The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
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  1. #1

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    I was playing an old favorite from bygone years when I realized I didn't really understand how it might work from a functional harmony perspective. Ted Green said you should always learn new chord progressions as roman numerals either with reference to the named key or to the passing tonal centers. I realized that with this seemingly simple tune, I wasn't sure how to do that.

    It is usually written as an eight bar progression:

    |--Bm--|--F#7--|--Amaj--|--Emaj--|--Gmaj--|--Dmaj--|--Em--|--F#7--|

    The melody distilled to its key notes (one note per chord):

    F#("On a...")
    E("...wind in my hair...")
    E("...smell of colitas...")
    E("...through the air..."
    G("Up ahead...)
    D("...light!)
    E("...head grew heavy...")
    F#("...had to stop...night")

    So how would that break down in functional harmony? I realize there must be a big gap in my knowledge if this sounds so natural and common and yet I don't recognize it at all. It all sounds very Bm/Dmaj, but I'm having trouble understanding it from that perspective.

    Dmaj:
    vi-III7-V-II-IV-I-ii-III7?

    or

    Bmin:
    i-V7-bVII-IV-VI-III-iv-V7

    or

    Bmin:
    i-V7-bVII-IV

    Dmaj:
    IV-I-ii-III7

    or

    Bmin:
    i-V7

    [Emaj:
    IV-I]

    Bmin:
    VI-III-iv-V7

    or...?

    Thanks

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  3. #2

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    Strong descending chromatic line in a minor key .

    Incidentally same chords as this Jethro Tull song



    Also V. similar to this



    The original precedent is probably some Baroque piece , it has that sort of ' Didos' lament ' vibe .

  4. #3

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    Bm | % | A | % | G | % | F#7 | % ||

    How would you analyze this reduction?

    This is the essence of the progression but each of the first three chords each have an auxiliary V chord
    that creates some nice linear voice leading.

    Bm F#
    A E
    G D

    and the V7 (F#7) is preceded by the IVm (Em)

  5. #4
    Quote Originally Posted by bako
    Bm | % | A | % | G | % | F#7 | % ||

    How would you analyze this reduction?

    This is the essence of the progression but each of the first three chords each have an auxiliary V chord
    that creates some nice linear voice leading.

    Bm F#
    A E
    G D

    and the V7 (F#7) is preceded by the IVm (Em)
    Thank you Bako. That is really helpful. I am unfamiliar with the concept of an non-functional auxiliary chords, although it makes sense. Walking two voices down on these two bar static chords gives it a lot of movement that supports the overall diatonic descent from Bm to F#.

    I've Googled "auxiliary chord" and found sparse information. Is it possible that it the concept is known by another name, or is there a resource you can suggest to become more familiar with the concept and use? I don't know if this is "music theory 101" in college, but I am entirely self-taught and this is the first I've come across this.

    Thanks!

  6. #5

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    Don't look too hard for auxiliary chords. I was using the expression in an informal way.

    Let me play another juggle the progression around game to perhaps shed some light on the functionality
    of this chord combination.

    Reversing the order of the 1st three chord pairs:

    F#7 Bm // E A // D G > Em F#

    The song just present these same elements in reverse order.

  7. #6
    Yes, but that was what was confusing me. The V lead to I, reversing that and going I-V didn't make sense to me (unless followed by the I, as in I-V-I). I suppose that is what threw everything off for me. I don't really know why I-V that doesn't resolve to the I works. Especially since it sounds resolved at the end of the two bar phrase.

    I guess it can be thought of as a series of plagal cadences. It does somewhat sound like a series of three descending "Ah-men" that walks back up to the root in the last two bars.

  8. #7

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    I am just sharing my observations for better or worse.

    Bm A G F# is a common sequence in Flamenco music and elsewhere.
    Im bVII bVI V7 Aeolian and a borrowed dominant.

    I > V is a half cadence.
    In the same way, multiple chords in a key can each have a secondary dominant,
    this could be described as a sequence of unresolved half cadences, attached to
    the frame of this typical minor sequence.

  9. #8
    Bako, your answers here regarding Hotel California's progression are really helping me see what's going on. I never considered that from the start it's all about going to the V chord of every other chord. And the flamenco progression aspect instantly made me think of Sultan's of Swing. No wonder Hotel and Sultan's are two of my favorite songs.

    To help me see what basic key the song is in am I correct in thinking these would be the chord numbers you'd assign: Bm(vi), A(V), G(IV), F#7(iii, but played Major, so III?). Then, G(IV) goes to D(I) followed by Em(vii diminished, but played as a minor?). Or is there some key changes happening during the progression?

    I know my brain tries it's best to cram any song I'm learning into my understanding of the 7 diatonic chords.

    Thanks again for enlightening me this much in just a few of your comments!

  10. #9

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    Hotel California harmony moves through a circle of 5ths; just like the Jimi Hendrix tune Hey Joe.

  11. #10

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    |--Bm--|--F#7--|--Amaj--|--Emaj--|--Gmaj--|--Dmaj--|--Em--|--F#7--|

    it’s a variant lamento!

    which is to say similar to No Moon At All.

    Bm F#7/A# A E/G# G D/F# etc

    However the B-A#-A-G#-G-F# is in the middle voices and the bass leaps. Not sure if there’s a name for that.



  12. #11

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    Regarding Bakos point (from 2019) the chromatic lamento can be through an embellished version of the diatonic one, which looks like the Adulsian/flamenco cadence

    Bm A G F#

    Embellished with a chromatic first inv major triad every other chord and you are almost there

    Bm F#/A# A E/G# G D/F# (evade the V by going to Em)

  13. #12

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    Analysis of the Chord Progression for Hotel California


    Somehow I missed this.

    Do you really need to analyse this? It's not in Bm, it's in Am played with capos. Check out any live video. This isn't one of Wayne Shorter's mysterious tunes or Schoenberg poring over one of his scores, this is a bunch of guys on weed throwing a few chords together and, eventually, and I mean eventually, coming up with a rock song, mostly about drugs.

    There's nothing interesting about the chords at all, it's all just Am stuff. Every folk song has these chords in it, especially Mexican ones.

    Am E7 G D F C Dm

    So that's that. I'm not saying it's not a good song, by the way, it's okay. I like the Eagles' laid back style a lot but musically it's nothing special.

    What's far more interesting is the lyrics. Try analysing them. Good luck with that!

  14. #13

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  15. #14

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    I call this the "Hey Joe Syndrome" !
    Playing everything backward.

  16. #15

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    "..its got a good beat and you can dance to it..."

    Don Felder (? sp) has the credit for writing the song..and he is said to have created the entire solo..though that is part of
    the legal trouble he has (had) with the band

    Rag...really like you dig on the Eagles..

    yes the flavor of the "circle of fifths" is the main motion of the progression - with a couple of twists

    what I would love to see is a vid of Felder showing Joe Walch how to play his part on the song,,now THAT would be interesting

  17. #16

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    Lyin' Eyes, innit?

    ii - IV - I Nice.

    And all the rest of those great songs... takes me way back, I can tell you. Hopeless romantic :-)