Hey guys, I'm new here but I already know just from the first few threads I've looked at that this is the site I have been yearning for. I have this chord progression I like to mess around with and would love someone to take a quick look at the chords and just tell me what they are in all their music theory glory. I have a piss poor knowledge of it and so it gets me into jams(difficulties) here and there when a band mate wants to know 'what was that key change right there?'
Alright here are the chords
---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
10-----6-----9----6/7---------------------------------------------------|
9------6-----9----6------------------------------------------------------|
9------6-----9----6------------------------------------------------------|
9------7-----7----4------------------------------------------------------|
7------9------------------------------------------------------------------|
Nothing crazy, I know, but I'd like to satiate my curiosity on this one once and for all. Thanks in advance, I look forward to getting involved with this board.
Ok, your notes are:
7-9-9-9-10-x = B-F#-B-E-A = B7sus
9-7-6-6-6-x = B-E-G#-C#-F = this one is trickier; the F natural can be seen as E#, giving you a C# major on strings 2-4. If C# is the root, you have C#-E-G#-B-F, which is C#m7b9
x-7-9-9-9-x = E-B-B-G# = E major
x-4-6-6-6-x = C#-G#-C#-F = C# major (C#-E#-G# - the E# is enharmonic to F)
x-4-6-6-7-x = C#-G#-C#-F# = C#sus
You've only got one note that's outside the key (E#/Fnatural), and it's immediately resolved both times to one in the key (E the first time, F# the second). So I'd say the whole thing is in E major.
That means one of two things is happening: 1. you're borrowing a parallel chord - substituting C# for C#m, or (probably more likely) 2. the F is what's called a non-harmonic tone - a melody note, which isn't actually part of the harmony. Chord names describe harmony, not fingerings - so if a note isn't part of the harmony, it shouldn't be part of the chord name, even if you're playing it.
Guitar teacher offering lessons in Plainfield IL
Wow, this was wonderfully more than I was expecting, thank you very much. And actually, now that you've got me thinking about it, whats really going on with the last set of chords in that progression is a variation (differs basically every time i run through it) of one before the other. Sometimes I'll include the F# first and the next time I'll use the F first, but I always have to hit the F# once and end it on the F. I don't know if this matters but it feels actually unresolved to my ear until i hit the F for the last chord.
If it helps any, the chorus progression for the chorus is A, G#, C#, C, A, G#, F#, Em, F#, G#, Em. Thanks for your help man, you gave me several things to go read about now.
