Guitar Chord Progressions and Secondary Dominant Major 2 Chord

"Why do some guitar chord progressions have a major second chord when it should be minor? What is a secondary dominant?"

If you know anything about guitar music theory you know that building chords from the major scale produces the following chord sequence:

1. I major
2. ii minor
3. iii minor
4. IV major
5. V major
6. vi minor
7. vii minor (flat five)

But songs with major two chords are fairly common on guitar. The songs listed below are just a few examples:

"That'll Be The Day" Buddy Holly - Key of A but includes a B major 2 chord.
"Hey Good Looking" Hank Williams - Key of C but includes a D major 2 chord.
"Patience" Guns and Roses - Key of G (gtr. tuned down 1/2 step to Eb) but includes an A major 2 chord.
"Out of My Head" Fastball - Key of E but includes an F# major 2 chord.

A major 2 chord is actually a key change and stems from the music theory behind a functioning dominant seven chord. A dominant seven chord (which can be referred to as simply 7) is a major chord with a flat seven interval. This occurs naturally on the fifth scale degree in a major scale. The dominant seven 5 chord has a bit of tension that leads to and resolves on 1 (the 'tonic' in a major scale). For example, in the key of G a D7 chord leads to and resolves on G. D is said to be the 'dominant' of G major. In fact, D can lead to G whether or not the guitar chord actually has the seventh interval in it.

"Hey Good Looking" by Hank Williams is in the key of C and normally has a D minor chord, but the song uses a D major instead which creates a strong pull to G. When playing this song on guitar you're in the key of C but you're borrowing the dominant from the key of G in order to produce the dominant pull to and resolution on G. Get it? This is said to be a 'secondary dominant' chord and is a composition technique that can be used in any key. So the song examples I used can be explained like this:

"That'll Be The Day" B major is the dominant of and leads to E.
"Hey Good Looking" D major is the dominant of and leads to G.
"Patience" A major is the dominant of and leads to D.
"Out of My Head" F# major is the dominant of and leads to B.

You can create secondary dominant movement for any chord in a key. Just remember that it's a type of key change so the scale you play over it with should follow. This is important when learning music theory for guitar.

Changing Guitar Modes Over Chord Progressions

"If I'm running through a chord progression of Am, F, Dm, G chords (as in Mr Jones by Counting Crowes) and noodling around with the C Major scale am I technically only playing the Aeolian Mode when the chord underneath me is Am? What if the chord progression hangs for a long while on the F; does it become a Lydian mode (4th scale degree of C)? Or does it solely depend on what chord functions as the root?"

The modal concept follows the root chord in a progression, but sometimes the root chord can change. In the verse to "Mr. Jones" the A minor chord is definitely functioning as the root. This creates the A Aeolian mode (or natural minor scale) sound. But during the chorus, the chord progression shifts and revolves around the C major chord. This produces C Ionian (or major scale). You can definitely hear the difference as the song clearly becomes brighter when the chorus hits.

If the song included a section that held the F chord long enough, then yes this would produce a Lydian sound.

Click here for more information about guitar modes and guitar theory.

Play Until Yer Fingers Bleed!
Mr. Desi Serna (Google me!)
http://www.Guitar-Music-Theory.com
Pentatonic/CAGED/Progressions/Modes

All Dominant 7th Chord Progressions "Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out"

The music for "Nobody Knows You When Your Down and Out" by Eric Clapton is written in the key of C but most of the chords are played as major and/or dominant sevens.

C E A Dm A7 Dm F F#dim7 C/G A7 D7 G7 C

Please help me understand how that fits into the basic harmonized major scale, I ii iii IV V vi vii.

This song is based on an advanced concept that stems from the chord progression number system I teach in my guitar theory method. Just be sure to master the basic concepts before venturing into advanced areas like this. Music theory is a process, you know.

Jazz players like to play over dominant seven chords. Now, there's only one seventh chord in a key (see Fretboard Theory chapter 10). But, who says you can't change keys and play over the V7 chord each time? Well, which keys go good together? What if you take the intervals from the major scale and play each of them as a dominant seven chord? The key of C would become:

C7 D7 E7 F7 G7 A7 B7
1 2 3 4 5 6 7

So this chord sequence is actually a series of key changes. Each seventh chord is a V chord from a different key. But we used the C major scale structure as a guide to determine which keys to combine. If you want to solo over these chords, you'll have to switch the parent major scale for every chord. Yikes, that's a lot to keep track of! But jazz players love it.

Progressions in this new sequence are the same as the diatonic scale but now everything is a 7th chord. For example:

I IV V
I7 IV7 V7 (Most blues songs are based on this.)

