Hello - i am having trouble understanding how the chord progression from hey Joe is built.
C G D A E - All major chords.
if i look at the notes in these chords, we get
A B C C# D E F# G G#
I cant really see how these chords are put together like this - i am guessing the key must change somewhere in the progression, maybe from G major to E major?? but i dont know for sure?
it is a chord progression i like and would like to understand it a little bit more so i can copy it/sort of :-)
thanks
Al
"I like to play that guitar. I have to stare at it while I'm playing it because I'm not very good at playing it."
Noel Gallagher (who took the words right out of my mouth)
Al, it's modulating - that means it changes keys. It's doing that by a common method, modulation by fifth.
To really understand how it works, look at the construction of a major scale - here's C:
C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C
The pattern of the scale is WWHWWWH (whole step from C to D, whole step from D to E, half step E to F, etc)
Now notice that the scale can be divided into two four-note segments (called tetrachords) with identical patterns: CDEF is WWH, and GABC is also WWH.
That means when we experience a tetrachord, we don't know if CDEF is the first half of the C major scale, or the second half of the F major scale: FGABbCDEF. Likewise, the second tetrachord of C major is the same as the first tetrachord of G major: GABCDEF#G.
What that all means is that keys that are a fifth apart, like F and C or C and G, are closely related. (This is also the origin of the "circle of fifths")
Coming back to "Hey Joe", you have:
C G D = the IV-I-V of G
G D A = the IV-I-V of D
D A E = the IV-I-V of A
Three keys, three identical overlapping chord changes... each a fifth apart. You're going from one key to the next by using "pivot" chords - chords that appear in both keys (G is the I of G, but it's also the IV of D). In this case, the 'overlap' between keys is two chords long (G D is I-V in G and IV-I in D), making it even smoother.
Make sense?
Guitar teacher offering lessons in Plainfield IL
Perfect sense.
Thanks Noteboat.
So from what you are saying, i could use that method to modulate keys in any chord progression also?
Thanks, i will see if i can use this!!
Al
"I like to play that guitar. I have to stare at it while I'm playing it because I'm not very good at playing it."
Noel Gallagher (who took the words right out of my mouth)
That's my first song......i practiced the chords all night....musta drove everyone crazy,but I could play the chords the next day....
