Power of the Circle of 4ths & Chord Progressions | Repertoire Acquisition
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- Опубліковано 16 жов 2024
- Not only is the circle of 4ths and 5ths important to know in terms of key signatures and basic music theory, the 4th especially is a hidden gem behind how so, so many songs are composed.
Whatever genre of music you're interested in, identifying the chord progressions ill reveal many same patterns found all over the musical spectrum. This video brings together the 4th philosophy from a major scale and common chord progression perspective and shows how identifying them can help acquire repertoire very quickly.
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Very related video from my playlist, Ten Mins @ The Piano: • Ten Mins @ The Piano -...
The astute amongst you may wonder why I did not go further in the cycle up to C# and Cb accordingly. Using these key signatures of 7 accidentals is 'quite' rare (it happens). In my mind, I was seeing the common circle of 4/5ths that many are use to up to F#/Gb. I considered explaining it in my mind but chose not to. Consider this: C# has 7 accidentals; Db, the enharmonic equivalent, has 4 flats. Which would you rather read? Cb has 7 flats; B, the enharmonic equivalent, has 5 sharps. Again, easier to read and 'see'. Know, however, that you could add these to your circle of 4ths/5ths practice.
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Many thanks for all this work - your approach really resonates. I have been practicing scales and seventh chords using the circle of fifths, which has kind of separated, a bit, the development of an internalization of chord progressions... this will change the way i practice and help me get past the current plateau. Your superb teaching skills and style are highly valued, thank you again.
Thank you kindly and welcome to my channel. Glad to be part of your destinationless journey. Updates welcome :)
Best,
Dan
Wow serious. This video just helped me experience the same breakthrough! It makes so much more sense now all things I’ve been practicing! Thank you! 🙏
The reason why such a great video has such low views is probably because it requires such an acquired taste.
Indeed, Cen, thank you for noticing.
You may enjoy this article: piano-jazz.blogspot.com/2015/11/the-pianists-checklist.html
Best,
Dan
indeed dude
It's actually a fairly advanced lesson. Most vids that have lots of views I think are mostly beginner Vids. But still this video is a mindful. Or at least for me😂😂
I don’t call 45k views “low views”
This video is a nugget of gold. Exactly what I've been looking for. Thank you
I learn something with every single video. Can’t wait to try out the progressions in all the keys. Love it! Thank you!
Thank you so much for such a great lesson! This is the first time I can really understand how 2,5,1s are supposed to work in songs. You’re a great teacher!
Duude what an amazing video!! I learned a lot. Many times I have to figure out how to search and find certain things and boom suddenly a video like this one appears teaching all in one video hahah it's amazing, appreciate it a lot.
I've been playing piano for some years now, and I am self-taught in this field. Discovering this, as well as reharmonization techniques has really opened a lot of doors for me. This is a very good video. Thank you for sharing. =)
So many golden nuggets of info here. Thank you so much!
Quality content! Shouldn't be free. Thank you so much!
I was basically mentally getting to grips with it until you went into the temporary floating root which blew my mind but I will persevere with that after I master going around the circle of 4ths in all keys. You are very patient and kind to offer this free information. Thank you.
Hello Robert, thanks for your comment and welcome. The floating 2-5-1 is very important to understand because it appears in almost every jazz piece; it's a good way to keep you 'rooted' (pun somewhat intended). The floating 251 simply means that the 1 of the floating 25...1... is usually a note of the major scale of the piece but it can sometimes not be, perhaps into the minor. The most common 'floating roots' are into the 2nd, 3rd and 6th but 4th is almost possible (well, they all are, these are just the most common). Let's say a piece is in F... it progresses, blablabla.. then suddenly it goes Cm7 (weird, that's not in F)... F7 (well that should be a dominant 7th in F!) and then BbMaj7... ah, that's the 4th, that's nice... it just GOT THERE via a floating 251, whereby the 2 and 5 are the 2 and 5 of the floating root (the 4th). Then everything returns to normal.
Hope this helps!
Best,
Dan
Ah, you may enjoy this playlist in which I analyse songs and often, floating 251s are mentioned: ua-cam.com/play/PL4cPpP-Ua6NUh1zopQKUb3T0kyyu88L1Q.html
Other newer 'fourth' videos:
Augmented chord going up a fourth: ua-cam.com/video/mXpqiBO-oeM/v-deo.html
251 going up a fourth: ua-cam.com/video/mU0GQiaSO_0/v-deo.html
This is one of the most informative and important videos on music theory you will EVER watch peeps.....but you NEED to put it on 0.75 and you NEED to already know your diatonic 7ths in every key....and you need a diagram of the circle of fifths to hand!
Thanks for the great video, Dan! I felt the "click" and am even more excited to learn more theory.
Great to read! Thank you for sharing, Adam.
