The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
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  1. #1

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    I’m having a hard time analyzing this chord progression:

    Gmaj7/ C#m7b5 F#7/ Bm7/ Em7 A7/Dmaj7

    Would someone be kind enough to explain the theory behind this chord progression for me please?

    Thank you in advance

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    The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
     
  3. #2

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    One needs the melody line really , but anyway

    sub the first chord to Dmaj

    and think in Dmaj ,
    then put the Gmaj back in ,and see how that feels

  4. #3

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    Gma7 | % | % | % | Dma7 ||

    Gma7 | % | % | A7 | Dma7 ||

    Gma7 | % | % | Em7 A7 | Dma7 ||

    Gma7 | % | Bm7 | Em7 A7 | Dma7 ||

    Gma7 | F#7 | Bm7 | Em7 A7 | Dma7 ||

    Gma7 | C#m7b5 F#7 | Bm7 | Em7 A7 | Dma7 ||

  5. #4

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    You could view that as more or less Dmaj all the way through, depending on what else is going on in the tune.
    Gmaj is the IV of D
    Cm7b5-F#7-Bm is a minor ii-V-i in Bm.
    Em7-A7-DMaj is a ii-V-I in D.
    B minor is the parallel minor to D major. They are the same notes but different functions.

    So, you could also the the whole thing as IV-viim-III7-iim-V-I in D. The only thing that's not completely within D, is that F#7, which would be a F#m7 if it stuck entirely to the key of D

    So you can sort of, kind of get away with playing D major over it.

  6. #5

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    Quote Originally Posted by Aree
    I’m having a hard time analyzing this chord progression:

    Gmaj7/ C#m7b5 F#7/ Bm7/ Em7 A7/Dmaj7

    Would someone be kind enough to explain the theory behind this chord progression for me please?

    Thank you in advance

    Hard to say without context of song, key signature, where it goes next, but

    Going backwards I would say:
    1. There is a II-V going into DMa7, and before that there is a Vmi7 going into IImi7 (Bmi7 going to Emi7).
    2. The Bmi7 is preceded by it's IIm7b5 and V7
    3. The move from GMa7 to C#mi7b5 seems like an abrupt direct modulation, but that's fine. If the line repeats the DMa7 goes back to GMa7.

    In other words it's all root movement by 4th after the C#mi7b5, and it's root movement by augmented 4th from GMa7 to C#mi7b5.

  7. #6

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    Quote Originally Posted by Aree
    I’m having a hard time analyzing this chord progression:

    Gmaj7/ C#m7b5 F#7/ Bm7/ Em7 A7/Dmaj7

    Would someone be kind enough to explain the theory behind this chord progression for me please?

    Thank you in advance
    Let's see:
    Gmaj 7 IV
    ii V to the vi
    vi
    ii V
    I

    or

    Gmaj I
    major to minor with 6th in the bass (this is a move that goes from tonic to it's major 3rd)
    iii
    vi II7
    Dmaj which may be the new key center

  8. #7

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    Bako already answered the OP so the credit goes there, I only would add, if one should do her/his further learning, then the google term is [back cycling jazz] and also can be useful [secondary dominants]

  9. #8
    Find some good online analysis of Autumnleaves. It's the same progression beginning in a different place. Classic, mostly diatonic, cycling through major, with a relative minor cadence in the middle.

    The A section of autumn leaves would begin on Em7 (iim7 of D) instead of Gmaj7 and then cycle through these changes in the same order. The harmonic rhythm is slightly different, but basically the same thing.

    The B section of autumn leaves would begin on C#m7b5 (iim7b5 of Bm) and then cycle through all of the chords in the same order as well. After blues and rhythm changes, this is probably the most standard, basic chord progression every beginner should know. You should know this at sight (or around) eventually.

    You'll find classical analysis with secondary dominant etc, but jazzers basically think of all these changes as one thing, as if it's all diatonic etc. Eventually, you want to be able to think of this progression as all being in D major or all being in B minor and spell it that way with Roman numerals. Jazzers basically see either one as the same thing.
    Last edited by matt.guitarteacher; 11-13-2019 at 12:08 PM.

