Hey Friend,
Alright, today let’s look at what we might do with a minor progression. This exercise is pulled from the G minor key.
The basic progression is three minor chords - the Im IVm Vm. Again, we’ll substitute the IVm with a IVm7 to change the feel a bit.
In the first system, I’ve taken the IVm chord from the key of G (Cm) and swapped in a Cm7 chord. That alternates for you to get practice changing the fingering.
The second system goes through the Im IVm Vm Im progression as you might hear it in a verse or chorus. The minor chords are definitive - this is a somber passage.
Finally, in the third system, the IVm changes to the IVm7, from Cm to Cm7.
The substitution with a minor 7th changes the feel of the riff to something a bit more hopeful. It’s as if the weight is getting lighter, maybe you see some hope on the horizon.
We are still using the minor 7th note in this chord - the same note we used with the C7 (C dominant 7). The difference is obviously in the 3 note, where we changed from a major third to a minor third in the chord construction.
It still amazes me how shifting a single note one fret can have such an effect on the overall sound of a chord.
Get the exercises right here:
You may not feel any additional inspiration from these at first, but as you hear these changes and internalize the differences in sound, you’ll start recognizing when an artist uses an unexpected chord in a riff. You may not be able to tell exactly which chord it is, but you’ll hear the subtleties and learn to appreciate them.
Go ahead, Rock it out... You deserve it!
Peace~
Dave
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