I vi ii V
I7 VI7 II7 V7 (A foundational jazz progression.)

You can hop around however you want. You can even switch back and forth between 7th chords and the diatonic chords (I ii ii, etc.).

The F#diminished chord is basically an F7 chord with the root raised. This chromatic passing tone bridges the gap between the F7's root and the C7's fifth (hence the C7/G).

Play Until Yer Fingers Bleed!
Desi Serna (Google me!)
http://www.Guitar-Music-Theory.com
Scales, Chords, Progressions, and More

What Is Guitar Theory? Applying Music Theory to the Guitar Fretboard.

This guitar blog post will answer the following questions:

1. What is guitar theory?
2. Why do guitar players have to learn theory and what are the benefits?
3. What does guitar theory include and where should a player start?

Theory is the study of music - how it's written, notated, discussed, thought of and played. Guitar theory is the study of how music theory specifically applies to the guitar fretboard and usually focuses on how all the different components of songs, such as scales, chords and progressions, fit together. It's a topic best suited for intermediate and advanced guitar players who already know the basics of playing such as chords and easy songs and want to take their knowledge to the next level and navigate the fretboard like the pros. These things are required if you want to be able to improvise, compose, or just understand the music you play better.

The Benefits of Guitar Theory
Many players who don't understand the inter-workings of music are limited in their ability to apply what they know. For example, a student might learn a new scale pattern from a scale book or a new chord shape from a chord chart but have no idea where it fits into songs. Without knowledge of how something functions it's pretty much useless.

What Does Guitar Theory Do?
Guitar theory will explain what musical elements are and what they do. For example, a new chord shape might be seen as an extension of a common barre chord. Wherever this common barre chord is played the new shape can be substituted for a new sound. A scale pattern might fit together with a specific chord progression. Each time this progression is used the scale tones can add melody and harmony. In music, knowing how the pieces fit together makes all the difference.

Where to Start Learning Theory?
Music can be approached and studied from many different angels. Guitar players can study notation, technique, rhythms, scales, chord construction and so on. While all musical topics are interesting and have their benefits - mapping out scales, chords and progressions on the fretboard is what ultimately has to be done. If you're interested in developing this type of working knowledge of guitar music theory, then follow the outline below.

1. Guitar Scales

99% of guitar scale work in popular music is based on either pentatonic or major scale patterns. Focus on learning and memorizing these patterns. The pentatonic scale patterns are simpler and easier to apply, so they make a perfect place to start. Below is a fretboard diagram which illustrates the first and most commonly used pentatonic scale pattern. The notation example that follows shows you how to play the notes in order by pitch ascending and descending.





2. Guitar Chords

There are literally thousands of different types of chord shapes that can be played on the fretboard but most of them can be traced back to just 5 common open forms. These forms are C, A, G, E, and D. Together they make up what's called the guitar CAGED chord system, which includes arpeggio patterns, inversions, fingerings and voicings. In the fretboard diagrams below you can see how the open C form can be moved up, played as a barre chord, and then reduced to more practical forms. These chord shapes occur all the time in popular music.





3. Guitar Chord Progressions

Understanding guitar chord progressions and playing by numbers will help you chart and learn songs better. You'll also better understand the construction of the songs you play and remember more. Chord progressions are also foundational to many other music theory topics including applying scales and playing scale modes.

Progressions stem from major scale patterns. Learn how to build triads and chords using the major scale. When you do this, a major/minor number sequence emerges that is quite possibly the most important foundational concept in all of music. Have you ever heard someone refer to a song by numbers such as 1, 4, 5? The system is all based on major scale degrees.

Conclusion
Hopefully now you have an idea of what guitar theory is, why it's so beneficial to learn, what it includes and how to get started. With music theory each concept builds on the one before it. Learn things in the right order and everything will fit into place both mentally and physically on the fretboard. Be sure to take your time and allow yourself to fully absorb and apply each subject (this should include learning lots of actual song examples). As you go, light bulbs will turn on in your head and you'll surely achieve more success and experience more enjoyment as a musician.


Play Until Yer Fingers Bleed!
Mr. Desi Serna (Google me!)
http://www.Guitar-Music-Theory.com
Pentatonic/CAGED/Progressions/Modes

The Theory Behind Guitar Chord Progressions and Playing By Numbers

Understanding chord progressions is essential to learning guitar music theory and becoming a good player. Recognizing chord movement and playing by numbers can help you to:

• Chart, learn and remember songs better
• Apply scales correctly
• Play by ear
• Compose and improvise your own music
• Understand guitar theory and apply it to the fretboard

Major Scale Triads
If you're already familiar with major scale patterns and basic guitar theory, then you can begin to understand guitar chord progressions. The major scale has seven notes and each one can be played as a chord. To build guitar chords, each note is combined with notes three and five degrees ahead in the scale. For this reason, these intervals are called root, third and fifth (or 1 3 5). Combined, the three chord tones are called a "triad".