  10. #9

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    I

    iio V i

    ii V I

  11. #10

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    Quote Originally Posted by Aree
    I’m having a hard time analyzing this chord progression:

    Gmaj7/ C#m7b5 F#7/ Bm7/ Em7 A7/Dmaj7

    Would someone be kind enough to explain the theory behind this chord progression for me please?

    Thank you in advance
    Theory. There’s that word again.

    Simply giving answers is rarely that valuable. I’d rather ask some leading questions, because I suspect you can work it out yourself and you are more likely to actually retain knowledge acquired that way.

    (Of course the forum regulars have already given away the answers like they always do lol.)

    Ok, target chords are

    Gmaj7 Bm7 Dmaj7

    What are the relationship of the other chords to these three?

    What is the relationship between these three chords?

    What are examples of these types of moves in other tunes you know?

  12. #11

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    Quote Originally Posted by Average Joe
    You could view ... the whole thing as IV-viim-III7-iim-V-I in D.
    This.

  13. #12

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    Quote Originally Posted by christianm77
    Theory. There’s that word again.

    Simply giving answers is rarely that valuable. I’d rather ask some leading questions, because I suspect you can work it out yourself and you are more likely to actually retain knowledge acquired that way.

    (Of course the forum regulars have already given away the answers like they always do lol.)

    Ok, target chords are

    Gmaj7 Bm7 Dmaj7

    What are the relationship of the other chords to these three?

    What is the relationship between these three chords?

    What are examples of these types of moves in other tunes you know?

    All good questions, and maybe the OP is advanced enough to work through them - or maybe he isn't. He asked, after all.

    "Music Theory" in most cases refers to harmonic theory, or perhaps - "harmonic practices utilized over a substantial period of time", or something like that.

    Theory helps newcomers get up to speed on fundamentals, and also liberates them from reinventing the wheel. It's all about efficiency and effectiveness. Either we have well established models and practices or we don't. (And we do).

    As long as extensive and sustained practice is also included, theory works - quite well.

  14. #13

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    Quote Originally Posted by Jazzstdnt
    All good questions, and maybe the OP is advanced enough to work through them - or maybe he isn't. He asked, after all.
    OP: says 'can you help me with this problem in high school algebra, where I have to solve for x?'
    JGO: x = 5

  15. #14

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    Quote Originally Posted by bako
    Gma7 | % | % | % | Dma7 ||

    Gma7 | % | % | A7 | Dma7 ||

    Gma7 | % | % | Em7 A7 | Dma7 ||

    Gma7 | % | Bm7 | Em7 A7 | Dma7 ||

    Gma7 | F#7 | Bm7 | Em7 A7 | Dma7 ||

    Gma7 | C#m7b5 F#7 | Bm7 | Em7 A7 | Dma7 ||
    Interesting progression. Could some one clue me in to what the percentage symbols/% signify?
    Thanks.

  16. #15

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    I guess what Christian means (supposedly) is tat theory can be sometimes treated very formally - especially by beginners.
    The conception of precise science is often implied here.
    Like in math or physics theory is expected to have some kind of objectivity, something independent on anyone's opinion.
    And musicologist during 20th century really tried to formalize it all as a science and succeded in making a pretention of science.

    But it does not worl like that in arts...

    Of course we can use theoretic apparatus... but only as a supplimentary tool. (My first harmony teacher made me play I-IV-V triads on piano and whenever I asked what is what he just shrugged his shoulders and said 'who cares?'... all he wanted me to do is to learn to hear relationships... he did not know any standard methods or books by the way.. though he had a degree and all... it was funny when some other teacher mentioned some well-known authritive manuals and he just said: never heard of it... sorry)))

    GImagine someone asking: 'Why does this cathedral have such a window?'
    And the answer: 'Because it's baroque'

    Oh! That's probably correct but obvious the one who asked did not know whta baroque is... so it does not explaine anything unless you have seem a lot of different exaples and felt the evolution of styles and there relationship in personal exprience... it may take years actually.

    So here I think it is more important to try to indroduce the relationship that are there in that sequence.