How about this one? ua-cam.com/video/6RO5XuZ-ddc/v-deo.html
Best,
Dan
This is a 'revelation' to me! I am afraid I have to watch this video several times to understand wat is going on here.
Do not be afraid to watch it again and again! Any clarifications required, let me know.
Best,
Dan
"Unto the rolling heaven itself I cried,
What lamp has destiny to guide
Her little children stumbling in the dark?
And - ,The circle of fourths', the heavens replied"
Plagiarised and misquoted from The Rubaiyyat of Omar Khayyam.
Thank you for the illumination Dan.
Very good... you're a poet and you didn't know it!
Hopefully you'll personalise exercises now to reinforce this important theory.
Best,
Dan
Thank you for the great tutorial. When you reach out of screen occasionally to the right during explanations, I picture one of your cats demanding attention when you are trying to film just as mine does while I'm trying to watch.
wonderful tutorial! Master Dan thank you very much, this was exactly what i needed where i thought i was stucked
Thank you kindly. Any more questions, let me know :)
Best,
Dan
As a beginner at piano ( although i play guitar ) and I'm in my 70s I've had to go out and buy a bottle of gin. Now i will rewind and watch this video till i understand it. :)
The last thing that gin will help you to understand is music theory....or anything else tbh. Believe me I tried it 🤣
Gin will destroy you
I shouldn't be drinking while watching this but it made sense wonderful complex simplicity
I trust it was a fine red wine sir?
Brilliant!! you are so clear and concise!! Thank you very much!
Glad I found Dan, top of my list for music theory.....thanks much
Most humbling - thank you once again!
Updates appreciated.
Best,
Dan
Since I've learned the circle of 4ths, I listen to music differently: used to listen to the melody, now I listen to that bass. There's an incredible number of songs following part of the circle. Do you have a video on secondary dominants?
Good. Yes, too many if you ask me! I call them 'floating 251s' and here is a video on them using the song The Nearness of You: ua-cam.com/video/MjeR-0ZKarc/v-deo.html - Happy to make another video on the concept (in fact, it's a plan to do so!)
Best,
Dan
This video is literally blowing my mind rn. I just had a light bulb moment where the circle of fourths just clicked into place. 😂😂😂every time I rerun this video I'm seeing Sth else. Just wow. Like if you relate.
Another brilliant lesson. Thank you.
Excellent video Dan. I understand the modal theory but get confused whenever you use chords outside of the key, like when you changed the 6th from a min to major. Are there guidelines for changing certain chords?
Thank you Chris!
All chords are explained here, along with their emotional connections: ua-cam.com/video/ORIMDTEyw0s/v-deo.html
When you say 'outside the key', do you mean minor specifically? In the demonstration of chord types near the end, I was simply choose all major triad-based chords with the Maj7, 7 and 6 and then playing them with the minor. Just because a chord is minor doesn't mean it is not 'in key'. C minor is still 99% C major, just the 3rd is flattened. Could you clarify? Nonetheless, the video provided will explain all chords. Also, I have this: ua-cam.com/video/tuuVUrHjAZc/v-deo.html
Let me know how you get on. If needs be, this could be the topic of my next article.
Best,
Dan
danthecomposer I haven't watched the videos that you linked, but I was talking specifically about when you changed the 3rd to a 1/2 dim and 6th to a dominant 7, when, diatonically, 3 and 6 are min7's. I'll try and watch the videos that you've linked a little later on today. Thanks for the reply!
Ah, that's simply because it sounds better! Modal theory is all good for diatonic understanding and 75% of the time, compositions follow it but if anything is changed, it's very often the 3>6 being half dim>dominant 7-based chord. Enjoy the vids!
Best,
Dan
Brilliant but fast. Rewatching and rewatching.
Hi, First of all I want to Thank you for this awesome lesson. I mainly play guitar and by far no disrespect to guitar players when it comes to chord functions, harmonic chord movement and relationships I find keyboard players explain them well. I loved your explanation of circle of 4th and it cleared a lot of confusion. I just want to ask when you said it suspends 3, 4, 6 chord temporarily. Can plz give me more help on that. I get if you start on Root aka C for example to to 6 which is Am if you going to 5 G7 or A7 if going to Dm. So my 2 5 1 is Bm7b5, E7, Am or A7 depending on function.
How about 3rd and 4 if we are to take 3rd and 4th as root temporarily.
Can we go to 3 and 4 via their 2 5 1 from 1 which is C.
If I am on 3 chord on key of C which Em and want to go to 4chord which is Fmaj7 how would I transition to it.
Any help is appreciated ❤
Thanks again
1. Do you use any VST software or it is yamaha's inbuilt piano voice?
2. Do you use an audio interface for recording piano?
💐💐💐💐
Hello, thanks for your question.
