Interval & Chord Progression

Must work harder recently editing all my tutorial and materials, so I can start to arrange my own syllabus in guitar tutoring, wish me good luck !!

最近想编我自己的吉他教案，得加把劲把脑海里的资料整理出来，大家为我打气吧！

Introduction


I believe you've got some idea about INTERVAL on my last tutorial (see here), now you know how to construct some fancy pattern boombastic chord using the formula provided once you set the root
note. In this tutorial, we will talk about the relationship between interval and  chord progression.

This session is trying to help you to understand the colour and feeling of a chord when it appears in certain timing of a song. This idea also helps you to train your relative pitch!! (Discussion about Perfect Pitch and Relative Pitch see here, but don't click yet, I haven't compose that, hahaha)

相信看完之前那一篇的朋友对音程度数已经有一些概念了。现在我们已经可以在定出根音后用音程度数的概念来编出和弦了，今天我们就来讨论音程度数和和弦进行之间的关系。希望这篇文章能帮助大家了解和弦在歌曲中出现时他所带有的色彩和感觉。使用音程度数的概念来扒曲子能训练你的相对音感哦！


What is Chord Progression?

Explain in the most simple way word and method, chord progression is the route that chord appear in a song. 

We already know to set the root to find the interval, today, we are going to start by setting the root first too, but some idea is different:

• the root of finding a chord will be the "bass note" of that chord (of course we start with the lowest tone), 
• the root of understanding chord progression will be the playing key, or I just simply call it the Root Chord here, ex: in C key, the root will be C Major chord; in E key, the root will be E Major chord.

ok we still start with the most basic one, we start with C key. Normally in a song they won't be all Major chord, it will mix in some minor too, but do you know all these minor chords stands in a specific position in the interval too?

Let's see this graph (see figure 1), I put in the most common chord to be use in recent pop songs.

什么是和弦进行？用最简单的方式来讲，就是和弦进行的方式，简单明了易懂吧？

我们已经知道要开始使用音程度数时得知道你的根音在哪里，今天我们也得先定好我们的根音，但有些概念时和建构和弦时不一样的：

• 建构和弦时的根音指的是找出和弦中最低的音。
• 找出和弦进行时所谓的根音指的是曲调中的第一个和弦，或者说是根和弦（注：这只是为方便大家了解提出的一个概念，并不是专业术语），如C调的根就是C大调和弦；E调的根就是E大调和弦。

一样先从最基本C调开始：通常一首歌曲不会全都是大调和弦，间中也会混入小调和弦，你们知道这些小调和弦在和弦进行中也是占有特定位置的吗？见figure 1，这些是流行歌曲常会用到的一些和弦。

figure 1

Spot the difference:

• there won't be anymore half step one step stuff here,
• each interval don't stands individual name anymore, we just have to know the ORDER of the interval, ignore the NAME.

As you know from the last session there are too many types of chord, we will discuss how to use those dominant 7th, augmented, diminished, minor 7th flatten 5th bla bla bla in other chances. I think at current stage we just have to understand the 2 big family, which is the Major chord and minor chord.

OK I think there ends the theory part, because we are not going to discuss about arranging chord here, so what's next?

看得出和上一讲中音程度数表的差别吗？

• 这里我们不再讨论半音全音 
• 每个音程度数之间也不再有个别的“名称”，因为名称不需要了，在和弦进行中我们要了解的是他们之间的“次序”而已。

大家都知道和弦的组合有千百万种，我们会在之后的文章中讨论如何修饰和弦，到时就会出现很多属七和弦啦、增和弦啦、小调第七减五和弦啦等等。现阶段我们只要分得出两大种类就行，也就是大调和小调，因为和弦都是在这两大类的基础上加出来的嘛。

好了理论讲完了，因为我们不需要讨论如何编排和弦，那接下来要干什么呢？


Transpose into any other playing key!!

When you already have the idea of interval of chord progression, simply translate every chord of a song into numeric, and you can apply into any other playing key!! I don't think any of you guys like to play in those key with limited improvise chances like Bb or F or Eb, if you want an F, simply put a capo on the first fret and you can avoid the nuisance Bb major!!

Here I listed the most common playing key to you: (see figure 2)

实际应用：立马转换曲调！！ 用音程次序来了解和弦进行后，把所有你手上的和弦谱转换成号码，然后你就能用这些号码马上套用至任何其他的曲调了！相信应该没有人喜欢弹那些按到手断的Bb或Eb和弦，所以下面就列出我们最常弹的曲调：（见 figure 2）

figure 2

So how do you actually do this?

