CHORD PROGRESSIONS What are they and how will they help you?

Chord Progression v Harmonic Progression Any two or more chords heard in succession can be called a harmonic progression Successions of chords that have become a regular, standard part of our harmonic vocabulary can be called chord progressions

How can chord progressions help? By knowing them you can: Choose chords to harmonise chorales Understand baroque counterpoint Choose chords for middle eights (of 32 bar pop songs) Compose and analyse music Understand your performance pieces better

Functional Harmony Chord progressions within functional harmony serves a purpose - usually to establish and maintain a key

3 main groups of chords Tonic Group: I (sometimes VI). Chord I has the tonic in its root and is normally the only chord considered stable enough for a whole piece to end on. Dominant Group: V, V7 & VII (normally used as VIIb). All 3 chords contain note 7; the leading note – so called as it wants to lead back/rise up to the upper tonic and tonic group of chords. Subdominant Group: IV, II & II7. Again these chords have a close relationship with each other.

Chords I and V Chords I & V (or V7) are the two chords best able to establish and maintain key, and much music (particularly C18th) makes extensive use of them. Composers often move from I to V7 (and their inversions) and back again. Think of these chords as ‘Home & Away’ – I invites a journey away & V signals a need to return home. The progression V-I is the strongest of all progressions. It forms a perfect cadence and is the most widely used type of cadence in functional harmony.

Approaching a Perfect Cadence Many phrases that end with a perfect cadence use the following progression: A chord from the subdominant group A chord from the dominant group (usually V or V7) Chord I from the tonic group.

Your turn! Complete the activity on your desk labelled ‘Christmas!’

The Cadential 6/4 A perfect cadence can also be approached from a chord Ic. This is a common approach. It is similar to a chord V as it shares the same bass note. It is often used as an approach chord in between the subdominant group and the actual perfect cadence e.g IV-Ic-V7-I When the progression produces intervals of a 6 th falling to a 5 th, and a 4 th falling to a 3 rd it is known as a 6/4 – 5/3 movement and is the essence of the IC-V progression. When Ic is used in this cadential progression it is often called the cadential 6/4.

Your Turn! Complete the exercises titled ‘Cadential 6/4’

Interrupted Cadences Interrupted cadences are sometimes used as a delaying tactic. To create an interrupted cadence you can replace chord I in a perfect cadence with any other chord. Chord VI is the most common chord to use, but any chord that creates an effective surprise is possible. In a minor key, chord VI is major which makes the effect more arresting. Chord VI cannot replace I at the start or end of a piece as it does not help to establish the key.

Listen & Play! Play the example & follow the instructions to create different effects.

Imperfect Cadences An imperfect cadence is formed by ending the phrase on a chord V. It is commonly approached from a chord I, but other progressions may be II-V, IIb-V & II7b-V. I-V does not have to restrict itself to cadences and can be used almost anywhere. Chord V in an imperfect cadence is often preceded by a cadential 6/4, particularly in music from the classical period.

Plagal Cadences A plagal cadence is formed by using chords IV-I. It is sometimes referred to as the ‘amen’ cadence as it was common to sing ‘amen’ to this cadence years ago in church hymns. IV is widely used before & after chord I A plagal cadence can end a section or piece because its final chord is I, but it is used far less frequently than a perfect cadence (it has a weaker effect).

SUMMARY Perfect & Imperfect cadences are the most frequently used. PERFECT:V(7)-I IMPERFECT:any chord–V (often IIb(7)–V INTERRUPTED:V(7)–any chord except I (often V(7)–VI) PLAGAL:IV-I