Music Theory Live Class #I

[judi]

Thanks for your feedback, Richard. I did indeed notice the verse like it didn’t touch ground (almost like a bird riding air currents) and was wondering what your response would be. I stuck with it because that’s how I was feeling that day - lots of thoughts rolling around my head, not finding a resting place. Enter the chorus: my realization that sometimes things will feel like that; I can change my focus, redirect energy to something that can resolve. Is that an appropriate approach - to creating music, I mean?

[CarlosVL]

Hello Justin & Richard and Team,

Unfortunately, I couldn’t see first session on live, anyway I’ve seen recorded, this was very cool and useful, under my opinion this is a great idea.
I am exciting to be on board for next live session tomorrow. I know maybe it’s to late I send you first Challenge Homework: Verse & Chorus progressions.

Key of G:
Verse: I III IV V
G Bm C D x2

Chorus: I III VI III
C Bm Em* Bm* x2

Em* and Bm* chorus barre under 7th fret. I don’t know it sounds better for me. I’ve tried to upload an mp.3 file but maybe it’s not possible…

See you tomorrow,
Carlos

[brianlarsen]

@Richard_close2u

All the chords are diatonic to the key of C apart from your borrowed Fm but…

Belated response to your analysis, Richard-
You’re bonkers!
Going through everyone’s homework is admirable but not necessary, esp. during your current upheavals.
You’re obviously correct, but the only reason I shared it was because Justin had been talking about the the Beatles’ ‘trick’ of playing the iv after the IV, which is what I had accidentally stumbled upon at the end of this bridge.
As they say in Germany: “Even a blind hen finds the occasional corn”

[emerson909]

Here is my progression in key of C

Verse

C Csus4 l % l Am Asus4 l % l Dm Dsus4 l % l G Gsus4 l G G7

Chorus

Am l Em l Am l Em l Fmaj7 l G G7

https://soundcloud.com/emerson909/practical-theory-live-chord-prog?si=7c5fb8395be0443fa6e14305aac0b5aa&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

[dberget]

Song 1
Verse
Am F D7 G Am F C G x2
Chorus
F C G G F C G E7

Song 2
Verse
A D E A A D E A
Chorus
F#m D E A F#m D A E

I really liked the Theory. There was good information. I think I got most of it.
Funny thing about music and music theory is that it’s so big, “the more you learn the less you know” because it just keeps going and going. That’s OK, I’m enjoying the journey.
Keep up the Super Fantastic Work Justin and Justin’s team!

[Richard_close2u]

@brianlarsen

You’re obviously correct, but the only reason I shared it was because Justin had been talking about the the Beatles’ ‘trick’ of playing the iv after the IV, which is what I had accidentally stumbled upon at the end of this bridge.

Remember this Brian?

Using borrowed chords - introduction + examples

So we progress and arrive at a sixth example. This one is yet another major key progression but, as just alluded to, this example will go on and borrow one of the three minor chords from the parallel minor key. Example 6 A progression in the key of C major. [borrowed 18] Are you ready? Give this a spin. It’s a bouncy little ditty, for sure. Give it some drums and bass and a decent mix and it could get any number of people up out of their seats and dancing. But … it screams at me, demand…

Using borrowed chords - introduction + examples

We look next door at the parallel key of C minor. [Screenshot_130] There are two consecutive bars of F major (the IV) leading back to the tonic chord C major. This next trick has been done a million and one times so why don’t we do it too? We swap the second F major in bar four for a borrowed F minor. Note that the two chords together, F then Fm, are labeled IV then iv. [borrowed 19] Give this one a listen. As soon as you hear it (the minor iv) you’ll know it. Here: There it is. Just…

[VJ71]

I love these online sessions, thank you!!! My attempt to a chord progression:

[Verse]
(Push changes within each bar)
| C#m A | Bm C#m | C#m A | Bm A |
| C#m A | Bm C#m | C#m A | Bm A |

[Chorus]
|Bm | Asus4| Bm | Esus4 |
|Bm | Asus4| Bm | A let ring 2, 3, 4|

[spacey]

Hi. Here are my chord progressions requested in LIVE PMT1.

