right hand chord progression help?

[ice909]

I've been looking and studying music theory for a while now. I must say it gets confusing most of the times. The questions i am asking is how does the right hand connect to the next chord in the right? the transitions? also, using inversions help to smooth the transitions but sometimes chord inversions aren't used. lastly, how far is too far of a jump between transitioning from one chord to another? a whole tone? I have some examples to demonstrate what im talking about:

1. C minor to Bb major to Bb major again to F major. No chord inversions, why? and the Bb major doesn't change why? is this on purpose? is there a rule?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Anftfdnmblc

2. the "jump" between the chords. The G augmented chord to Db major 7. I was told that it was too far of a jump but obviously it's not but im trying to figure what is too far and what are the rules for it?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvlXnnR2oi4

thank you.

[MadBrain]

Dunno but I like when the top note of the right hand forms a melody or a nice pattern:

1. In the first example, where he plays:

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Abmaj7, Gm7, C11, Fmaj7

as:

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Cm/Ab, Bb/G, Bb/C, Am/F

the top notes of the right hand form a nice descending line:

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G, F, F, E

He doesn't use inversions because he doesn't need them for the top note to be nicely connected.

2. In the second example he plays:

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F11(13), Gaug, Dbmaj9, Calt7

as:

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Ebmaj7/F, Gaug, Fm7/Db, Calt7

The top note of the right hand goes:

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G, G, Eb, Eb

It does have a jump, but I guess it lines up with the tensions in the chord progression, and it's sorta balanced by the extra smoothness of having the same top note in the 1st and 2nd chord, and in the 3rd and 4th chord. You could use a different top note in the 3rd chord so that the 2nd->3rd motion is more smooth, but then the 3th->4th top note motion becomes more awkward because it goes against the natural downwards-or-same-note resolution of the VImaj7 Valt7 progression.

Jumps are fine as long as it "makes sense" in the context of the song. If the whole chord jumps up a 5th, but at the same time the bass drops an octave and the drum plays a punch and the full brass section comes in and blares something and it's all after a big buildup, that's totally appropriate

[ice909]

The g augmented chord is inverted too. I found just now. This is frustrating but very interesting. I guess the bottom and/or root of the chord in the right hand is important and have a descending or ascending line?

[MadBrain]

The g augmented chord is inverted too. I found just now. This is frustrating but very interesting. I guess the bottom and/or root of the chord in the right hand is important and have a descending or ascending line?

Actually it's not as important as the right hand top note (which stands out, and some harmony techniques put the melody on the right hand top note) or the left hand bottom note (which forms the bassline and also stands out).

The lowest note of the chord in the right hand tends to be more lost in the middle of the harmony and suffers from what I call the "alto curse" (where alto singers and instruments like violas and alto horns get more secondary parts due to their range being in the middle).

That being said, interior lines are also quite interesting and it's a good thing to have them, and to have nice smooth movement in the interior lines as well. But I think getting the top note of your right hand in line helps with this a lot too.

[someone called simon]

It sounds like you're trying apply the rules of voice leading and four part harmony to what is just a chord accompaniment. If so, it doesn't have to follow those kind of rules. It only has to sound the way the composer likes. Often the chords will be voiced close together, with the top line follwing some nice line like MadBrain said. But there aren't any rules.

[ice909]

I understand. I also understand that the human ear hears the top note most of the time. But, Sometimes the top note might have a huge jump as well. Which is where I get confused at. So, if the top and root are huge jumps from one chord to another; do I look at what notes are together regardless of the root, 3rd, 5th etc. Like for example: the root note meeting the next chord's 7th in the chord progression? If that makes sense? Lol.

[HolisticSongwriting]

Hey ice909,

If the melody is leaping to a far away note (which btw should never be further away than an octave) the rest of the chord spreads out accordingly. So no, in this case you would have not standard voice leading.

Do the terms Drop2, Drop4 and Drop2,4 mean anything to you? Because that's exactly the kind of chord you would use if the melody makes a big jump. Worth a google

Best,
Friedemann