There is one more important point to raise before we look at examples of borrowed chords in progressions. Our ventures down the paths of playing in a way that is not exclusively diatonic, introducing new and unexpected sonic events to our music, are going to involve looking at parallel major and minor keys.
We saw earlier that E major and C# minor are relative major and minor keys to one another. They occupy matching positions on the outer and inner wheels of the Circle of Fifths and use the same set of chords, just with a different tonic, home base.
We are not looking at relative major-minor key relationships. Rather, we are going to be using parallel major-minor key relationships. The simplest way to understand this is to know that parallel major and minor keys share the same root note. The key of D major and the key of D minor, gives us an example of parallel major and minor keys. When viewed on this slimmed down Circle of Fifths, notice how the diatonic chords for each are adjacent to one another. The six main chords in the key of D minor are shown in blues, those of D major in black.
This will hold true for all parallel major and minor keys, We will have a set of six diatonic chords for the minor key with a set of six diatonic chords for the parallel major key in an adjacent, clockwise position.
As we study a variety of examples, our starting points will be diatonic chord progressions in one or other of a major or minor key. Then, we can either swap out a diatonic chord and replace it with a chord from the parallel key or we can extend the progression and simply add in more chords borrowed from the parallel key. We will see examples of this as we progress.
2 Likes
Questions, comments, discussion etc …
1 Like
Better grab a beer and pull up a chair ! Will be good to go over this again. Thx.
1 Like
Thanks Toby - I have the original discussions and links to the AVOYP that you and @DavidP and @adi_mrok created too.
2 Likes
Looking forward to the next instalment, with my handy interactive CofF app on the tablet next to the PC. I actually remembered all of that, a remarkable feat these days !
1 Like
Example 1. Progression in the key of Ab major
Yes. Just for the fun of it, let’s do this in the key of Ab major. It is time to bring out the scourge of guitar players, the dark destroyer of cowboy chordists, to flex our barre-chord muscles, to burst our sinews and wrestle with this beast.
Here is our progression in the key of Ab major.
Try playing this barre-chord muscle-max workout through a five-minute song I dare you! haha 
No.
Okay.
In that case here is a short audio sample:
1 Like
The sound of the chord movements in our Ab major progression are all familiar and safe - totally diatonic.
We will now look at the parallel minor – the key of Ab minor - and borrow a chord, stir things up, step out from the diatonic world briefly to bring a little surprise.
Here’s our reference alongside the full Circle of Fifths. It is vital to know that Ab is an enharmonic equivalent to G#. The usual presentation on the Circle of Fifths shows G#m on the inner wheel. It is therefore necessary to change the G#m to Abm. To be consistent with the key of Ab minor we must also change C#m and D#m to their enharmonic equivalent versions also.
-
Let us swap our original Db major chord with Gb major from the parallel minor key. We now have this progression in the key of Ab major.
Listen, compare and contrast:
Did you detect a difference?
Ooh yes.
Me too - I detected a difference.
A difference was detected down here in the murky world of flats.
That was different to the original, and surprising, thanks to the borrowed chord.
3 Likes
Supplementary notes.
We are in the key of Ab major. The Ab major scale is:
Ab Bb C Db Eb F G
The borrowed chord is major and it is built on the note Gb. Within the key of Ab major we do not have a Gb, rather we have G natural as the 7th scale degree. Therefore, the note Gb, when compared to the notes of the key it has been introduced to, is a flattened 7th. Gb major is a VII in its home key of Ab minor, but when used as a borrowed chord in the key of Ab major it must be described in relation to the new territory - hence it is referred to as a bVII. Borrowing a bVII is a common approach when writing a progression in a major key.
What we now have can be described as a I, V, vi, bVII progression. We have not modulated from the key of Ab at all. The Gb major chord is a temporary diversion.
Our original progression
Our borrowed chord progression
This convention of writing chord progressions with their names and by their Roman numerals – with borrowed chords taking theirs in reference to the actual key signature - will be seen through all of the examples that follow.
2 Likes
Once again, side-by-side, here are the links to mp3s of the two Ab major progressions. Listen, compare and contrast.
Plus, here are the tabs:
1 Like
With the theoretical introduction, and then a first practical application in Example 1, we have hopefully seen and learned something new, something cool, a musical strategy for playing and writing interesting and different chord progressions. It would be great to take this first idea further.
Let’s try to get creative and make our own music by building on the foundations laid here.
With guitar in hand, learn to do a quick play through of both versions of the Ab chord progressions. Hopefully you can manage the necessary barre chords.
A very useful first exercise would be to transpose the entire progression to a different key - using the Circle of Fifths to help of course.
