What Key Is It Anyway??
Part 2--Analyzing Chord Progressions
by Rod Goelz
“I think of harmony and melody as having basically three different qualities: Major, Minor, and Dominant.” Joe Pass/Guitarist
“The first step in improvising a melody of your own creation, or to accompany other musicians, is to determine the Tonal Center or Key. This involves choosing one of the twelve available chromatic tones to be the focal point of your music. The music you play will have context because of the regular emphasis put on this chosen tone, known as “I” or the root tone . . . If you are improvising off the music that another is playing, it is necessary to determine what tonal center they have chosen. The ability to recognize the root tone conies with ear training experience - the focal tone will make itself apparent out of the gravity of the other tones played." David Lawrence
Three Step Process
When analyzing chord progressions under the three-step process that follows, understand that the ear (right brain) and the mind (left brain) are working together in this analysis.
Step One - Determine The Tonal Center Or Key Of The Progression
What is the focal point of the progression? (Answer) The focal point is a sibgle note that serves as the gravitational center of the progression. Accomplished musician are able to detect this note easily. . . by LISTENING. Your ear relates all melodic notes (in a solo for example) from their distance to the focal point. What methods are used in determining the focal point of a progression? (Answer) The ear establishes the focal point. As David Lawrence has said, “The ability to recognize the root tone comes with ear training experience." By now, you have already spent some time in the training your ear. The principle goal of these exercises is to first attain the ability to pick up the tonal gravity of a chord progression (or melody) by ear.
Step Two - Listen & Determine Weather The Chord Progression Is Of A Major, Minor, or Dominant Quality.
A. Major—MAJOR sounds are 'HAPPY." The Major Chord can be defined as a chord which contains a root note, harmonized with a note a Major Third away, harmonized with a note a Perfect Fifth away (in short—R 3 5). Remembering what you have learned about the seven diatonic chords within the Major Scale, a major chord progression can be defined as a chord progression which uses the major chord as the gravitational core. The parent scale of all major-style (any scale which contains a major third interval) scales/chord progressions is the Major (lonian) Scale.
B. Minor—MINOR SOUNDS are "SAD." The Minor Chord can be defined as a chord which contains at least a root note, harmonized with a note a Minor Third away, harmonized with a note a Perfect Fifth away (in short - R b3 5). Like the minor chord, a minor scale can be defined (in simple terms) as any scale which contains a minor third (b3) interval. The parent scale of all minor-style (any scale which contains a minor third interval) scales is the Natural Minor Scale. A minor progression can be defined as a group of chords which utilizes the minor scale/chord as it's gravitational core.
C. Dominant—DOMINANT sounds are "BLUESY. "The Dominant 7th chord (the most common of all dominant chords) can be defined as a four note chord containing the three notes of a major triad (R 3 5) plus a minor seventh interval (R 3 5 b7) The parent of all dominant style scales/progressions is the Mixolydian Scale, which is best described as a Major Scale with a minor seventh interval taking the place of the diatonic major seventh interval. Note: The two most important intervals within dominant-style scales/chords are the major third interval and the minor seventh interval. The most common of all dominant-style chord progressions is the 12-Bar Blues progression--a standard progression in blues, jazz, rock, and country/ western styles alike. Other ways in achieving a dominant-style chord progression is through the use of the bVII major chord, this chord being the diatonic VII chord in the Mixolydian Scale Examples of this type of chord progression can be all styles of music—Jazz, Country, Southern Rock, Classic Rock, Bluegrass, Funk and Jam-Band (Grateful Dead) are a few examples.
Step Three--Give a numerical analysis of the chord progression.
a. In doing so, you are structurally simplifying the chord progression. This is useful in many instances, among them improvisation, songwriting and arranging.
b. Determine if any chords go outside (undiatonic) of the key. As for which notes the improvisor can play over these undiatonic chords - this will covered later.
c. Determine weather a modulation in the chord progression occurs. When a chord progression modulates, it takes the existing chord progression and carries it into another key.
d. Organizing chord progressions by their numerical function within the key is especially helpful when transposing the song into another key. By transposing a chord progression, you are moving the entire song into another key.