    I think that this explanation is good as a first step because it inroduces basic relationship (basic but not everything yet)

    Gmaj is the IV of D
    Cm7b5-F#7-Bm is a minor ii-V-i in Bm.
    Em7-A7-DMaj is a ii-V-I in D.

  17. #16

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    Quote Originally Posted by 73Fender
    Interesting progression. Could some one clue me in to what the percentage symbols/% signify?
    Thanks.
    Future

  18. #17

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    Quote Originally Posted by 73Fender
    Interesting progression. Could some one clue me in to what the percentage symbols/% signify?
    Thanks.
    repeat

  19. #18

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    Quote Originally Posted by Jonah
    I guess what Christian means (supposedly) is tat theory can be sometimes treated very formally - especially by beginners.
    The conception of precise science is often implied here.
    Like in math or physics theory is expected to have some kind of objectivity, something independent on anyone's opinion.
    And musicologist during 20th century really tried to formalize it all as a science and succeded in making a pretention of science.

    But it does not worl like that in arts...

    Of course we can use theoretic apparatus... but only as a supplimentary tool. (My first harmony teacher made me play I-IV-V triads on piano and whenever I asked what is what he just shrugged his shoulders and said 'who cares?'... all he wanted me to do is to learn to hear relationships... he did not know any standard methods or books by the way.. though he had a degree and all... it was funny when some other teacher mentioned some well-known authritive manuals and he just said: never heard of it... sorry)))

    GImagine someone asking: 'Why does this cathedral have such a window?'
    And the answer: 'Because it's baroque'

    Oh! That's probably correct but obvious the one who asked did not know whta baroque is... so it does not explaine anything unless you have seem a lot of different exaples and felt the evolution of styles and there relationship in personal exprience... it may take years actually.

    So here I think it is more important to try to indroduce the relationship that are there in that sequence.

    I think that this explanation is good as a first step because it inroduces basic relationship (basic but not everything yet)
    It's not quite so high falutin' as that, but I appreciate the exploration.

    These kind of questions are questions in pattern recognition. The way to teach this is to encourage the student to practice pattern recognition, lending assistance where required. Spotting II-V-I's in this case. It's not to tell them the answer.

    It's nothing cultural or even musical actually... In this sense it is theory (fair enough) but in the broader sense it is practice... Assuming the OP knows what a II-V-I is and the cycle, then it's basically practicing spotting those relationships in chord charts and progressions.

    Of course we don't know that the OP knows this for sure, this is an assumption. But the questions I set, if answered would rapidly reveal this. In this sense they are designed to assess knowledge as well as to teach.

    If you don't know the theory of II-V-I's you have to step back and teach that. But again, there is a better, more effective way to teach that than simple stating the information.

  20. #19

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    Jonah -


    'Gmaj is the IV of D

    Cm7b5-F#7-Bm is a minor ii-V-i in Bm.
    Em7-A7-DMaj is a ii-V-I in D'

    Yes! Finally!

    It's a very good job Aree didn't ask about Naima or Blue In Green !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  21. #20

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    Quote Originally Posted by ragman1
    Jonah -



    Yes! Finally!

    It's a very good job Aree didn't ask about Naima or Blue In Green !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    The explanation I gave was quoted from Average Joe's post, just to be fair.

  22. #21

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    Quote Originally Posted by Jonah
    The explanation I gave was quoted from Average Joe's post, just to be fair.
    I know, but you posted it. That counts :-)

  23. #22

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    Quote Originally Posted by 73Fender
    Interesting progression. Could some one clue me in to what the percentage symbols/% signify?
    Thanks.
    It’s not a single progression, instead each line is an evolved new version of of the simplest first line.using mainly back cycling using secondary dominants, and also replacing some time a dominant7 with minor7 (which is completely acceptable, confirmed by Joe Pass)
    The explanation demonstrates how to understand the progression in OP from a simple | GMaj | DMaj | progression.

    The percentage means repeat the previus bar.

  24. #23

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    Quote Originally Posted by christianm77
    But again, there is a better, more effective way to teach that than simple stating the information.
    good point ,
    instead of giving the answer ....
    maybe we should just give a hint in the right direction

    (i get get the feeling that sometimes we answer at length
    to show how extensive OUR knowledge is ....
    which is counter productive.....)