Electronic Music 411 - Chord Cycle - cycle, chord, theory

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Chord Cycle

StoreTags: cycle, chord, theory

Author: electrodan on January 23 2007

Viewed 4828 times. 9 people liked this blog. You can rate it below if you haven't already.

People who enjoyed reading this: jdg, Lara, yghartsyrt, sohcahtoa, utofbu, ejectorset, zfigz, voyager, astroid

--> Ok so here's a cycle of chords... I'm always tempted to play these changes in succession for some reason that I can't figure out theoretically. It's like they 'want' to follow each other. I picked the key of C as the starting point for simplicity's sake. All the chords are major, the inversions are beside them [(1) = 1st inv. etc...] Pay attention to the inversions and which note you're playing in the bass.

C
Ab - (1)
F - (2)
Bb - (1)
Ab - (2)
C# - (1)
Bb - (2)
Eb - (1)
C# - (2)
F# (1)
Eb (2)
Ab (1)

:|| back to first F - (2)

Link to audio example: link
discuss... pls

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Comments

1 | 2 | 3

01/23/07 + astroid

i think utofbu is gonna jump on this before i get the chance, but i'll figure out what you're talking about and give you some pedantics later

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01/23/07 + electrodan

I fixed the text so now you can sort of actually read it.

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01/23/07 + jdg

talk to me about the 3rd inversions... u playing triads? no?... so its just an octave up then?

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01/23/07 + Lara

oh my gosh... let me review my music theory book

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01/23/07 + electrodan

j -
1st inversion is the triad 1-3-5
2nd inversion is 3-5-1
3rd inversion is 5-1-3

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01/23/07 + jdg

i thouight 1st inversion is 3 5 1
and 2nd is 5 1 3 ?

no?

and the 3rd is the octave unless u are not doing triads.

since.. there 1st inversion implies inversion.... u can't invert nothing..

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01/23/07 + jdg

wikipedia says im right: link

eat that Colorado.

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01/23/07 + jdg

also, i just played that cycle.. and say to you "wtf"

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01/23/07 + astroid

voice leading

you like it cause oif voice leading. you could voice lead a carp into a ham sandwich, and you make nothing jump more than a fourth and the bass player will love it;) the bass kinda traces the very flat area while maintaining all major chords. strong sound.

still not at an instrument. will analyze more

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01/23/07 + utofbu

damn it, thats what I get for snoozing. well back to bed, mess with it tomorrow.

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01/23/07 + Lara

oh man... i just finished scribbling it out on paper and astroid simply says its the voiceleading that is so appealing...

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edited: Jan 23 2007 + astroid

ok

C Ab F Bb G with your awesome romantic voice leading would be a nice cadence leading back to C, but your chords side slip from the more natural G to the Ab.

change that Bb to a first inversion rather than second, and it becomes a sequence of two chords which lead endlessly upwards. you do the sideslip thing again at the Eb (1) to the C# (2). if you didn't do the sideslip, it would go through a sequence of six sets of two keys (all V-I), but with the sideslip (which, to my ear "brightens" the chords) cuts off the progression from being too "whole tone" and rights it to the key of Ab. the first C is kind of a wild goose.

this is one of those "omnibus" style progressions that you can use like a merry-go-round to wing you out wherever you wanna go. that's why you like it.

edit: lol i'm showing my ass on this. i have no clue what i'm talking about.

edit2: for corrected terminology

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01/23/07 + astroid

here's a one off progression of yours:

C
A first inversion
D
B first inversion
(slip)
F
D first inversion
G
E first inversion
(slip)
Bb
G first inversion
C
A first inversion

back to A first inversion

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edited: Jan 23 2007 + astroid

link

scroll down to the omnibus parts

man especially the brahms examples. rad

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01/23/07 + jdg

watch out... if u scroll to far down u find in ana godda divita

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