Another Chord Progression Thread

[hakey]

Messing around I've discovered this short progression (apologies if I've confused a D# with an Eb):

CDEbG (is that Cminadd2?), ACDGb, GBDF/GBEbF

Where could it go next? It seems to suit an offbeat reggae skank if that gives any stylistic cues.

GBbCE (C7?) sort of goes, but feels as though it's getting further from 'home'.

Any ideas (and/or explanations)?

[PCHIsHere]

Hi,

Please excuse the newbie questions. I'm just getting into music theory and if I don't ask, I won't learn - right?

(is that Cminadd2?)

What does the part in brackets mean? Are you questioning the scale? I couldn't find that in my scale lists.

GBDF/GBEbF

I know what a "slashed" chord is, but I've not seen a notation like this. What does it mean?

Thank,

Paul.

[hakey]

(is that Cminadd2?)

What does the part in brackets mean? Are you questioning the scale? I couldn't find that in my scale lists.

I was just asking if the preceding chord was C minor add 2.

GBDF/GBEbF

I know what a "slashed" chord is, but I've not seen a notation like this. What does it mean?

It's not a slashed chord, I was just trying to indicate that the D in the chord GBDF can be swapped for an Eb (or is that a D#?).

I'm not much good on music theory either - if I was I wouldn't have needed to make my first post.

[EuripidesMac]

So is this what you've got?

C-D-Eb-G: Cm9 or Cm add 2
A-C-D-F#: D7/A: a dominant 7th chord with the 5th in the bass: it's a D chord...D F# A (I III V) and you have the C for the VII of the chord
G-B-Eb-F: hmm...It's a G13 Perhaps more easily understood as a G7 with a minor 6th tossed in for seasoning?

I don't play such chords...they scare me. Perhaps in your progression:

Measures:
| Cm9 | Cm9 | D7/A | D7/A | Am9 | Am9 | G13 | G13 | Cm9 | Cm9 |

Am9 = A-C-G-B
G7 = G-B-D-F

Your mileage may vary...and it might be boring...need to get a Jazz person in on this.

Euripides"Don'tKnowWhatTheHeck"Mac

[jancivil]

when the D is right next to the Eb, some people will call it 'add 2 chord'; it has a slightly different quality than that interval as a ninth, so why not.


the third chord takes you 'back' to C minor, there's no problem. (there's no 'need' to insert A minor, it kind of is weaker progression actually. D7 likes G. For a strong progression, *the A minor would precede the D7.)

I'll stack it and show you a voice leading to something nice:


Eb - D
B - Bb
F - Eb
G - C


The D7 chord is a 'secondary dominant' to the G7, which is the dominant of C. Completely normal progression.


You can think of C minor as the 'ii' chord of Bb, turn it into a C7 and go to F7 b13, then to Bb, and then you have got away from home, and you can go around in a circle like jazz does to get back; that's a way to start that circle.

edit: note *

[hakey]

Thanks both of you. Hmm.. I think I'll have to ruminate on this a bit.

I don't play such chords...they scare me.

I know what you mean, but I really love those funny off colour chords (I'm just not very good at working out what they are).

[trewq]

the progression seems to settle into either a C harmonic minor, or a C melodic minor, with both the G7 and the G7#5. So either of those two scales can give you your next chord. A C7 is fine also, which after the G7 makes up the G 'rock and roll' scale (see the scale list at a 'Passion for Jazz' web site). For me, it helps to consider the scale thats behind the main chord and each individual chord connection, with the use of chord/scale reference software.

[PCHIsHere]

Hi Folks,

It's threads like this that make me realise just how little I actually understand. Still, I'll keep plugging on.

hakey - Thanks for clarifying what you meant.
EuripidesMac - Were you saying that C-D-Eb-G is Cm9 or Cm add 2? If I add the 2nd note to Cm, I do get C-D-Eb(D#)-G, but in my list Cm9 is D#-G-A#-D. Am I missing something, or have I got it completely wrong (again)?

