Using Chord Progressions
for Maximum Effect

Chord Progressions give harmony to music.

And harmony is often said to give color to music. But it can also give much more.

Learn how to add some spice to your chord progressions with these helpful tips.

There's an old saying, "It's not what you say but how you say it that counts". This usually has to do with the tone of voice used when speaking. Your words can encourage or embarrass someone... just by how you say them.

Harmony has Power.

Any chord can be gentle or a bulldozer... it's all in how you use it.

Assuming you have a basic understanding of scales & chords, here are some tips for understanding the ins & outs of harmony using chord progressions.

Tip #1: A chord IS a scale...and a scale IS a chord.

If you stand a scale up vertically and delete every other note... you have a chord.

Music is not a visual art, but an aural one. We've grown up with music all around us, like oxygen. Our ears are smarter than we think.

If you listen to Bach's solo violincello suites... you hear chord progressions, even though single notes are being played - not chords. Look at jazz saxophonist, Charlie Parker's transcribed solos... chord progressions are outlined by his choices of notes as he was improvising.

A well-written melody will outline its chord progressions.

Think about the melody used for learning your ABC's? Sing it.

"A B C D E F G..." etc.

If you pick up a guitar or sit at a keyboard and make up some chords to go with it, your ear will tell you when the notes don't match the chords. Melody notes must fit with chord notes.

Your ear can tell when melody/scale notes are not compatible with a chord, they clash with the harmony. I am not saying they must always fit, but make the decision by choice - not ignorance.

Tip #2: Contemporary styles don't always use complete chords.

Contemporary songs are often thought of as beat-driven, instead of harmony driven. Sometimes the only chord will be a single bass note or a keyboard riff that implies the harmony. While a full chord may not be played, the ear automatically "fills in" the notes and you don't even notice.

Since many artists don't necessarily read music or think in terms of scales, they rely on their ears to find melody notes that fit. With bass lines, instrumental riffs and multiple vocal parts weaving together, there are plenty of notes stacking up to hear Keys & Chords, even though not in the traditional sense.

Continuing with this approach...

Tip #3: Chords can change while the bass note remains the same.

In traditional harmony, this is called a "pedal tone". The bass note is held out while the chords continue on in their cycles or progressions.

The opposite effect can also be achieved with this technique.

Tip #4: Repeat the melody line, but change the chord progression.

This technique works easily with progressions that descend(move down) by thirds.

For example, in the key of C major, play around with 3 melody notes... C, D and E. This is the do, re, mi of the C major scale(1,2,3) While noodling around with those 3 notes, C D & E... play a C major chord... nice.

• Now play an A minor chord... still nice.
• Next, play F major. All the notes still fit.
• Now a D minor 7... still good=.
• Finish with a G7 sus... sound OK?

It would look like this:

The harmony is there, because all of these chords have at least one COMMON TONE, if not 2. The scale choice of C Major fits with all of these chords. They are in the key of C Major.

Tip #5: Change the BASS NOTE, not the chords.

It still works, but not quite as traditional sounding.

This technique can be used with ANY note in the key... without necessarily changing chords.

The harmony is much like power-chords on guitar... you're leaving out chord notes, but the sound is full and driving. Have several instruments play the notes together and you can create some powerful motion underneath your lyrics.

Tip #6: Use a chord INVERSION.

Sometimes, all a worn-out progression needs is a simple inversion. If you know that a C Major chord contains the notes C, E and G, you can INVERT the chord... put a different chord tone in the bass.

It would be notated like this: C/E ( Cmaj over an E).

E is the 3rd of the chord, so instead of it being C E G... it is played E G C. Same notes, different inversion.

** Note: This is not Cmaj over Emaj, or whats known as a "polychord", 2 separate chords played together.

If your song has a I to IV progression, (C to F) - try inverting the C chord.

C/E \ \ \ | F \ \ \ |

It sounds great and seems to "float" more because the bass motion isn't as strong.

Usually, a I chord to a IV chord is very strong, because of the bass motion. By using an inversion, the chord progression is softened.

To finish our harmony lesson, here's a simple chord progression with inversions. It uses common chords with easy inversions. Play it slowly and listen the effects of the harmony variations.