My Color Music

In our last song, “Pachelbel’s Canon,” we added even more chords to a progression to create some very cool sounds. By rearranging the major scale pattern, we ended up with something beautiful. And it’s a simple trick, really. All we did was take a few major and minor chords, switch them around a bit, and voilà! Like magic, we made something totally new out of an old, familiar pattern.

Of course, this isn’t magic at all … and nothing about it is random. Like everything else in music, there’s a simple logic to things. And with Color Music, we can see exactly what we’re doing. As it turns out, the colored notes reveal the natural flow between chords. Seriously … it’s sweet.

For example, can yousee how each measure of “Pachelbel’s Canon” passes between two, closely-related chords? Well, this kind of movement is really common in songs. In fact, if we go a little further, we can even rearrange all the chords … so that each one follows the color wheel sequence from the circle of fifths. Like a pleasant stroll through the color spectrum, this progression is pure bliss.

In the key of C, for example, notice how the root notes of each chord are rearranged in a circle-of-fifths pattern. because it has such a smooth flow, this kind of “circle progression” shows up in music all the time.

By cycling through these chords again and again, we can create some very cool progressions. And, of course, musicians have many other options to choose from. But a general “formula” for chord movement tends to look like this:

Jumping around between these different chords, we can move in a variety of ways. But this general “roadmap” shows us how songs typically lead toward the tonic chord (I)—from left to right. Eventually, we always return to the tonic (I) … our home sweet home.

To get a feel for the movement of chords in each key, try playing through the following progressions. Starting at each separate tonic (I), we can easily bounce from one chord to the next … gradually making our way back to the same tonic chord (I). As you play, try hitting each chord with both your left and right hands. After a little practice, you’ll be well on your way to building bigger and better songs.

When we say the primary chords (I, IV, V) are popular, we ain’t kidding. They show up all the time in music. And while a lot of simple folk and pop songs use these triads, the most common example of a primary chord progression is what musicians call the “12-bar blues.” Without a doubt, you’ve heard of this, right? It’s played by repeating the same three chords over 12 measures. In a nutshell, it looks like this:

People call this “the blues” because it goes really well with the “blues scale.” And by adding a seventh chord here and there, we can create a tense, “bluesy” sound that feels like warm gravy poured directly onto the brain. In the key of C, for example, a blues progression and melody sound something like this:

Just like usual, we start at the tonic (I) chord. Then we make a short visit to our friend, the subdominant (IV) chord. After a couple of measures, we return to the tonic (I) … before passing through the dominant (V), again to the subdominant (IV), and finally home to the tonic (I) chord. Like a pleasant walk through the neighborhood, we eventually end up at home where we began.

The blues progression is so popular because it just sounds good. And it can be repeated as many times as you want. Once you make it through the first 12 measures, feel free to keep going … looping back through the same cycle over and over again.

By mixing it up a little—occasionally playing a seventh chord or tweaking the melody a bit—this progression makes for hours of fun. Using only those basic primary chords, we can play some very cool music. But of course, we have many more options, too. All we have to do is add a few chords to a song….

In music, primary chords are so popular it’s almost a cliché. In fact, a lot of musicians live on a simple diet of just those three chords—the tonic (I), subdominant (IV), and dominant (V). Like a nice plate of rice and beans, we can serve these three triads up in a variety of ways … and the dish is always tasty.

For example, imagine a hot meal of burritos, tacos, or enchiladas. Each recipe is awesome. But really, they’re all made from the same ingredients. By rearranging the tonic (I), subdominant (IV), and dominant (V) chords in different ways, we can create all sorts of songs that sound new and interesting. It’s pretty cool. The ingredients are the same, but the final product is totally different.

To see what I mean, check out the next classic song. Using the same, old primary chords, we can easily play a tune that everyone needs to know … “Happy Birthday.” As you move through each measure, try getting a feel for the chord progression. And after a little practice, you’ll be ready to perform it at your next birthday party. (Get out the balloons and confetti.)

Oh, yeah … and do you notice anything special about this song? That’s right—it has a 3/4 time signature. Which means we play it as a kind of waltz. Feel free to count out the beats in each measure to hear how it sounds. With three quarter-note beats per measure, this song goes something like this:

Also, the first two notes at the very beginning are called “pick-up notes.” We don’t actually count them as part of a real measure. Instead, they’re played before the first downbeat of the first measure. To hear it for yourself, play through this song a couple of times. And the result will sound great. With another chord progression—and a new time signature—under our belts, we’re starting to get really good … fast.