Music Theory and Songwriting
The majority of songs that we hear on the airwaves can beboiled down by music theory. Although there are many ways to write a song, the following theories generally apply at some level of construction. At its basis, this theory of music is governed by physics and transcend, to some extent, borders and cultures.
The Known and the Unknown
The way in which the chords relate to one another and how they combine to create the magic in songs is an art and science that can be studied if not unraveled entirely. In the end, there is an X factor to songwriting which goes beyond analysis. But knowing the basis on which the theories are built can give you a tremendous tool in the process.
The Seven Tones of the Key
We start with a note we call “One” or Do – as in Do-re-mi-fa-sol-la-ti. These are the seven tones of a major key. Whatever the key you are thinking in, there is a “tonic” or tonal center. The other six notes have a specific relationship to that tonic and function according to certain rules or conventions; which can be embraced or ignored depending on the aim and the style of music.
Twelve Tones and the Human Hand
There are only twelve “tonics” and they are all equal. The major scales built on them are all identical systems whose only difference is that they start at a different frequency or pitch. The complexity of viewing this on a piano belies the simplicity of it since the piano was made as an interface between the 12-note system and our ten digits. The piano evolved out of the most logical progression through the twelve keys given the ten-fingered anatomy; an interesting topic for another blog.
Why Always the Key of C?
C major is always chosen as the preferred key for analysis because its relative, A minor, sits on the first letter; and it so happens that both these minor and major scale patterns lay across the keys of the piano without using any black notes, all the chords being easily found. The other reason is that the keyboard has been the chosen instrument for teaching and understanding music for centuries. The bottom line – once you’ve learned the mysteries of one key, you’ve unlocked them all. So remember as I talk about C major that everything you learn applies to all the major keys.
The Basics of Harmony
On these root notes of the scale we build the triads or three-note chords. These are built by taking the scale tone, each of which we now call “one” when spelling a chord, and adding the next, odd-numbered scale members, three and five. This is also known as root, third, fifth in theory jargon. Chord tones of triads are represented on the staff by adjacent line-line-line, or space-space-space. If we take the note C, the third and the fifth would be E and G, making a C major chord.
The Physics of I and V
Now in the physical universe, the most closely related note to C is G. It’s the first neighbor in the harmonic series which goes: 1 to 1 – unison, 2 to 1 – octave, 3 to 1 – fifth, 4 to 1 – fourth, etc. G is a fifth above C, being five degrees up along the scale, and the chord built on G is called “V” of C. Upper and lower case roman numerals denote the “quality” of major and minor triads respectively. These two chords are at the basis of most music.
The I-IV-V Relationship
F is the subdominant of C (a fifth lower) and G is the dominant (a fifth higher.) So, when you hear people say “one, four, five” they mean the tonic chord I; the V chord built on the note a fifth above the tonic; and the IV chord built on the note a fifth below the tonic. These notes F and G are, physically, the most closely related pitches to the tonic C. Note: going up a fifth is the same as going down a fourth, and going up a fourth is the same as going down a fifth. F, C and G are neighbors in the circle of fifths. Therefore, all such groupings of three along the circle have this relationship to one another of a I chord being flanked on its right by its dominant V, and on its left by its sub-dominant IV.
The Relative Minor
Of the remaining chords of our key, the next most common chord found in songs is vi, A minor. It is called the “relative” minor of C since they share the same key signature (no sharps or flats.) The A minor chord (A-C-E) is built on the sixth scale degree above the tonic C. With the addition of this chord to the other three, our list of most common chords used in songwriting is: I, IV, V, vi.
Songs by Chord
For a songwriter, it is useful to think through the different possible sequences of these chords: as in I-V-vi-IV in Let It Be, or IV-V-I-vi in American Girl, or Don’t Stop Believin’ which is also I-V-vi-IV. Training your ear to identify the chord numbers is an important skill. An analysis of the most common types of chord progressions in the top songs (major mode) would show that these four diatonic chords are primary and occur more than any others.
