We do what we do.
We look at the parallel minor key, A minor in this instance.
We eye up the goods displayed in the shop window then we smash and grab.
Let’s take a peek, see what might be in store.
First, let’s remove the C#m in bar 6 and replace it with a C major – which will be notated as bIII.
Then, in bar 7, we will employ the minor iv trick again. This time it fits in and functions slightly differently to Example 6. Notably it does not follow the diatonic major IV so we do not get the major-to-minor that is so common with the minor iv. Also, it does not lead directly back to the tonic chord. Instead, it simply replaces the Bm chord at bar 7 and it pushes us back up to the dominant E major chord. This gives a strong resolution to finish the overall progression with.
The whole progression remains pleasingly sweet and mellow, though is now subtly altered.
Notice how that descending bass line formed in the root notes has been shifted with a significant impact.
Instead of starting on the F# and falling, falling, falling to ever lower notes, once the sequence reaches C# it bounces back up, giving a little energy and vitality to lead upwards again to the E chord that resolves to the tonic.
We had 5 descending chords before the dominant:
F# - E - D - C# - B - E
We now have 4 descending chords that do a 180 degrees turn to climb back up to the dominant:
F# - E - D - C# - D - E
This is spooky, when I watched the insightful Amy Shafer yesterday ended up taking another spur which popped up.
He’s talking about music STUFF using a Lennon and McCartney song. Fascinating. I’ll post a link if that’s okay to post in here . Good video and well worth watching. But as I said, it’s a little gibberish ATM.
In Penny Lane there are examples of borrowed chords - though not the minor iv just seen in this example. Along with that, the big deal of that song is the constant and brilliant modulation - changing keys - between verse and chorus throughout. And the chord choices
that enable it. Don’t worry if you don’t quite understand the entire breakdown and analysis. It does remind me that some months ago I had mapped out a new topic on secondary dominant chords and modulation that I didn’t get round to writing. One for the future I hope.
So far we have only looked at and heard progressions where the original diatonic progressions were altered by substituting one or more diatonic chords for borrowed chords.
Of course, there is no necessity whatever to think that the starting point needs to be a diatonic progression. Borrowing chords is not simply about replacing a diatonic chord with a non-diatonic chord from the parallel minor key. Borrowed chords can be used in a progression from the outset, deliberately chosen to be there, not simply seen as add-ons.
The fact that borrowed chords can slot in and sit alongside diatonic chords means we have an expanded palette to call upon when composing chord progressions. We can consider that instead of just six main diatonic chords (again excluding diminished for our purpose here) we have twelve chords. From the parallel minor key we gain an additional three major and three minor chords to use as we wish. The only caveat is that the borrowed chords need to be short moments of fleeting otherness that act as diversions from the diatonic sound. There are some borrowed chords that get used much more frequently than others. That is not to say all cannot or will not work. Context is king. Plus, if it sounds good it is good.
Now that we are all more comfortable and familiar with this whole notion of borrowing chords, we can hopefully move away from only replacing chords originally found in a diatonic progression and step-up to the challenge of composing progressions that contain borrowed chords from the outset.
Example 8. A progression in the key of F major in 6/8.
We are presented here with an extension to the notion under which borrowed chords are being used and a quiz element too.
First, we need to listen to the progression.
Challenge 1.
Can you detect the borrowed chord(s) just by listening?
Can you hear when it / they occur in the progression?
For bonus points and kudos, can you figure out what the borrowed chord(s) is / are?
That will likely require guitar in hand and some ear work to know the actual progression.
Do you think you heard where something unexpected, something out-of-key took your ear?
If yes, where was it?
How would you describe the ‘shift’ that happened?
Let’s find out and understand what is going on.
How was that?
A fairly simple, routine exercise now that a greater depth of understanding has been gained?
Was it a mental workout or did you pick up your guitar and try to play along, to work out the chords by ear?