1. simply go to any online tablature archive such as Ultimate Guitar Tab etc, or any search engine,
2. search for your song,
3. download the tab with chord,
4. with the information provided (which playing key?), translate the chord into numeric, ex: if it is a C key, C would be 1, G would be 5; If it is a G key, C would be 4, G would be 1, so don't messed up with these.
5. once you got the interval's order, which is the chord progression appeared in numeric instead of alphabet, you can apply any other playing key at the moment!!

OR

you can use some transposing tools like this:

怎么用呢？

1. 随便在网上搜寻你要的曲子的吉他谱，最简单的方法就是在谷歌键入歌曲名之后在后面加个“吉他谱”或是“和弦谱”这样
2. 下载曲谱
3. 从曲谱中找出该谱的曲调，然后把所有和弦从英文字母转换去号码。
4. 当你有了和弦进行的次序之后，就能够把任何其他的曲调的和弦放进去啦！

又或者

你可以使用一些转换曲调的工具

Transpose in a flick!! by Guitart studio; prototype 01

which you just simply flick, and know the chords in other playing key on the spot.

I did sell this tool in an UNREASONABLE PRICE, as they are all hand-made individually, too expensive?  then DIY yourself :P Or if you insist of having one from me, I did sell it in USD14.99 (postage not include), accept paypal, post to worldwide :P

Recommended for accompany musicians that require to transpose playing on stage instantly!!!

or if you want a branded version, SHUBB did release 1 transposing guide:

推一推马上就能知道转换后的和弦。这东西是我发明的，现在以不合理的售价发售，为什么？喂，这是一刀一粘纯手工制作的耶，嫌贵？自己做啦！如果你还是想买现成的，售价为USD14.99（不包邮），接受paypal付款，寄至全球！

推荐给经常要配合歌手换曲调的驻场乐手！！

又或者你要个名牌出的，SHUBB也有一款类似的：

But just to remind you that this transpose guide doesn't provided the name of interval like mine. Buy this if you think the capo placement guide is helpful, although I don't :S

(Kill yourself if you ask me SHUBB is a branded brand :P)

不过先跟你讲他们并没有像我的版本一样标出音程度数的名称，所以不是很好用咯，如果你觉得那个教你怎么放变调夹的功能很有用你就买咯，没有强迫的，虽然我不知道那个功能是拿来做什么鬼的:S

（如果你问我SHUBB是名牌咩？老兄，你可以去自杀了）


Assist to hearing session with interval idea.

Now we go to the next session, this part is to help you determine the interval position of the chord when you listen to a song.

Honestly, this part do require experience, if you don't have much experience, you can do it too! Just don't try to start with those fancy weird jazzy blueish gypsy indie grunge music, you'll just gonna get annoyed by repeating the song more than hundred time but still can't get a picture of the chord

To give you some confidence, here's some advice before you start with the hearing:

• start with noting down the melody of the singing part, the scale will give you some clues.
• have some knowledge about Scales and playing mode.
• make sure you are quite familiar with the style of the song you are listening. Or try to find similar song's tablature, maybe you can "cut and paste" the similar part between them?

Ok, here start with some nuisance theory explaning :P

在听力训练上的帮助。下一个部分希望帮助你在扒出和弦谱后能够定出和弦相应的音程次序。

老实讲，要准确的扒出曲子完全是靠经验。当然经验也是从零累积，如果你是初学者，就别妄想能够立马扒出那些花俏多多修饰一堆又蓝又爵的非主流乐曲，你只会被不断重复播放的段落烦死而已。但你也是可以做这些准备啦：

• 先扒出主音旋律的部分，这样你就可以从音阶的部分拿到一些线索。
• 涉略一些音阶和曲调的相关知识。（大小调音阶你总分得出吧？ ）
• 确定你对你要扒的曲子的曲风很熟悉。如果不是的话，可以试试找出一些类似的曲子的曲谱，也许有些相似的段落可以提供参考。

Picture courtesy from web

I can't really give much advice here as there are so lot's of chord progression pattern :P And different music style have their own chord progression and style too, here I give you some commonly used stuffs, maybe you can try with these:

Some common chord progression, they can appear in any part of a song:

