hello all. This is what I've been studying lately.
I try to think of every kind of chord as a tool that can be used to create deeper music. Being an amateur student of the blues and gospel, and a fledging piano player, I'm very interested in what I call "transition chords;" creative and pretty ways of transitioning between two otherwise common place chords.
The question becomes, what chords can you throw in between? Can you just go all willy nilly? No, like everything else in music, there are patterns; one must tap into the "deeper magic," as Aslan from Narnia would say.
This is a whole world, transitional chords. But here is one approach to it.
1) 7th Chords
7th chords are good for making a transition between I and IV chord. In the key of C, the obvious example is
C --> C7 --> F
However, there are more applications. In the major scale of G, G is the I chord and C is the IV chord. Therefore
G --> G7 --> C
So write there, you have two transitions you can use in the key of C. Can you find more?
2) The Diminished Chord
The dim chord is deep, but, put simply simply, it desires to resolve to it flattened 2nd or flattened 4th. But this is a complicated way of saying it can be used to bridge a I with a II, and a I with a IV. Like this:
I --> bIIdim --> IIm
C --> Db dim --> Dm
(C-E-G) --> (Db-E-G) --> (D-F-A)
note how easily a I major chord can be changed into its IIb diminished, just by moving the root up on semi-tone.
the other application
I --> bIIdim --> IV
C --> Dbdim --> F
Given the above principles, can you find other uses for this chord in the key of C?
3) The Diminished 7th
This, in my opinion, is the ultimate transitional chord. It can be used in dozens, if not more, ways, of which I have only discovered a few, which I will now share with you.
3a. I --> Idim7 --> V
C --> Cdim7 --> G
3b. I --> Vdim7 --> V
C --> Gdim7 --> G
3c. I --> Idim7 --> IIm
C --> Cdim7 --> Dm
3d. I --> bIIdim7 --> VIm
G --> Fdim7* --> Em
C --> Gdim7* --> Am
* okay, this is a strange thing to articulate. Techinically, it should say G --> Abdim7 --> Em, however, "Abdim7" (Ab-B-D-F) is an inversion of Fdim7 (F-Ab-B-D); they contain the same notes. In my mind, there are only 3 diminished 7th chords, and I refer to them as Cdim7, Fdim7, or Gdim7 no matter what, to make it easy on myself. Likewise, in the second example, it should read C --> Dbdim7 --> Am, but Dbdim7 (Db-E-G-Bb) = Gdim7 (G-Bb-Db-E).
There is one more application of the dim7 chord that I know of but I can't remember it offhand. For more theory on why this chord is so awesome see here
http://www.andymilne.dial.pipex.com/Discords.shtml4) The Augmented Chord
I --> Iaug --> IV
C --> Caug--> F
G --> Gaug --> C
I --> Iaug --> VI
C --> Caug --> Am
G --> Gaug --> Em
5) The Major 7th Chord
I --> Imaj7 --> bVI
C --> Cmaj7 --> Ab
F --> Fmaj7 --> Dm
Well, that's it for a primer. Gotta get back to work! I'm still exploring the higher chords like 11ths and 13ths. Futhermore, I have been compiling a series of charts having to do with chord progressions for my personal benefit, and have often wondered how useful they could be if placed in HTML or flash form and/or assembled into some form of executable. If there is anyone with programming knowledge who would want to collaborate on creating such a thing, let me know.
Peace and God bless.
