Minor Chord Progressions

[thecorp]

Hey guys,

I'm new to music theory and chord progressions. I have an understanding of them as far as major scales/chords go, but I am a little confused with minor scales and chord progressions.

There are common chord progressions and chord progression charts for the major scale. A common one for example is: I IV V. But lets say I want to play a chord progression for an a minor scale. Do I do the same chord progressions listed for the major scale but play the I IV and V chords based on the notes in those respective places in the a minor scale? Or do minor and major scales have different common chord progressions and are played differently?

Sorry if I worded it bad, I'm relatively new to this topic

 

[bandcoach]

Hey guys,

I'm new to music theory and chord progressions. I have an understanding of them as far as major scales/chords go, but I am a little confused with minor scales and chord progressions.

There are common chord progressions and chord progression charts for the major scale. A common one for example is: I IV V. But lets say I want to play a chord progression for an a minor scale. Do I do the same chord progressions listed for the major scale but play the I IV and V chords based on the notes in those respective places in the a minor scale? Or do minor and major scales have different common chord progressions and are played differently?

Sorry if I worded it bad, I'm relatively new to this topic

Wording is just fine as far as I am concerned.

And the answer to your questions are yes and yes and yes.

Do I do the same chord progressions listed for the major scale but play the I IV and V chords based on the notes in those respective places in the a minor scale?

Yes: in the

• natural minor these chords would be i iv v (all minor chords)
• harmonic minor these chords would be i iv V (V is now a major chord)
• melodic minor (aka jazz minor if used for harmony) these chords would be i IV V (IV is now major as well)

Or do minor and major scales have different common chord progressions

Yes, there are different common progressions, but this does not mean you can't adapt them to being used in the other tonality

Band Coach ~ Common Chord Progressions: Major
Band Coach ~ Common Chord Progressions: Minor

and are played differently?

Yes, but more because of the comparative differences to be found in each of the three version of the minor scale

1. natural minor: 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7 8 ~ e.g. A B C D E F G A
   • i ~ ACE
   • iib5 ~ BDF
   • III ~ CEG
   • iv ~ DFA
   • v ~ EGB
   • bVI ~ FAC
   • bVII ~ GBD
2. harmonic minor: 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 7 8 ~ e.g. A B C D E F G# A
   • i ~ ACE
   • iib5 ~ BDF
   • III#5 ~ CEG#
   • iv ~ DFA
   • V ~ EG#B
   • bVI ~ FAC
   • viib5 ~ G#BD
3. melodic/jazz minor: 1 2 b3 4 5 6 7 8 ~ e.g. A B C D E F# G# A
   • i ~ ACE
   • ii ~ BDF#
   • III#5 ~ CEG#
   • IV ~ DF#A
   • V ~ EG#B
   • vib5 ~ F#AC
   • viib5 ~ G#BD

 

[thecorp]

Thanks!

wow... thank you so much i completely understand now

---------- Post added at 10:24 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:03 PM ----------

Sorry, I'm a little confused again once I looked at the link you gave for the minor chord progressions.

Lets use the first example of a common chord progression I bVI bVII I

So using the method you told me I would play the chords like this: Aminor Fminor Gminor Aminor

And just to make sure, these chords are played by playing the key note, followed by the notes 3 and 7 half-steps after the note
(notes 1, 2, and 4 on the natural minor scale)

But on the chart you have a flat sign next to VI and VII and according to the reference we should:

"drop the chord, including all notes in the chord type, down 1 black/white key or 1 fret or 1 semitone"

Does that mean every note in the chord we play? or only the notes in the chord type (i.e. the note 3 half-steps away from the first note which distinguished it from being a major chord)

And whether we drop that one note or all the notes in the chord, I still don't see how we get to the chord progression given in the example at the bottom of the page which says it should play:

A minor
F
G
A minor
A-C-E
F-A-C
G-B-D
A-C-E


Can you please clear this up? Thanks for the help

 

[bandcoach]

wow... thank you so much i completely understand now

---------- Post added at 10:24 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:03 PM ----------

Sorry, I'm a little confused again once I looked at the link you gave for the minor chord progressions.