Some amazing compositions so far.

I have taken the Led Zeppelin approach, ie it won’t/ can’t be totally original, as nothing can be.

Verse:
C Am C G x 4

Chorus
F Am x3
G

It won’t be number 1 but hey it’s only session 1. I think we’re going to build on this each week, so keeping it simple. I don’t think we’re supposed to be writing Bohemian Rhapsody yet, although everyone is getting/ learning different things out of this (which I love and think is great).

[Timobkg]

I’m grateful for both the homework and the reminder, because I missed the first video and had forgotten to watch it after it was posted and the homework made sure that I made time to actually do so.

Here’s my chord progression in Am (I think, not sure what’s going on in the Chorus):

Verse
Am | D | Am | G
Am | D | F | E

Chorus
Am | Em | Am | Em
Am | Em | F | E

[brianlarsen]

@Richard_close2u

Remember this Brian?

Elephant!
I hadn’t noticed at the time that it was specifically the IV chord that often gets substituted.
Mind you, I still don’t recognise the tune, and although not a fab-four-fanatic, I thought I’d get most of their popular hits. Sigh…
I must go and revisit that whole topic again though, esp. if I’m ever going to write a tune for a song instead of just nicking others’

[Nancy15]

Homework completed hopefully correct

Key of G major
Verse
I V vi IV I V I (G, D, Em, C, G ,D ,G)
I V vi IV I V I (same as above)

Chorus
ii vi ii vi ii IV V (Am, Em, Am, Em, Am, C, D then back to verse)

[EvanH]

Happy to be here, enjoying the class. Keeping my progressions simple. Here they are:
Verse - Key of Amin
Am | F | C | G

Chorus - Key of Cmaj
C| Am | Dm| G

[joelgray]

Enjoying the classes so far, looking forward to the next. Here’s my progression. It’s one I’ve been working on for about a month.

Key: G (A Mixolydian maybe???)
Verse: (first D comes on beat 2 of the bar)
A | A | A D | D | G | G
Chorus:
Bm | G | Bm | G | B5 | D5 | E5 | E5 x3 (rest)

[Falcn]

Here are my progressions key of C:

Verse progression:
Am(vi) | Gmaj/B(V) | Am7(vi) | Em/G(iii) | Fmaj(IV) | Gmaj(V) | Em/G(iii) | Gmaj(V)

Chorus progression:
Cmaj(I) | Fmaj(IV) | Amin(vi) | Gmaj(V)

[schmotown]

Progression in Bb…

Verse:
BbM7 | Dm7 | Gm7 | F7

Chorus:
Eb9 | Bb7 | Eb9 | F7

[JC69]

Progression
Key D Major

Verse : |D |G|Em|A|
|D|G|Em|A7|

Chorus |C|Bm|Em Am|Bm|C|Bm|C|D|D
Used the bVII as it sounded good

[neilattard]

New here - just starting out on the PMT and guitar courses after a very long hiatus.

Here are my very simple verse and chorus:

Verse |C—|G—|D—|C—|C—|G—|D—|D—|
Chorus |G—|D-C-|G—|D-C-|G—|D-C-|D—|D—|

[DenisG]

Verse : C - Em7 - Fmaj7 - Em7 - Dm7 - Cmaj7 - E7 - Am
Chorus : Am7 - G - Am7 - G - Fmaj7 - E7 - F - F

[Quadzilla]

Thank you for the link. I thought this was only used for comments. My bad but I will upload homework soon.

[leowilliams]

First time posting here!

So, the chord progression I have tried is as follows:

Intro: Picking through G C G D (1 4 5)
Verse: G D Em7 Cadd9 (1 5 6 4)
Chorus: Bm Em Am D (3 6 2 5)

So everything in the key of G major. I added melodies for the verses and choruses but haven’t quite got round to analysing how the notes relate to the chords as of yet! Also not quite sure if we can / should upload our progressions here?!

Cheers