This is greek to me!

[cecil573]

Someone help me to understand what a 2 5 1 progression is.  I see that there are other types but what does this really mean.  These are musical terms I have never heard of.  

Also, who in here can sing?

Rev. Cecil Ramey.....(What in hell do you want?        Reply:nothing ;-)

[BBoy]

A 2-5-1 progression is a progression of chords that follow that series in the scale. For instance, in the key of C major a 2-5-1 progression would be these chords: D minor, G major, C major.

Also, these chords can be altered. For instance, you could have D7, G7 and C7, or some other alteration of these chords . . . but that is the progression.

In the key of Eb, a 2-5-1 progression would be F minor, Bb major, Eb major.

So it depends on the key in which you are in.

Be Blessed . . .

[cecil573]

so how does this incorporate in to music.  How to you identify this progression?

[elaine1012]

I am a beginner,  however I've been taught  (I have a "Good" teacher!) that the  2-5-1 progression is generally used at the ending of a song  ... or phrase.

Be Blessed !  Elaine        :lol:    :wink:

[ddw4e]

I am a beginner,  however I've been taught  (I have a "Good" teacher!) that the  2-5-1 progression is generally used at the ending of a song  ... or phrase.

Be Blessed !  Elaine        :lol:    :wink:

I am your teacher but u are absolutely right :wink:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:

[BBoy]

Yes, at the ending . . . or sometimes when you are "chord land" and you want to get back to the root chord of whatever key you are in. Let's say you are just throwing out chords . . . modulating from one chord to another . . . and you want to get back to a certain chord; let's take C for example. A D chord, followed by a G chord will lead you back to a C.

Hope this helps

Be Blessed . . .

[JoyCH]

Just to simplify this a little bit further;

For example; 2-5-1 in the key of "C" would be;

1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - c
c   d   e    f    g   a    b   c

2=d    5=g    1=c

You would play the a chord from that tone. Meaning, you would list all of your c chords under c; all of your d chords under d; etc. I believe, 1 - 4- 5 are always the major chord.

Hope this helps.

Joy

[T-Block]

cecil573 wrote:

so how does this incorporate in to music. How to you identify this progression?

Well, the only way to recognize any kind of progression in a song, you have to use your ears to hear it.  They are not going to tell you on the CD this is the 2-5-1 progression or whatever.  They just play it and by the sound of the chords you should be able to recognize what they are playing.  The only way to recognize it by ear, you have to know what each one sounds like.  That is where ear training comes in.

[cecil573]

Okay...I think I get it.  So what other cord progressions are there and how would I identify how to use them.  

Man you guys are fantastic....all of that made complete since to me.  

What songs can you play using these chord progressions?

[helenko]

It seems that they've got the 2-5-1 well covered....you asking if anyone can sing? I can.  What's your question?

[cecil573]

I was asking if there were other progressions other then the 251 and when do I use them?

[BBoy]

Yes, there is the 6-4-2-5-1, which is just an expansion of the 2-5-1. Rev Jermaine Griggs has a video that explains another progression, I think it is a 7-3-6-4-2-5-1; I really like it. But I'm not sure about that one . . . I'll learn in first and then let you know.  :wink:

Be Blessed . . .

[hymnal]

i know we all use these chords to lead back to the root notes and everyone's favorite seems to be the 2-5-1 thing. My question is, does anyone subtitute the 5? sometimes (just to sound different) i'll try a 2-7-1. and since in theory there are no keys,..shouldnt any chord progression lead back to your root>?

[bjoern]

Substituting the 7 for the 5 is nice and offers some special features. For the sake of simplicity I assume we are in C Major key.

Why you can substitute:

The most important notes in a chord are the third and the seventh (at least according to jazz theory). The third of G7 (dominant or 5 of the C major scale) is B, the seventh is F. The full chord would be G / B-D-F or any inversion.
In any major scale the 7 is a half-diminished chord. In C major we have  B / D-F-A. This chord has B aswell as F, thus it can work as dominant chord to Cmajor chord instead of G chord.

Where you can go from the substituted chord:

Just take the full diminished chord B-D-F-Ab instead of the chord mentioned above. It still contains the B and the F and works fine. What is new, is that this chord may serve as dominant for 4(!) different roots. I´ll skip the explanation at this time and just give you the changes for you to experiment:

from: B-D-F-Ab
to: C-E-G-B or A-C#-E-G# or Eb-G-Bb-D or F#-A#-C#-E#(=F)

This is because B-D-F-Ab can substitute the following dominant chords:
G7: G-B-D-F
E7: E-G#-B-D (G#=Ab is the third, D is the seventh)
Bb7: Bb-D-F-Ab
C#7: C#-E#(F)-G#-B#(=C)

If this sounds confusing, just ask. But playing will make you understand a lot more than my mere words.

Have fun and God bless
Bjoern