Challenge yourself by taking this progression to new places. Try borrowing a different major chord from the key of Ab minor instead of the bVII (the Gb major chord). Try using the same bVII borrowed chord but in a different place, replacing one of the other chords in bars 2 or 3 instead of the Db in bar 4. Use your ears as you experiment. Do you like the progression more, less, not at all? Remember, if it sounds good it is good.
Further, you may be so inspired and sparked with the gift of musical invention that you feel compelled to record and share your progressions. You may even take the giant leap to use this as a springboard to start to write a song!
Alternatively, maybe this bVII business has left you unmoved, not floated your boat. We all have different ears and tastes. If this music (the Ab major progression) has lost its taste and you would like to try another flavour, worry not. There are many more examples to come in due course.
3 Likes
Questions, comments, discussion …
1 Like
Flat 7 come on what’s not to like. Lets go Mixo (well not quite)
Ab Eb Gb Db sounds cool.
2 Likes
@CT
Knowledge is power.
Use the force Clint, use the force.
1 Like
To continue with this journey into borrowed chords here is a further example.
Example 2. Progression in the key of D major
Here is the audio:
What do our ears tell us here?
Hopefully it sounds good. All very diatonic of course. Fairly standard for sure. No surprises. A little safe we might even venture to say. How can we spice it up a little, give it some teeth, make it more dangerous?
2 Likes
Let us again replace just one chord with a chord borrowed from the parallel minor key. As we have a progression in the key of D major we look to the key of D minor for our options. There are six to choose from (shown in blue).
What about substituting the F#m in bar 3 of the initial progression for a Bb major from the parallel key? That would give us a B minor going to a Bb major - a cheeky little chromatic, one-fret downwards jump in the chord progression.
What does this sound like?
Did the earth move?
Did you catch yourself unawares and gasp a little?
3 Likes
We had a I, vi, iii, V major key progression in the key of D major. It is now a I, vi, bVI, V progression. It is still in the key of D major. The borrowed chord is not a modulation, merely a temporary jump to an out-of-key chord.
Note, just as with the bVII in Example 1, this borrowed chord, within its home key of D minor is a VI chord. The 6th scale degree of the D minor scale is the note Bb and so the (major) chord built from that note must be a VI in Roman numerals. When that same chord sits within a D major progression as a borrowed chord, it must be labelled as a bVI. The 6th scale degree of D major is a B natural which we must compare and reference this borrowed chord against. Bb is a flattened 6th so Bb major is a bVI chord.
Here are the two mp3 audios again, side-by-side for easier comparison.
Also, here are the TABs for both progressions.
1 Like
As with the first example, and with all examples to come, we are looking to understand the concepts mentally and hear the differences brought by the borrowed chords in our ears.
And, beyond reading and listening, what else?
We can take this as an invitation to make music, to explore what we can do on our guitars, what this learning can add to our creativity and enjoyment.
Come on, let’s get creative - make our own music, make our own sounds, build on this progression.
First, with guitar in hand, learn to do a quick play through of both versions of the D major chord progressions. As before, a useful first exercise would be to transpose to a different key - using the Circle of Fifths to help of course.
Next, we can challenge ourselves by exploring what else can be done with this D major progression.
What does it sound like if with a Bb major chord replacing the A in bar 4 rather then the F#m in bar 3?
Can we make it sound good / better by borrowing a different chord from the parallel minor key for bar 3 instead of the Bb?
What else? Perhaps doubling from four bars to eight and using one or more of the borrowed chords that sounded good?
As before, if inspiration does strike and the creative juices flow, we could share our music in the usual way!
Enjoy
1 Like
It is time to drop in another instalment of borrowed chords goodness.
So far we have looked at major key progressions and have borrowed major chords. We will continue in major keys for now but stir things up a little. We are going to shift up a gear or two and move to the rocky side of the road.
This concept of borrowing chords is not limited to full major and / or minor chords. It can just as readily be adopted when playing a progression using power chords, and the borrowed chord(s) then get played as power chords. Power chords, having no 3rd, are neither major nor minor. But that quality is implied when played and that quality must be referenced when labeling them using the Roman numeral convention.
Example 3. An overdriven progression in the key of B major
Note: these I, IV and V chords are all major chords within the key but are being played as power chords (B5, F#5 and E5). I have chosen not to add the ‘5’ to the chord names here and in the following posts for ease of reading the chord charts.
Let’s give it a listen.
Get ready to rock.
Mmh.
It kind of rocks.
But it is somewhat drab.
It starts on the tonic chord B, goes to the V chord then the IV and returns to the tonic chord B.
B is the tonic … b … b … b … but …
B is for Bland.
There must be more than this.
1 Like
