Hey Friend,
I actually remembered to create a separate exercise MP3 demonstrating today’s lesson’s standard progression. Yay me (sorry, way too many years having to watch Disney channel with my kids)!
I think this will be the last generic demonstration of substituting chords for a little bit. What we’ll look at next week is chord progressions from famous songs that utilize 7th chords and what they would have sounded like if the artist had used basic chord voicings.
Think of it as a simplistic introduction to song analysis. I’m no expert when it comes to analyzing songs, so we’ll have fun learning together and getting a feel for why you might choose one chord over another.
For today, the basic progression is a I IV IIIm IIm sequence. Feel like something you might find in a song verse or bridge.
I IV IIIm IIm
A D C#m Bm
Again, changing some of the chords to 7ths takes some of the edge off the passage and adds some ambiguity, perhaps some thoughtful questions, to the feel.
This time, the only standard chord is the I. The rest are 7th chords.
I VI7M IIIm7 IIm7
A D7M C#m7 Bm7
Remember, these are only ideas and possibilities. You can try out any series of chords to hear what they sound like together. While there are rules in music theory to help you adhere to generally accepted musical sounds, there is nothing stopping you from breaking any (or all) of the rules.
If it sounds good to you, then there is merit. I guarantee if you like it, there’s someone else out in the world that will like it, too.
The lesson exercises:
The MP3s follow the PDF, so 4-2 is using standard chords, while 4-1 has the 7ths.
It’s Friday, people! Fist bumps and Rock horns for everyone!
Peace~
Dave
| 
