In This Article
To create truly cool and soulful chord progressions, you need to go beyond the basic chords of a single key. The secret lies in mixing chords from a major key and its parallel minor key. This article will show you exactly how to do it.
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Harmonized Scales: Your Chord Toolkit
First, you need to know the chords available in any major key and its parallel minor key. Let's use the key of A as our example.
The **A Major** harmonized scale gives you these chords:
I ii iii IV V vi vii°
Amaj Bm C#m Dmaj Emaj F#m G#dim
The **A Minor** harmonized scale gives you these chords:
i ii° III iv v VI VII
Am Bdim Cmaj Dm Em Fmaj Gmaj
The Secret: Mixing Major and Minor
The fun begins when you "borrow" chords from the minor scale to use in your major-key progression. Our ears are so accustomed to the sound of blues, rock, and soul music that mixing these two palettes sounds completely natural and adds instant emotional depth.
For example, a standard progression in A major might be:
| A | E | D | A |
To make it more soulful, we can borrow the G and C chords from A minor:
| A | E | D | A | G | D C | A | A |
That G and C, which are the bVII and bIII chords relative to A major, add a bluesy, darker quality that makes the progression far more interesting.
Practical Examples and Analysis
Let's analyze the classic song "I Know You Rider" in the key of D Major. The chords are:
| D | % | C | G | D | % | % | % |
While the song is clearly in D major (the "home" chord is D), the C and G chords are borrowed directly from D minor (they are the bVII and IV chords in D major, but the bVII and V in D minor). This mix is what gives the song its timeless folk-rock sound.
When analyzing, always use the major scale as your reference. Use a "b" symbol for any borrowed chord whose root is a half-step lower than its major scale counterpart. For example, in the key of A, the G major chord from A minor is called the bVII chord because G is a half-step lower than the G# of the A major scale.
Frequently Asked Questions
This technique is commonly known as 'modal interchange' or 'modal mixture.' You are 'borrowing' a chord from a parallel mode (in this case, the natural minor scale, which is the Aeolian mode) and using it within a major key context.
The chords from the parallel minor scale (like the bVII, bIII, and iv) often have a flatter, more melancholic sound compared to their bright major scale counterparts. This 'blue note' feel is at the heart of blues, soul, and rock music, which grew out of a fusion of African musical traditions (which used flatter scales) and European harmony.
The most common and 'safe' borrowed chords are the bIII (like C in the key of A), the bVII (like G in the key of A), the iv (like Dm in the key of A), and the bVI (like F in the key of A). While you can technically use any chord, these four are the most widely used and instantly recognizable in popular music.
Conclusion
There is a ton of content to explore by mixing these two harmonized scales. The key is to experiment. Start with a basic major key progression and try swapping in chords from the parallel minor. Trust your ear—if it sounds good, it is good. Have fun creating!
This article was written by Dennis Winge, a professional guitarist, composer, and teacher living in the Finger Lakes Region of New York State. If you are interested in taking Guitar Lessons in Ithaca, NY, be sure to contact Dennis!
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