blastingas10

Even if I threw a g and a c major in there it wouldn't be in G? I was looking at my key chart and all those chords fall under G major. I was doing some soloing over the progression and I found some notes that worked, so I kept messing around discovered it was the G major scale I was playing. It sounds weird that the G major scale would work over those minor chords, but it does. I'll do some soloing in E and see if that sounds better.

venjacques

blastingas 10:
"What key is this progression in? A minor/C major/E7/A# major."

Burning Down was correct that you can make that A# major chord into a Bb Major one.

Doing this will give you the neapolitan effect (bII). It is, as notated, a Major triad built on the b2. You can label this as "N6" (they're usually found in their first inversion) or just simply "N" if you're feeling crafty.

Your whole progression then (in the key of a minor of course) is then : i III V7 N(6). Pretty simple. Remember than Neapolitans are usually predominant functions, so they usually want to go to a V or a vii. Keep this in mind, and follow suit if you want a 'normal' sounding progression. Or break the rule and be a bad-ass rebel. That's always fun too.

-------

As for your e minor/b minor / a minor, the v (B minor in the key of e minor) is usually Major instead, as Burning Down has stated. However, don't forget that the Major (dominant) V(7) chord belongs to the Harmonic minor scale, and that the natural minor's v chord is normally minor.

I've been analyzing Bach chorales lately and have come across many chords I can't describe except as minor v chords. They are peculiar, but if Bach can do it, why not let them exist?

------------

As for these chords being in the key of G Major, that's correct too.

G major and e minor are relative key signatures. This means they have the same number of Sharps and Flats.

The G Major scale is: G A B C D E F# G
The e natural minor scale is: E F# G A B C D E

Notice how they both only have one sharp, on F.

Thus, you get the same chords from them:

G Major, A minor, B minor, C Major, D Major, e minor, f# diminished.

If you want to make e harmonic minor, you simply raise the 7th note in the scale (in this case, the D) by adding a sharp. Your e harmonic minor scale is then E F# G A B C D# E.

With these notes, you get the following chords instead (different chords from previous are bolded):

e minor, f# diminished, G Augmented, a minor, B Major, C Major, d# diminished.

These sets of chords are semi all related based on that key signature with just the lone F#.

You should be able to have some fun with these selections of chords and moving around through progressions.

__________________
It's just another day.

blastingas10

Another question.

For example, if someone is playing an a minor chord and you want to play along, can you play only an a minor chord or are there any other chords in a that will work? Do you get what im saying? It might be hard to understand

Burning Down

Playing at the same time, in sync? Play the same chord - it's already harmonized and your ears will thank you.

blastingas10

Yes thats what I meant. I've just heard of some songs, like the Beatles "get back" for instance, where someone plays an A major and then someone else playing some sort of A7 at the same time.

Burning Down

Well, you can do that because it's the same chord. You're just adding the 7th to it.

koctadinoc

Hello... I am not sure if I should ask this question in this thread.. :P

Does anybody know what is this type of guitar chords: D4_3, Bm4_3, A6_5?
I learnt from a professional that when you see a D4_3 you place your fingers like playing a normal D chord, but you also use your 4th finger placed on the 1st string, 3th fret (G note), and then you lift your 4th finger and you come back to the normal D chord.. I tried that and fits perfect with the song, but I don't understand what exactly the numbers 4_3 show... Can anyone help??

Burning Down

Those are inversions of a 7th chord, in your case, D7.

D7 = Root position, the D is the lowest note (the bass note).
D6/5 = 1st inversion. F# is in the bass.
D4/3 = 2nd inversion. A is in the bass.
D4/2 = 3rd inversion. C is in the bass.

These inversions apply to all types of 7th chords in every key.

G is not part of any D or D7 chord so I have no idea what this guy was telling you.

Definitely the right thread to post these types of questions and don't hesitate to ask more!

koctadinoc

Ok.. Thanks.. And what about A and Bm? And how can I find the inversions by myself?

Burning Down

Basically, the same principle applies. Except that there is no 3rd inversion because they are not 7th chords. Constructing chord inversions can get a lot more complicated than that when you start notating them on staff paper, but for guitar you can keep it as simple as what I posted before.