chords on the 6,  the 2   and the 5.    However, it is unlikely, though by no means forbidden, to play more than one final 1 chord.

In the next Reply, we'll look at an example extracted from the chart above.

Peter 

[Peter Anderson]

Here is that example, taken from the above chart, but with the chords selected from different rows.

Starting from the  the “1” chord in C:

(1)    G C D E / C
(6)    G B D F# / A
(6)    G B♭ Db E / A
(2)    G B C E / D
(2)    F# B C E / D
(5)    C F A / G
(5)    B E A♭ / G
(1)    A D G / C

Notice how more than one similar chord is used in this 6-2-5-1 progression, and how the subtle changes of just one or two notes in a pair of chords, enhances the power of the accompaniment.

The first chord of each scale tone is a starting point, but the second chord of the set will always push us towards the next chord.   For example, the first 6 chord above led to a stronger 6 chord, which ultimately led us to our 2 chord.       Keep these types of ideas in mind when playing 6-2-5-1 or any other progression for that matter!

In the next Reply, we’ll extend the progression still further, with some more ideas.

Peter

[Peter Anderson]

Let us increase our progressions to the 3-6-2-5-1 with these variations.
The 3-6-2-5-1 progression is common, especially in gospel music and creates a distinct sound.
   
For the 3 chord you could simply play the chord of Em but hare are a few 3-6-2-5-1 progressions and suggestions for how to use them.

Like the progressions we’ve already looked at, this one simply adds on to the “6-2-5-1” progression.
In fact, the 3 chord simply pulls us towards the 6-2-5-1 progression.


First, we need to explore the 3 chords that will actually pull us towards our 6-2-5-1 progression

 Here are 6 examples all in the key of C major:

1)  E7 (#9#5)          Ab + C + D + G  /  E
2)  E7 (b9#5)          Ab + C + D + F  /  E
3)  Db maj / E          Ab + Db + F  /   E
4)   E7 (b9)              F + Ab + B + D  /  E
5)   Emin7 (b5)        G + Bb + D  /  E
6)   Emin7_11         D + G + A + B  /  E


Now that we have learned a few new “3” chords, let’s combine them with the “6-2-5-1” progression to create our lengthened “3-6-2-5-1” progressions, and here are 6 examples for you to experiment with.   


1
“3” chord: Ab + C + D + G / E
“6” chord: G + B + C + E  / A
“2” chord: F# + B + C + E / D
“5” chord: B + E + Ab / G
“1” chord: A + D + G / C


2
“3” chord:       Ab + C + D + F / E
“6” chord (1): G + B+ D + F# / A
“6” chord (2): G + Bb + Db + E / A
“2” chord:       F + A + C + E / D
“5” chord:       E + Ab + B + E / G
“1” chord:       D + G + C / C


3
“3” chord: Ab + Db + F / E
“6” chord: G + B + C + E / A
“2” chord: C + F + A / D
“5” chord: B + E + Ab / G
“1” chord: A + D + G / C


4
“3” chord:       F + Ab + B + D / E
“6” chord (1): E + G + C / A
“6” chord (2): E + G + Bb + DB / A
“2” chord:       F + A + C + E / D
“5” chord:       F + A + B + E / G
“1” chord:       D + G + C / C


5
“3” chord:       G + Bb + D / E
“6” chord:       G + Bb + Db / A
“2” chord:       Ab + C + D + F / D
“5” chord (1): G + C + E/ G
“5” chord (2): B + E + Ab / G
“1” chord:       A + D + G / C


6
“3” chord: D + G + A + B / E
“6” chord: E + G + C / A
“2” chord: F + A + C + E + G / D
“5” chord: E + Ab + B+ E / G
“1” chord: D + G + C / C

Peter

[Peter Anderson]

Now let us extend our progression by starting on the 7 Chord, which you can see from previous posts is a B Chord, which is usually B^o, that is also written as Bdim.

We have seen how the basic sequence works from the Circle of Fifths.

So you can play through these progressions, using the suggested major, minor and seventh chords, and repeat the series as often as you like, from whatever point in the series you wish.

Don't forget that you do not have to limit yourself to just one chord of each number, in the sequence.

For example, you could play a    7-3-6-2-5-1  chord progression    in this way:

B^o : Em : Em :  Am :   Am :  Dm :  Dm :   Dm :   G  :   G  :   G7  :  C

In the next Reply we will look at some bigger 7-3-6-2-5-1 progressions.

Peter

[Peter Anderson]

Here are some bigger 7-3-6-2-5-1 progressions, which require forming the chords in both hands and use of those pedals.

For more on playing Bigger Chords, see Peters Pearls #62 - Giant Chords, which you can open in a new window by clicking n this link:

http://www.ar-group.org/smforum/index.php?topic=2449.0

The following are in the form of three-fingered left hand voicings so that you’ll get used to playing bigger chords.

These ogressions are both in the key of C major:

N.B.   The notes shown in parenthesis () do not have to be played if you cannot reach them.


Example #1




After the “1” chord, it is common to go to a “4” chord, such as:
          Left hand: F + C + E     /     Right hand: E + A + C

or…
          Left hand: F + C + E     /     Right hand: A + D + E + A

 
Example #2
      For this the left hand notes are the same as example #1



In the next Reply, we explore some even more fancy chords.

Peter