1. VSTi is Synthogy Ivory but my favourite in-built piano is the Ambient Grand
2. I connect via USB to the computer, through SI then out the soundcard, combining mic with VSTi output.
Best,
Dan
I could get clarification. Its easy to remember.❤
Teaching is awesome but when you start playing who cares! Just listening to your fine touch is so captivating ! You are so blessed.I wish you cold play some solos & then later go step by step cos it's so overwhelming . Do you have any books or DVDs of your teaching or videos that go from basic?
Hello, thanks for your kind comment and welcome to my channel. Glad this helped and that you enjoyed it :)
I have some products, the main one being this: sellfy.com/p/wHlJ/ - but focus on this playlist: ua-cam.com/play/PL4cPpP-Ua6NWl43cy2XiArwodqSmWBOzC.html - I don't seek your money.
I have these where I discuss repertoire: ua-cam.com/play/PL4cPpP-Ua6NUh1zopQKUb3T0kyyu88L1Q.html
Best,
Dan
Great lesson, thanks Dan. I do have a question for you. Is A7(alt) same as A7(aug) i.e. A-C#-F-G ? It sounds so crushing, what chord should I play to resolve? Thanks. Best to you as always. BTY, I saw your black cat. Do you have a dog? One of my two dogs like to sit by me when I play, but only few minutes she will fall asleep (my poor performances, I guess)
Hello Sir Andrew,
Thank you once again. I hope you are well.
No. An augmented chord, the #5, has only ONE note modified. The altered chord MUST have the 5 AND 9 altered to be an alt chord.
C, E, G# = Augmented, not Altered.
C, E, G# Bb (alt chords must be dominant 7-based), Db and/or D# (the 9th b or #). Note, also, that the #5 note is also the same as the b13 (G#, Ab) so you could label an ALT chord: C(b9/b13) and it could also be Caugb9 - you get the same sound at the end of the day and inversion choice is up to you, as long as the base/master key of the chord is established, otherwise all those notes could be in any key and lose their note values (not being/sounding as what they are in the key of C).
Hope this helps!
Best,
Dan
(Oh, and I have two brownish cats, no dogs yet! One of them sits near me or wanders, the other is probably chasing a fly somewhere) :)
I've heard you playing and it isn't because of your poor performance!
Hi Dan.
I always used the circle of 5ths to guide me ... but yet you say that the circle of 4th is the "hidden gem". Are they not the same ... in the key C, going up from G to C is up a forth, but going down from G to C is down a fifth. Are they not interchangeable? I'm not trying to be cute or showing off some arcane knowledge. I'm quite interested to know if it is important to view it as a circle of 4th instead of a circle of 5th.
Hello Bertin,
Good comment.
The 4ths and 5ths are the same in opposite directions. The 4ths give you 1 more flat each time (from C...) and the 5ths give you 1 more sharp each time (from C...). The 5ths backwards are 4ths and the 4ths backwards are 5ths (intervals). So yes, theoretically, they are interchangeable in terms of interval.
But, chord progressions are based on 4ths UP (left to right, like reading) rather than 5ths DOWN. This keeps you in the octave of the major scale and keeps everything in order. If you were to talk about progressions 'going down a 5th' (same, theoretically as going up a 4th), you would be going against the grain and leaving the octave every time, losing the flow of left to right.
I hope this helps :)
Best,
Dan
Amazing! Many thanks for this! But what if the master key is a minor key for example A minor? Is it still going in fourths? Is the A minor chord the 1, D minor the 3, F major the 6, B diminished the 2, E minor the 5 and back to A minor, and if not this way then how?
Hello Cosmin, thanks for watching and for your comment. Welcome.
You're correct in principle but you labelled the third as D whereas it's the 4th... C is the third (minor in this context). I recommend this video on all three minor scales which will help: ua-cam.com/video/nvyMPyFdbZc/v-deo.html
Let me know how you get on.
Best,
Dan
www.piano-jazz.blogspot.com
When you play a song in A minor key do you think of the A minor chord as 1 or does it always stay 6 for you even tough it is the tonic?
It's 6. I always see a chord based on the master key of the piece, even when it's written in relative minor (the 6th being the root). I also use floating 251s which still keep me 'rooted' to the master key. I made a video on this philosophy here: ua-cam.com/video/MGX5mAgwpLs/v-deo.html
Best,
Dan
@@danthecomposer Thanks!
@@danthecomposer this isn’t what is taught here.....www.learnjazzstandards.com/blog/learning-jazz/jazz-advice/navigate-autumn-leaves/.......It’s no wonder people get SO confused, myself more than anyone. It is literally taking me years to unravel all this 😫
You are so great. Thank you.
Thank you very much, this is a big help
My pleasure, welcome to my channel!