1. I - V - VIm - IIIm - IV - I - IV - V (yes, this is the chord progression of Canon in... whatever :P )
2. I - V - VIm - IIIm - IV - IIIm - IIm - V (it is quite similar from the above, which mean that some chord can be substitute)
3. I - IV (dumbbbb waysss to dieee)
4. I - V (Country love this)
5. VIm - IV - I - V (the Em-C-G-D stuffssss, Rocks love this)
6. I - IIIm - IV - V
7. I - IIIm - IV - IVm (a not-so-smooth-but-quite-indie version of the above)
8. IIm - IV - V - V (it's like an Dm in C key)
9. VIm - IIIm - IV - V
10. VIm - V - IIIm - IV
11. IV - V - VIm
12. IV - I - V - VIm

Example 1~7 often appear in verse part, and maybe the chorus will be the same but with different playing pattern like more exciting passionate strumming; 8~9 often in bridge. Anyway there aren't any certain rules to fit them in any part of the song.

Few things you can observe is: a song commonly start with either I or IV or IIm or IVm. I haven't really see any exception, so the challenging part in hearing is: Once you've determined a chord, can you determine the interval position of the chord at the same time?


The only advice I can give here is to remind you not to get confused:

• the Major - I and IV - for example the C Major chord will be the I in C key; and the IV in G key.
• the minor - VIm and IIm - for example the Am chord will be the VIm in C key; and IIm in G key.
• If you can't determine if it's either Major or minor, yes, they are neither Major nor minor, it's a power chord.
• try to ignore the playing pattern such as: walking bass, decoration chord etc

The examples above are of course a corner of an iceberg, haven't add in any decoration or passing chord such as maj7, 7, Aug or dim, we will discuss about substitute chord and passing chord pattern in other days.

能讲的也不多，因为每种不同的曲风都会有他们特定爱用的和弦进行，这里我只能列出些较常用的。（注意：这些和弦进行可能出现在和弦歌曲中的任何段落，没有一定的）

1. I - V - VIm - IIIm - IV - I - IV - V (没错这就是卡农的和弦进行)
2. I - V - VIm - IIIm - IV - IIIm - IIm - V (和上面那个很类似，也就是说和弦其实是可以被替代的，这就看编曲的方向了)
3. I - IV
4. I - V (美国乡村民谣的最爱)
5. VIm - IV - I - V (传说中的 Em-C-G-D 进行式，摇滚最常见)
6. I - IIIm - IV - V
7. I - IIIm - IV - IVm (上面那个的非主流版本)
8. IIm - IV - V - V
9. VIm - IIIm - IV - V
10. IV - V - VIm

 例子1~7较常出现在verse的部分，有时副歌的和弦进行和verse会是一样的，可能就弹得比较激动一点；8~9较常出现在bridge的部分。

从上我们发现了一些特点：一首曲子都是以大调 I 或 IV 或者小调IIm 或 VIm开始，我还没见过有例外的，所以接下来的挑战就是当你听出了一个和弦时你是否也能同时决定他的音程次序？

我唯一能给的建议就是让你别被这些例子搞混：

• 大调的 I 和 IV - 如C大调和弦，是C调的第一和弦；同时也是G调的第四和弦。
• 小调的 VIm 和 IIm - 如A小调和弦，是C调的第六小调和弦；同时也是G调的第二小调和弦。
• 如果你分不出这个和弦是大调和弦还是小调和弦，是滴，他不是大调和弦也不是小调和弦，他是个没有大调和弦色彩也没有小调和弦色彩的五和弦。
• 先别去理会编曲中花俏的部分如走路的低音还有修饰和经过和弦。

如上例子当然只是冰山一角， 切记这只是些参考而已，别被以上例子限制。

Conclusion

Practice more by hearing, you will be able to differentiate the colour and function of a chord, do this with interval's idea so you won't be limit by certain playing key and scales, but will be able to transpose your hearing into any playing key and scale, GOOD LUCK!! :D

多扒曲子，对和弦色彩的掌握是可以通过练习来达到的，用音程次序来扒曲子你就不会被单一曲调所限制啦！大家加油！！

最后晒一张无关痛痒的照片，本地知名摄影师Chao Hung拍的~

photo courtesy of Chao Hung Lim

Next: Interval and Scale

upcoming next, we are going to talk about the interval and our playing scale, which will include Major Scale, Minor Scale, Mixolydian mode, Dorian mode etc. I will explain these scale in interval so you will understand them no matter in which key you are playing, visit back again !!!

下一讲：音程度数与音阶。接下来我们来讨论音程度数和音阶的关系。会讨论到大调音阶、小调音阶、Mixolydian音阶、Dorian音阶等等。用音程度数来解释的话，不管你的曲调是哪一个都可以马上应用啦！