To find a chord progression in the key you want, turn the Harmonizer dial until
the desired key appears in the window. This will be your beginning point from
which the progressions begin and eventually end. Color-coded lines represent
major and minor progressions. A third colored line shows major and minor pro-
gressions that share the same path.
Once the tonic chord has been established, the color-coded lines guide you
through the progressions. Each window shows the root of the chord in the pro-
gression, and the chord degree indicates whether the chord is major, minor,
dominant, or diminished. The letters in the window indicate the root of the chord
in the progression.
Chord Substitutions
The Chord Progression Map provides the basics for harmonic movement. To add
variety to the movement you can substitute chords, play dominant chords in
place of minor chords, and vise versa. Play diminished chords instead of a domi-
nant. Play chords with extensions. In other words, explore the different ways you
can link chords together to create harmonic movement.
Example:
One of the most common progressions in music is the I, IV, V (one, four, five).
Say we want to explore this progression in the key of C major. Turn the dial until
a C appears in the tonic chord window. Now, by following the line that extends to
the right of the selected tonic chord we encounter F. That is the IV chord. Next,
along the line is the V chord, G. The line now returns to the tonic, C.
The V chord can act as a stronger dominant chord if we add the 7th note of the
Mixolydian mode. In this case we produce a Gdom7 (G, B, D, F). Now we have
a I, IV, V7 progression. We can spice up this progression even more. We know
by looking at the Chord Substitution section of the Harmonizer that we can sub-
stitute a Dm7 (IIm7) for the F chord. Now we have a I, IIm, V7 progression. This
is popular in jazz.
We also can put the D<dom7 (<II7) in place of the Gdom7, but let’s extend the D<
dominant chord to the ninth degree to make it a D<dom9. Finally, let’s make the tonic
a major seventh chord. Okay, this gives us a Imaj7, IIm7, <II9 chord progression.
Notice how this sounds compares to the original I, IV, V. This is just the beginning.
Experiment and explore to create different harmonic movements.
2.
Tonic Chord
Chord Progression Map
3.
Harmonic Paths
Chord Progression Map
4.
Set Indicator
Chord Progression Map
27
When this window is dark, the root notes in the Chord Progression Map display
enhamonic tones correctly.
See page 39 for more information.
