Progressions

Question 1

Aderlusian cadence

Answer 1

1, flat 7, flat 6, 5
(Start on minor chord -> down 2 frets to a major chord -> down 2 frets to a major chord -> down 1 fret to a major chord)
Hit the road jack is in Ab minor.
Sometimes also used for flamenco.

Question 2

The axis progression

Answer 2

1-5-6-4
Take on me- A maj

Question 3

The other axis progression

Answer 3

6-4-1-5
Grenade- F major

Question 4

Plagal cascade

Answer 4

(after the 1st to flat 3rd every interval is a perfect fourth)
1, flat 3, flat 7, 4
boulevard of broken dreams( F minor)
wonderwall (F# minor)

Question 5

doowop/50s chord prog
What people cal the ‘blue moon progression’ is very similar but the 4 is replaced by a 2.
- The 4 chord and 2 chord both contain 2/3 of the same notes and serve a similar function (sub doms) therefore the 2 progressions sound similar

Answer 5

1-6-4-5
All u have to do is dream by everly brothers
Key: Ebmaj (but u can play it as Cmaj maybe with cappo)

Question 6

there she goes by the Las

Answer 6

1-5-4-5
very major sounding
- G major

Question 7

Aeolian vamp:

Answer 7

1, flat 7, flat 6, flat 7
Somebody that i used to know- D minor
- Avoids the 5, which makes it sound floatier

Question 8

1, flat 7, 5

Answer 8

Mixolydian progression- hey jude F mixolydian. It may be reffered to as F major tho cos a mixolydian scale is the same as a major scale but with a flat 7.
The main riff from clocks by coldplay is in mixolydian and all of bittersweet symphony. - Less directional cos the 7 doesnt pull to the one so much.

Question 9

I think that going round in fourths also comes under the ‘circle of fifths progression.’
Can be a useful way to transition/ modulate. Good if u dont want a strong tonic.

Answer 9

I will survive. Starts from A, goes round in fourths and jumps a tritone from F (the 5th chord in the sequence) to B (dim if it is a chord) instead of Bb. it does this so that it can skip some of the CoF so it’s not too long. (Actually makes up the C major key, but can make more sense to see it in fourths)

Question 10

Axis but with the 6 swapped for 2

Answer 10

1-5-2-4
Tonic, dominant, subdominant, subdominant. (The 2 acts as a sort of subdominant)
The 2 to the 4 feels like climbing.
All star: F#maj (Gb)

Question 11

The other Other axis chord progression

Answer 11

4-1-5-6
Tension, release, tension, release
Stacys mom key: Emaj

Question 12

12 bar blues: -4 bars tonic
-2 bars 4th followed by two bars tonic
-2 bars 5th followed by two bars tonic
- the last four bars are pretty flexible tho. They may often be a 4th instead of a 5th on the 10th bar and sometimes the 12th bar may be the 5th, this is called a turn around to help us get back to the top.

Answer 12

Folsom prison blues plays it as i have written out at the top. Key: Emaj. The B may be played as a 7th. (It is common to play lots of 7ths in blues.)

Question 13

Similar to axis but with 5th and 4th swapped.

Answer 13

1-4-6-5
Makes it more of a climb from 1 to 5 and includes a perfect cadence, which is quite rare in modern pop music.
Boston: more than a feeling. Key: Gmaj

Question 14

Pachelbels cannon chord progression:
- repeated sequence/ interval of a fourth (the 1st chord descends by a fourth to the 2nd, then the 3rd descends by a fourth to the 4th , then the 5th descends by a fourth to the 6th). The last two chords are a ‘turnaround’ (the four then five chords) which lead us back to our tonic.

Answer 14

ben folds luckiest: d major
- Sequence aspect makes it sound predictable and kinda like its ‘meant to be’

Question 15

Major seventh degree chord in a major key

Answer 15

Karma police
1 - 5 - 4 - 7
G major
The major 7th degree chord of F#maj takes it into a slightly unusual direction

Question 16

Eight days a week chord proggression

Answer 16

Rocking the surburbs
C Major
1 - Major2 - 4 - 1
The major 2 makes it temporarily be a lydian scale because it includes a raised 4th.

Question 17

Just- radiohead

Answer 17

Key: C major
Features the flattened 5th/ raised 4th.
1 - b5 - 4

Question 18

1 - Maj3 - 4 - min4
Includes a major 3rd chord in a major scale (3rd chords are diatonically minor in major scales)

Answer 18

Creep: key: G maj
in this particular song the major 3rd chord pulls us to the 4th, however it could also pull us to the 6th, (which is a minor chord in major scales), and major 3 to minor 6 would feel quite resolved.
Also unusually Includes a minor 4th in a major scale, gives a longing sound.

Question 19

Clocks

Answer 19

Key: Eb
1 - minor5 - 2 - 1
Bb minor is a minor fitfh in a major key which is unusual
also includes a flat 7th which makes it kinda mixolydian

Question 20

Sandman chains secondary dominants together