Why Should You Care?
The reason I am telling you all about these ubiquitous chords and how they are used is so the you have a basis from which to create. Knowing that these are the common chords, you can discover other choices and piece together the palette that works for you. When the fog of perception is lifted, possibilities are abundant.
The vii Diminished Chord
The chord built on the seventh scale degree is the least common, being a diminished chord and the only one without a perfect fifth (B to F is a diminished fifth.) This chord will most often appear as an extension of the V chord since it shares two notes with V. The V7 chord, which we cover elsewhere, can be seen as a combination of these two chords.
The ii Chord
The ii minor chord often functions as a set up to the dominant chord, and is also called predominant. Its root is a fifth above the dominant and so it becomes a “secondary dominant” when the third is raised: a so-called V of V, or dominant of the dominant. Because the root of the ii chord is a fifth above the dominant, it will have a similar function of drawing to the dominant as the dominant has a function of drawing to the tonic. The exception is that its draw will be less so since it lacks the leading tone or raised seventh which draws to the tonic. Pre-choruses are spots in which you will often find the ii chord setting up a dominant chord which then lands on the tonic at the chorus.
Progressions vs Retrogressions
The root movement of a fifth between two chords is considered a “progression” whereas root movement down a step (say a IV chord to a iii chord) is considered a “retrogression.” Looking at the different types of progressions and retrogressions is informative. Progressions are favored but retrogressions are not uncommon and even favored in some genres. Most importantly, these two are pitted against each other to create dynamic contrast. Retrogressions tend to build static tension whereas progressions represent the motion to a destination.
The iii Chord
The last diatonic chord is the mediant chord or iii chord whose function is more ambiguous since it shares two notes with both the tonic (I) and the dominant (V). This chord can be heard in Freddie Mercury’s songs Killer Queen (on the word “Queen”) and also in We are the Champions (on the word “Champions”)where the particular mediant flavor is used to good effect: see also my blog on Bohemian Rhapsody for more on the mediant chord.
Writing in Minor
As we said, the relative minor of C is A minor, and the scale, as spelled from A through G, is called the “natural minor” scale. The chords built on the fourth (iv) and fifth (v)scale degrees are also minor chords. The v chord E minor is often altered to E major by raising the third to G# so that we have the pull of the “leading tone” (G# to A). This is the characteristic major V chord going to i. In summary, the E major chord as V of A, the key relationship of A minor to its relative major C, and the myriad chordal progressions that lie between these relatives are the ones used in the majority of songs.
A Word About Parallel Keys and Borrowed Chords
Songwriters spice up songs with modal borrowing from parallel keys. We said A minor is the relative of C because they share the same key signature (white keys) though they have a different tonic. Well, A major is the “parallel” of A minor since they share the same tonic (though not the same key signature – A major has three sharps). By the same token, C minor is the parallel of C major though it is the relative of Eb major (which has three flats.) A chord is said to be borrowed if it belongs to the parallel key. A common form of this is the borrowed iv chord (spelled f-Ab-C in the key of C major) which is a minor chord and lends a weightier nostalgia to cadences than the major IV chord.
It’s About Feel
Anyone can put together these chord progressions in a theoretical way, but imparting a feeling into the music is the true craft. When you do this, you create an entity which has a life of its own. The art of songwriting is in the feel we can impart through our minds and our bodies. The story is told in the lyric and the journey of the melody through the chords. The battle between consonance and dissonance in the interaction of the melody with the chords, and how the resultant structure emerges is where a song lives or dies.
Here is a songwriting exercise you can do:
- Make a list of all the possible ordering combinations of I, IV, V, vi and play them
- Add the ii and iii chords and come up with a list of progressions you find interesting
- Explore a number of different styles, tempos and feels for your progressions
- Record sketches of you playing your favorite progressions
- Repeat daily
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