Minor Key Progressions

Sir Speedy · 02-08-2005, 04:05 AM

You guys have taught me alot about minor keys already .
Any good sugestions for a Manual or article on the subject of Minor progressions , how they move and what substitutions are most common .

Sir Speedy · 02-12-2005, 04:57 AM

No replies but i think i've found a clue!

Summertime , the popular standard is in a Minor key , A minor and it goes to D minor , [a fourth up] i min7, iv min7 , i min7. .. then II(B), then VI, in the turnaround . the VI , E ,is made into a 7#9 chord .So, there is your "Change of chord Quallity"
or you could say E is the v of i (v/i) implying it's a Dominant substitution .

Poparad · 02-12-2005, 06:17 AM

Summertime is a good example. The E7 chord would be a V, not a VI (I'm sure it's just a typo). The #9 business is just making it an altered dominant. It's still just a V chord, but with a different color added.

Almost anytime that you see a V chord in a minor key, it's changed from the minor chord that is diatonic to the natural minor scale, into a dominant 7th chord (usually V7b9 or V7#9) that is from the harmonic minor scale. (the #9 isn't entirely from harmonic minor though, but it still works the same way).

Another good tune for minor ideas is Blue Bossa. It modulates to the key of Db for part of it, but the rest is all in Cm. Autumn Leaves is another good one, this time entirely diatonic to the minor key (it's commonly played in Gm and Em).

I've also always thought that "Hotel California" was a clever use of a minor key chords.

02-08-2005, 04:05 AM	#1
Sir Speedy Registered User Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Garfield New Jersey Posts: 291	Minor Key Progressions You guys have taught me alot about minor keys already . Any good sugestions for a Manual or article on the subject of Minor progressions , how they move and what substitutions are most common . __________________ John McMInn :1990 Fender Strat Plus

02-12-2005, 04:57 AM	#2
Sir Speedy Registered User Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Garfield New Jersey Posts: 291	No replies but i think i've found a clue! Summertime , the popular standard is in a Minor key , A minor and it goes to D minor , [a fourth up] i min7, iv min7 , i min7. .. then II(B), then VI, in the turnaround . the VI , E ,is made into a 7#9 chord .So, there is your "Change of chord Quallity" or you could say E is the v of i (v/i) implying it's a Dominant substitution . __________________ John McMInn :1990 Fender Strat Plus Last edited by Sir Speedy; 02-12-2005 at 05:02 AM.

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02-12-2005, 06:17 AM	#3
Poparad Jazzman Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Akron, OH Posts: 1,058	Summertime is a good example. The E7 chord would be a V, not a VI (I'm sure it's just a typo). The #9 business is just making it an altered dominant. It's still just a V chord, but with a different color added. Almost anytime that you see a V chord in a minor key, it's changed from the minor chord that is diatonic to the natural minor scale, into a dominant 7th chord (usually V7b9 or V7#9) that is from the harmonic minor scale. (the #9 isn't entirely from harmonic minor though, but it still works the same way). Another good tune for minor ideas is Blue Bossa. It modulates to the key of Db for part of it, but the rest is all in Cm. Autumn Leaves is another good one, this time entirely diatonic to the minor key (it's commonly played in Gm and Em). I've also always thought that "Hotel California" was a clever use of a minor key chords.