Root, Third and Fifth Intervals (1 3rd 5th)
When you apply this chord building concept to an entire major scale not all chords end up the same. For example, some chords have major thirds (two whole-steps or four frets above the root) while others have minor thirds (one and a half-steps or three frets above the root). This occurs because the distance between major scale tones varies (some notes are a whole-step apart while others are a half-step apart). Coincidentally, the fifth intervals are all the same with the only exception being the chord built on the very last scale tone.

Nashville Number System
This order of major and minor creates the following chord sequence: 1. major 2. minor 3. minor 4. major 5. major 6. minor 7. minor (flat 5). Sometimes referred to as the "Nashville Number System," this sequence is the foundation of music theory and is often represented by Roman numerals. Major chords are written in upper case and minor chords are written in lower case as follows: I ii iii IV V vi vii

Keys and Chord Patterns
Different keys have different chords built from different notes determined by different key signatures (sharps and flats). What makes the chord number system so useful, and a must for any serious guitar theory student, is that it remains the same regardless of key. For example, the first three chords in G major are G, Am and Bm, the first three chords in A major are A, Bm and C#m, the first three chords in C major are C, Dm and Em, but in all keys the first chord is major, the second is minor and so is the third. The number system can be visualized on the guitar as a chord pattern so that you don't have to be concerned with key signatures and notes. Move this pattern around the neck and you'll instantly be able to see all the chords for each key. Guitar players have a music theory advantage because of this ability to shift patterns on the fret board.

Learn New Songs
Playing chord progressions and playing by numbers go hand in hand and the concept is easier on the guitar than most other instruments. You just have to know the right way to map things out on the guitar neck. You'll be surprised to realize that many songs that appear to be quite different because of their position on the neck and chords used, are actually the same progression in terms of numbers and theory. No more cluttering your mind with endless amounts of chord information because you'll be able to recognize simplify things with numbers. Can you imagine how much quicker you'll be able to learn and remember new songs?

Learn and Understand Guitar Music Theory
Charting chord progressions has more benefits than just playing songs. Progressions play a role in understanding guitar music theory including applying pentatonic and major scale patterns correctly, identifying modes and modal scales, using intervals and adding chord extensions.

Play By Ear
How do some players know what's coming next the first time through a song? Easy, knowing where to look is half the battle! When you can see clearly all the chords of a key, it's easier to guess the change or even anticipate the movement before it happens. Since many songs are based on typical progressions, you'll become very familiar with common changes. You've probably heard musicians calling out numbers on the bandstand, right? Now you can know what they mean and experience the benefits of the system for yourself. Not to mention, you can sit around and talk theory with real musicians without feeling like an idiot.

Improvise Compose Your Own Music
Establishing keys, determining chord movement, applying scales and playing by ear are all necessary for jamming and song-writing. Don't leave spontaneity to chance, work out the technical details first and then you'll improvise and compose much better.

Play Until Yer Fingers Bleed!
Mr. Desi Serna (Google me!)
http://www.Guitar-Music-Theory.com
Scales, Chords, Progressions, Modes and More

Guitar Theory Includes Scales, Chords, Progressions and More.

Guitar Chords
Consider your favorite song. It probably has guitar chords in it. Where do the chords come from? How are they built? What is the chord progression, that is, what are all the chords used, how are the chords combined and in what order? Why can the chords be combined in this manner?

Guitar Scales
Does your favorite song include a melody, guitar riff, lead guitar solo or bass line? Parts like these are derived from guitar scales. How are scales made? How are scales played on the fretboard? Which guitar scale does your song use? Why does the scale work over the chords and chord progression?

Guitar Keys and Chord Progressions
Do you think these questions are relevant? If you had to learn a song would it help you to understand how it was put together? How would knowing a song's key, chord progression and scales used effect how quickly you learned it? Would having a complete grasp of a song's inter-workings help you remember it better? Have you ever tried composing your own guitar music? When you know exactly how scales, chords and progressions are combined to make music, what will you do with this newfound knowledge?

Guitar Theory
As you can see, there are many benefits to learning the details of music and how they specifically apply to the guitar fretboard. Aside from being interesting, guitar theory can really open up your playing and greatly impact your rate of development. You'll pick up on new songs faster, retain more of what you learn, jam, improvise and compose your own music.