You may also enjoy this: piano-jazz.blogspot.hu/2017/06/five-beginner-videos.html
Best,
Dan
haloo, am Joe and i would like to have some jazzy classes, how can i avail....?
I could be wrong but at 18:48 you say “G” when it’s an A and at 19:50 you say “2 is the 2nd of E” I’m just really confused
Understandable. Thanks for your question. When I said "2" and pressed A, I meant that A is the 2nd of G, because I'm playing a 251 progression into G: A(m7), D(7), G (Maj) and this was exampled using the famous jazz piece: Autumn Leaves. The 19.50 part is again a 251 but into E, and E is the 6th of G, the master key of the piece. It seems you need to understand floating 251 philosophy and I have a video on that here so enjoy it :) ua-cam.com/video/MGX5mAgwpLs/v-deo.html
Updates welcome.
Best,
Dan
@@danthecomposer
I would love to learn to play "Autumn Leaves"! Is it in the key of C?
@@TheSunshinedreamer1 It's in every key, like every jazz song. It's about the progression. See here first: ua-cam.com/video/6LdRubL8QVk/v-deo.html
15:33 you say master key F, then you go inmediatly to the second, third and four (playing F, Cminor, F7 and B...) F7 is not the six of the floating one instead of third of floating one? i dont get it right... btw very nice video!
Hello there, thanks for your question. When I said 'second, third, fourth' I meant of a numerical sequence 1, 2, 3 and 4... I was not referring to its musical placement :) I hope this helps!
Best,
Dan
I consider the "circle of fourths" the same thing as the circle of fifths, just backwards. In my mind a fourth = a fifth because of interval inversions
Totally fine and correct :)
Best,
Dan
Awesome video! (and cat)
Been messing around with this but a thought occurs to me.. What about relative minors and subsequent chords surely this shortcuts a lot of this stuff.. For example. G7 related to Em7 and the subsequent rules for that.
Glad you're having fun with it. I understand what you're saying because indeed, every scale has diatonic chords, the natural minor (6th mode/aeolian) in triad form being: minor, diminished, major, minor, minor, major, major.. so your example of G7/Em is correct in the sense that the minor of E, G, is a major chord (dominant 7th). In terms of what to do with that? Not a lot. Are you composing? All this theory about diatonic chords and scales sometimes gets in the way of actually playing because it adds too many confines. You *must* play G7 if you're in the relative minor key and composing 'correctly' but what does that mean, 'correctly'? It's a theory which is nice to know but something you shouldn't let disturb your creativity. It's also nice to recognise in compositions to reinforce relative minor key signatures but again, in the end, so what? So, nice to know but keep it on the back burner perhaps? The main focus in this video is the cycle of 4ths and 99% of jazz chord progressions are based on this so definitely a good thing to get used to but by all means drill the minor diatonic chords if you want :)
Best,
Dan
Thanks for response..I'm well acquainted with the cycle I play harmonica as my main instrument, also sax and guitar but find the piano which I learnt as an elective during a college music course because of its linearity the most useful in grappling with any theory or analysis questions. I thought I had a fairly good take on modal theory and already knew about parent keys and accidentals but found myself struggling with how you were making some of your decisions.. I eventually sussed it by working backwards.. It was only when I started applying the rule that I started to think wow t theres going to be so much to work out with all the different keys Then I started to notice all the duplications and things like C Maj7 being treated as Em7..which I already knew as well as that could sub to a Dom7 and that could be tritone subbed etc.. I have a tendency to fall back to my ear as harmonica was the first instrument I came to grips with(50yrs approx) but strive to relate things to theory a bit more as I dont want to be fishing for the best.notes..chords whatever. Although I've learnt a fair bit of analysis I still struggle with analysing pieces and find that occasionally the penny drops when something like yourself or some other youtube lesson or just my own dabbling puts things in a new perspective..
Thanks so much for this lesson model theory progration
And thank you kindly for watching. Welcome to my channel. Perhaps this video will be of interest next: ua-cam.com/video/vHFK9xvQLO8/v-deo.html&lc=
Best,
Dan
www.piano-jazz.blogspot.com
Thanks Dan, It would be nice for the first few minutes of your video, if you show the actual circle of 4ths illustration we can review instead of watching your hands move as you speak.
appreciate u bro
A friendly correction for your captions under this video: Db Major has 5 flats, not 4 as An flat major has 4 flats:)
Captions? I don’t write the captions so I’m not sure why google heard me so wrong! Please can you provide a time stamp?
Thanks for the heads up!
Best,
Dan
Excellent Video
Thank you Tom and welcome to my channel.
Do also consider my blog: piano-jazz.blogspot.hu/2015/11/the-pianists-checklist.html
Best,
Dan
Done!!!
Thanks!
Oh thank you very much! 🙋♂️🙏🙏
This is really helpfull, Thankyou 🙏👏🖤
Mega tutorial