Music Theory for Songwriters

Not all songs have chord progressions that end on a V chord, and often songs will end with a IV resolving to I, known as the plagal cadence.

In a previous episode, we analyzed "Stand By Me" by Ben E. King. This episode discusses the "why" of the I-vi-IV-V chord progression and explain the basics of the 4-chord phrase structure. We cover Tonic, Chords with common tones, Pre-Dominant, and Dominant Chords containing a leading tone.

For the half-diminished 7th chord, we take the minor 7th chord and flat the 5th, which is why these chords are often called m7(b5). Fully diminished 7th chords also flat the 7th. When we flat a minor 7th, we get an interval called a diminished 7th chord.

In this episode we talk about the pattern used to construct major and minor chords or TRIADS. We also discuss how to use this information to create different VOICING of a chord. We also build on our previous discussion of intervals by introducing three new ones: Major 3rds, Minor 3rds, and Perfect 5ths.

This episode outlines the Diatonic chords–the ones that fit with no added sharps or flats–within a key.

In a Major key we have 1, 2m, 3m, 4, 5, 6m, 7dim.

In a Minor key we have 1m, 2dim, 3, 4m, 5m, 6, 7.

In Harmonic Minor we raise the 7th note of the key by a half step creating a LEADING TONE: 1m, 2dim, 3, 4m, 5*, 6, #7dim.