{"id":12528,"date":"2016-03-03T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2016-03-03T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.hearandplay.com\/main\/?p=12528"},"modified":"2024-10-10T07:30:51","modified_gmt":"2024-10-10T15:30:51","slug":"preparing-left-hand-cyclical-progressions-fourths-fifths","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hearplaymain.wpenginepowered.com\/preparing-left-hand-cyclical-progressions-fourths-fifths\/","title":{"rendered":"Preparing The Left Hand For Cyclical Progressions In Fourths and Fifths"},"content":{"rendered":"

I hope you enjoyed our previous discussion<\/a> on cyclical progressions.<\/p>\n

If you did, then you’ll love this post because I’ll be taking you a step further by preparing your left hand for cyclical movement in fourths.<\/p>\n

There’s usually much emphasis on the right hand, learning all the chords and harmonic devices. And while there’s nothing wrong with learning chords on the right hand, when the left hand is overlooked, it becomes challenging to coordinate both hands down the road.<\/p>\n

In this post, I’ll be exposing you to concepts that will help you understand how the left hand works in cyclical progressions.<\/p>\n

Fourth vs Fifth Intervals<\/h2>\n

Cyclical progressions ascend in fourths and descend in fifths.<\/p>\n

Although the most common qualities of fourths and fifths used in cyclical progressions are the perfect fourth and perfect fifth intervals, the diminished fifth and the augmented fourth intervals are also used.<\/p>\n

On the music clock (circle of fourths<\/a>):
\n\"circleoffiths1\"<\/p>\n

…moving counter-clockwise from C to F can either mean ascending from C:
\n
\n…to F:
\n
\n…or descending from C:
\n
\n…to F:
\n
\nWhichever way it is, it all boils down to F.<\/p>\n

There are also other situations where C:
\n
\n…will ascend [by an augmented fourth interval] to F#:
\n
\n…or descend [by a diminished fifth interval] to F#:
\n<\/p>\n

The tritone<\/a> is the relationship between the ascent of a root by an augmented fourth or its descent by a diminished fifth.<\/p>\n

Attention:<\/strong> Considering that the movement of the root (or bass) in cyclical progressions is at the player’s discretion to either ascend<\/em> in fourths or descend<\/em> in fifths, mastering fourth and fifth intervals (especially the perfect fourth and perfect fifth intervals) in all keys will be of the greatest possible importance.<\/p>\n

Perfect Fourth Intervals<\/h3>\n

Out of the seven occurrences that scale tones are connected in cyclical progressions in any given key, six of those occurrences are the ascent of the perfect fourth interval. Don’t worry, I’ll explain.<\/p>\n

The notes of the C major scale can be rearranged in ascents of fourths:
\n
\nLet’s examine these fourths:
\n
\nFrom C to F:
\n
\n…a perfect fourth.<\/p>\n

From F to B:
\n
\n…an augmented fourth<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

From B to E:
\n
\n…a perfect fourth.<\/p>\n

From E to A:
\n
\n…a perfect fourth.<\/p>\n

From A to D:
\n
\n…a perfect fourth.<\/p>\n

From D to G:
\n
\n…a perfect fourth.<\/p>\n

From G to C:
\n
\n…a perfect fourth.<\/p>\n

That’s what I meant when I said six ascents by perfect fourths (C to F, B to E, E to A, A to D, D to G, G to C). There is only one ascent between F and B that is considered an augmented fourth<\/strong> interval.<\/p>\n

Here’s a tabular documentation of our close examination of the quality of fourths between the tones of the C major scale…<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n

Fourth Interval<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Quality<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

C to F<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Perfect fourth<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

F to B<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Augmented fourth<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

B to E<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Perfect fourth<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

E to A<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Perfect fourth<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

A to D<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Perfect fourth<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

D to G<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Perfect fourth<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

G to C<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Perfect fourth<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

The perfect fourth interval is used 85% (6 out of 7) of the times we ascend in fourths.<\/p>\n

Suggested reading: Mastering perfect fourth intervals<\/a>.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Here are the ascents of the perfect fourth interval in all twelve keys:<\/p>\n

C to F:
\n
\nDb to Gb:
\n
\nD to G:
\n
\nEb to Ab:
\n
\nE to A:
\n
\nF to Bb:
\n
\nF# to B:
\n
\nG to C:
\n
\nAb to Db:
\n
\nA to D:
\n
\nBb to Eb:
\n
\nB to E:
\n<\/p>\n

Perfect Fifth Intervals<\/h3>\n

Descents in fifths are also common in cyclical progressions.<\/p>\n

Believe it or not, it is common for the root of the chord to descend in the interval of a perfect fifth 6 out of 7 times.<\/p>\n

Here are the notes of the C major scale rearranged in descent of fifths (start from the farthest C to the right and move to the left):
\n\"Screenshot<\/p>\n

Here are the descents of the perfect fifth interval in all twelve keys:<\/p>\n

C to F:
\n
\nDb to Gb:
\n
\nD to G:
\n
\nEb to Ab:
\n
\nE to A:
\n
\nF to Bb:
\n
\nF# to B:
\n
\nG to C:
\n
\nAb to Db:
\n
\nA to D:
\n
\nBb to Eb:
\n
\nB to E:
\n<\/p>\n

The Tetrachord<\/h2>\n

The tetrachord<\/a> was in use before modes<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The term tertachord <\/em>is a Greek word that means\u00a0four notes<\/em>. Here’s an example of a tetrachord built on C:<\/p>\n

These four notes – C, D, E, and F are a tetrachord.<\/p>\n

The major scale can be broken down into two tetrachords<\/a>:<\/p>\n