Once again, here is the full range of files for this example. There is only one of each as we started out using borrowed chords, we did not create a diatonic progression and then substitute / swap.
Wait a moment – we may be thinking to ourselves. That is all well and good. But everything we have seen has been built around major key progressions borrowing a chord (or two) from a parallel minor key. What if the actual progressions itself is in a minor key? After all – some of us are drawn to the minor key like galactic matter is drawn to a black hole.
Well.
It’s simples.
If a progression is in a minor key, chords can be borrowed from the parallel major key. On the Circle of Fifths, rather than looking anticlockwise for an adjacent cluster of six chords, we look clockwise and find the root note of the parallel major on the outer wheel.
One small note.
In general, it is generally commented that placing borrowed chords in to a minor key is perhaps a bit less common than the other way round. And of the six (seven if we do include diminished) potential chords to borrow from a parallel major, there are some which do get used more often.
In the first we will again revert to the technique of starting with a diatonic progression and replacing one or more chords with something borrowed. This will use the time-honoured device of borrowing a major V from a parallel major key to provide a strong resolution to the tonic.
This is very, very, very, very, very common in minor key progressions.
Very, very, very common.
So common that it barely stands out as something that is actually non-diatonic.
Then, later on, a further example, will be a progression written from the outset with borrowed chords within its fundamental structure. One in which we are introduced to a concept with its own name. We meet a resolution with a Picardy third.
Sounds nice - can’t wait!
Keeping it simple, we will use the F# major, playing it as a dominant 7th (F#7).
Just one borrowed one, one difference. Let’s hear how it changes things.
Do you feel that propulsion from the V7 chord back to the tonic i chord both in starting the next round of the progression and in ending the overall progression?
We round off our batch of examples with another progression in a minor key.
This time, as with example 8, we have a progression that is built from the ground up to include borrowed chords. This is no diatonic progression followed by some swapping around. This has been composed by considering the whole palette of chords from the minor key itself and those from the parallel major key.
The ambiguous nature of sus4 chords means that even it could be thought of as borrowed given that it leads directly to one that is borrowed.
But, it is ambiguous, not major nor minor, so it is considered as diatonic here.
If we took the alternative view and viewed the sus chord as an alteration of the E major, therefore borrwed, we would write the chord progression like this:
Whichever way it is viewed … holy macaroni. That’s a lot of borrowed chords.
Crikey.
Were you expecting that much seasoning in your soup?
And … wait a moment … what on earth is the story with that E major chord. We’re in the key of E minor and there’s a major chord built on the tonic note! Huh?
Well, some questions and confusion but perhaps the best thing to do is to taste it and see how we like the flavour and texture.
The tonic E minor and the D major snuggle nicely together within the diatonic cluster. The A major and B major are sitting there ripe for the picking on the outer wheel of the parallel major.
As previously alluded to, the Esus4 can simply be taken as a suspension of the tonic chord E minor.
BUT
BUT
BUT
The progression closes out with E major.
E major for goodness sake.
We were in the key of E minor.
What the heck is that imposter doing muscling in on the action?
Not just muscling in but actually stealing the limelight by closing the show with its own finale.
Before exploring the strangeness of a major chord built on the tonic note of a minor key, let us listen to the progression once again, but this time with the closing chord being the true tonic, finishing on an actual E minor chord.
The progression would sound like this:
Blech.
Yeuch.
I’m gagging on my soup.
Help!
Cough, splutter, choke, choke, blargh!
That tastes vile.
Oh my god … water … get me a glass of water … quick!
Have you ever had that experience? Eaten something tasty, some delicious meal or a crisp apple or a rich, moist slice of cake etc? Only for the last mouthful to contain some gristly meat, or a soft bruise or a mouldy currant? The entire pleasure of eating is stolen from you and the nasty taste has ruined the memory of what came before?
That is how I react to the ending when it is the tonic E minor chord.
It just tastes rotten.
Okay, I may be exaggerating somewhat to make a point.
But do you grasp some truth in it?