Lets use the first example of a common chord progression I bVI bVII I

Um, no that is i bVI bVII i

So using the method you told me I would play the chords like this: Aminor Fminor Gminor Aminor

and no, that would be Aminor F G Aminor - This is a typical modal minor progression

And just to make sure, these chords are played by playing the key note, followed by the notes 3 and 7 half-steps after the note
(notes 1, 2, and 4 on the natural minor scale)

Almost - notes 1b35 => 1st note 3rd note 5th note => 3 semitones and 7 semitones above the key note.

But on the chart you have a flat sign next to VI and VII and according to the reference we should:

"drop the chord, including all notes in the chord type, down 1 black/white key or 1 fret or 1 semitone"

Does that mean every note in the chord we play? or only the notes in the chord type (i.e. the note 3 half-steps away from the first note which distinguished it from being a major chord)

OK, I see the confusion and can lead you back.

The numbering system is based on everything being part of a major scale (long story, but it is the case extensively in Jazz, so we use it and don't gripe):

• 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 is a Major scale
• 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7 8 is the Natural Minor scale ~ we have flattened those notes which are needed to make the Natural minor scale from the similar Major scale
• 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 7 8 is the Harmonic Minor scale ~ we have flattened those notes which are needed to make the Harmonic minor scale from the similar Major scale
• 1 2 b3 4 5 6 7 8 is the Melodic Minor scale ~ we have flattened those notes which are needed to make the Melodic minor scale from the similar Major scale

So when we move to the chord part of the numbering system some things are signalled by case (Major vs minor chord type) and some things are signalled by putting a flat in front of affected chords or adding altered tones (#5, b5, etc) after affected chords

And whether we drop that one note or all the notes in the chord, I still don't see how we get to the chord progression given in the example at the bottom of the page which says it should play:

A minor
F
G
A minor
A-C-E
F-A-C
G-B-D
A-C-E


Can you please clear this up? Thanks for the help

So writing out the natural minor scale we get:

as you will note above, I made an error of omission in my original post (more because I hardly ever think of chord III as being based on a flattened note) but otherwise it is essentially the same information.

In the main you have taken my advice too literally; the minor chord progression examples do not need any further alteration, whereas the major chord progression examples can be cast as minor chord progressions by altering the nature of certain chords by using altered notes to make them major or minor as needed.

 

[thecorp]

Okay i think i'm getting it but im confused on a few points:

Um, no that is i bVI bVII i

first of all, just to clear up, the flat notes just mean relative to the major scale, but in the minor scale you don't need to indicate that it is a flat, correct?

what is the difference between i bVI bVII i and I bVI bVII i?
does the lower case mean minor and capitals mean major?


and lets just say for example you wanted to play in the major scale I VI VII I
that would read:

a major f#major g# major

is this correct?


thanks for your help

A

 

[bandcoach]

Okay i think i'm getting it but im confused on a few points:

Um, no that is i bVI bVII i

first of all, just to clear up, the flat notes just mean relative to the major scale, but in the minor scale you don't need to indicate that it is a flat, correct?

We use the flat to remind us that the notes are a semitone lower than they would be in the major scale of the same name

what is the difference between i bVI bVII i and I bVI bVII i?
does the lower case mean minor and capitals mean major?

Lower case = minor or precursor diminished e.g. i is minor, iib5 is diminished triad, ii7b5 is half-diminished 7th or minor7b5 and iio is diminished 7th chord
Upper case = major or augmented precursor or altered 7th precursor e.g. bVI is major, III#5 is augmented triad, III7#5 is augmented 7th, III7b5 is 7b5 (alt7)

The numbering system is based on everything being part of a major scale (long story, but it is the case extensively in Jazz, so we use it and don't gripe).

and lets just say for example you wanted to play in the major scale I VI VII I
that would read:

a major f#major g# major

is this correct?

Yes, however you would more likely see

I bVI bVII I

A major F major G Major A major