Thanks for putting up with me, guys,

Paul

[pedrorf]

Hi Folks,
EuripidesMac - Were you saying that C-D-Eb-G is Cm9 or Cm add 2? If I add the 2nd note to Cm, I do get C-D-Eb(D#)-G, but in my list Cm9 is D#-G-A#-D. Am I missing something, or have I got it completely wrong (again)?

The full Cm9 chord is C-Eb-G-Bb-D. Root, minor 3rd, 5th, flat 7th, 9th. That's what's in your list, except that you missed the root. C-Eb-G-D, stricly speaking, is a Cm add 9 (or Cm add 2). They are for the most part functionally identical. Many times one doesn't use the full chord voicing, for aesthetical or practical reasons. A jazz guitarist will skip the 5th a lot of times, for instance.

[PCHIsHere]

Hi pedrorf,

I wish I could say I'm starting to understand, but I'm not. Well, maybe a little, as my signature says - "getting better every day".

One of my chord layout sources has the Cm9 defined as you say, another omits the C, but has a text reference attached saying that the root is normally played in the bass. I'd missed that.

Thanks,

Paul.

[hakey]

Thanks for the help there. Once I knew the names of the chords I was playing and translated the sequence to guitar I was fairly quickly able to work out a few progressions for myself. I play a fair bit of Brazilian guitar music, bossa nova, samba and the like and it's full of minor 9ths, 13ths, 7dims etc and other odd chords. But it's funny how I find it relatively easy on guitar, but I get lost when I'm looking at a keyboard.

[EuripidesMac]

Thanks for the help there. Once I knew the names of the chords I was playing and translated the sequence to guitar I was fairly quickly able to work out a few progressions for myself. I play a fair bit of Brazilian guitar music, bossa nova, samba and the like and it's full of minor 9ths, 13ths, 7dims etc and other odd chords. But it's funny how I find it relatively easy on guitar, but I get lost when I'm looking at a keyboard.

Heh, I'm a guitar player (for too long) and it's easier for me to "see" the piano (not very long)...just the opposite of you

When I was playing the progression on my beater acoustic and trying to put a bit of a reggae type skank as suggested I heard more of a Caribbean sound myself, similar to you. Something Cubano...or Dominicano or any of the jazz influenced sounds.

Cheers,

EM

[jancivil]

Hi Folks,

It's threads like this that make me realise just how little I actually understand. Still, I'll keep plugging on.

hakey - Thanks for clarifying what you meant.
EuripidesMac - Were you saying that C-D-Eb-G is Cm9 or Cm add 2? If I add the 2nd note to Cm, I do get C-D-Eb(D#)-G, but in my list Cm9 is D#-G-A#-D. Am I missing something, or have I got it completely wrong (again)?

Thanks for putting up with me, guys,

Paul

For a person reading a chord chart, Cm add 2 and Cm9 are more or less the same 'chord'. If you wanted to specify that the C is right next to the Eb (not D#; D# is a SHARP NINE on a C root; which is meaningless outside of a major quality., ie an E natural in the chord) to the piano or guitar player, instead of at the remove of one or more octaves, you say Cm add 2; you've also indicated no seventh when you do - some people assume that when you say eg., "C9" in a chart, you have indicated a seventh, hence Bb on a C root.

Often in jazz practice, the pianist omits roots of chords, when there is a bass player, with the assumption that that person is providing root function.


Chord charts are not an exact science.

[A.M. Gold]

I'd say the voicing of the 9th is a bit different than add 2, though, since adding a major second on top of a root is so dissonant.

[jancivil]

well, no. A tone above a root is not more dissonant than a major seventh above the third of the chord. You might say that the minor second is more so than the major seventh in a voicing, but all other things being equal, I'd say not so much.

In many contexts, it's sort of beside the point to call a min add 2, or a minor chord with a major ninth, what have you, as a very dissonant thing, it can be a sweet and poignant sound, and often is.