Let\u2019s get started in this post by breaking down the concept of the 2-5-1 chord progression.<\/p>\n
The 2-5-1 Chord Progression<\/h2>\n
A chord progression<\/em> simply means a movement of chords from one degree of the scale to another. Traditional scales<\/a> [like the C major scale] have eight degrees – from the first degree: According to Jermaine Griggs, “the 2-5-1 chord progression is a cyclical chord movement<\/a> from the second, to the fifth, and then to the first tone of the scale in a major or minor key.”<\/em> Consequently, there’s a major and a minor 2-5-1 chord progression.<\/p>\n In the 2-5-1 chord progression using the C major scale: …where:<\/p>\n D is 2<\/p>\n G is 5<\/p>\n C is 1<\/p><\/blockquote>\n …is a movement from the D minor seventh<\/a>: D is 2<\/p>\n G is 5<\/p>\n C is 1<\/p><\/blockquote>\n …is the chord movement from the D half-diminished seventh: The major 2-5-1 chord progression to C major has the following tenths…<\/p>\n D minor tenth: The D minor seventh chord<\/strong>: The G dominant seventh chord<\/strong>: The C major seventh chord<\/strong>: Here are the seventh intervals of the major 2-5-1 chord progression to C major…<\/p>\n D minor seventh: The D minor seventh chord<\/strong>: The G dominant seventh chord<\/strong>: The C major seventh chord<\/strong>: Let’s look at how we can play the major 2-5-1 chord progression using tenths and sevenths.<\/p>\n Using the tenths and sevenths we covered in the previous segment, here’s a 2-5-1 chord progression – check it out!<\/p>\n In the key of C major: 2: 2: “Here’s how to connect the progression using voice leading principles…”<\/em><\/p>\n Alternating between a tenth and a seventh leads to a smoother connection between the root notes of the 2-5-1 chord progression.<\/p>\n From a tenth in chord 2: D minor tenth<\/p>\n G minor seventh<\/p>\n C major tenth<\/p><\/blockquote>\n There’s an alternate approach to playing the major 2-5-1 progression using tenths and sevenths. Check it out!<\/p>\n Instead of starting with the tenth, we’ll be starting with the seventh. From a seventh in chord 2: D minor seventh<\/p>\n G major tenth<\/p>\n C major seventh<\/p><\/blockquote>\n You’re not wrong if you call this alternate approach a ‘seventh, tenth, seventh.’<\/p>\n In a nutshell, there are two approaches to playing the major 2-5-1 progression – the tenth, seventh, tenth and the seventh, tenth, seventh.<\/p>\n In the key of C minor: 2: …using tenths that we covered earlier, and this is also another 2-5-1 chord progression using seventh intervals…<\/p>\n 2: Attention: <\/strong>A closer look at the seventh intervals for the minor 2-5-1 chord progression shows a uniformity. The D half-diminished seventh chord (chord 2) has the minor seventh interval, and so does the G dominant seventh chord (chord 5) and the C minor seventh chord (chord 1.) <\/strong><\/p>\n If you are wondering why these three chord qualities all have minor seventh intervals then you have to check out my post on what 60% of common chord qualities have in common<\/a>.<\/p>\n Using voice leading principles, here’s how to smoothly connect a minor 2-5-1 chord progression in the key of C minor…<\/p>\n From a tenth in chord 2: D minor tenth<\/p>\n G minor seventh<\/p>\n C minor tenth<\/p><\/blockquote>\n There’s an alternate approach to playing the minor 2-5-1 progression using tenths and sevenths. Check it out!<\/p>\n Instead of starting with the tenth, we’ll be starting with the seventh. From a seventh in chord 2: D minor seventh<\/p>\n G major tenth<\/p>\n C minor seventh<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Now that we have covered the 2-5-1 chord progression using tenths and sevenths, let’s end by learning a few chords to play on the right hand over these 2-5-1 progressions.<\/p>\n Chord 2<\/strong><\/p>\n Over the D minor tenth interval: Over the G minor seventh interval: Over the C major tenth interval: Chord 2: Chord 2<\/strong><\/p>\n Over the D minor seventh interval: Over the G major tenth interval: Over the C minor seventh interval: Chord 2: Hope you learned something?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Discover the secrets to playing 2-5-1 chord progressions using tenths and sevenths in this lesson.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":22847,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[25,9],"tags":[209,33,14,17,2081,2097,1976,195,2080,2102],"class_list":["post-13644","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-chords-progressions","category-piano","tag-2-5-1","tag-2-5-1-chord-progression","tag-2-5-1-chord-progressions","tag-basic-songs","tag-how-to-use-tenths","tag-major-2-5-1-chord-progression","tag-minor-2-5-1-chord-progression","tag-sevenths","tag-tenths","tag-tenths-and-sevenths","post-wrapper","thrv_wrapper"],"yoast_head":"\n
\n
\n…to the eighth degree:
\n
\n…from C to C:
\n
\n…and the C minor scale:
\n
\n…also has eight degrees from C to C.<\/p>\n“What Would You Answer If Someone Asks You What A 2-5-1 Chord Progression Is?”<\/em><\/h3>\n
\n<\/p>\n
\n
\n…to the G dominant seventh<\/a>:
\n
\n…and finally to the C major seventh<\/a> chord:
\n
\n…while the 2-5-1 chord progression using the C minor scale:<\/p>\n
\n
\n…to the G dominant seventh:
\n
\n…and finally to the C minor seventh chord:
\n
\nNow that you have an idea of the major and minor 2-5-1 chord progressions respectively, let’s derive the corresponding tenth and seventh intervals.<\/p>\nTenths And Sevenths<\/h2>\n
\n
\nG major tenth:
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\nC major tenth:
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\nHere’s how they are derived…<\/p>\n
\n
\n…is chord 2, and from its third interval (D-F):
\n
\n…we can be able to derive its tenth (D-F):
\n
\n…a minor tenth.<\/p>\n
\n
\n…is chord 5, and from its third interval (G-B):
\n
\n…we can be able to derive its tenth (G-B):
\n
\n…a major tenth.<\/p>\n
\n
\n…is chord 1, and from its third interval (C-E):
\n
\n…we can be able to derive its tenth (C-E):
\n
\n…a major tenth.<\/p>\n
\n
\nG minor seventh:
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\nC major seventh:
\n
\nHere’s how they are derived…<\/p>\n
\n
\n…is chord 2 and has D-C:
\n
\n…a minor seventh interval.<\/p>\n
\n
\n…is chord 5 and has G-F:
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\n…a minor seventh interval.<\/p>\n
\n
\n…is chord 2 and has C-B:
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\n…a major seventh interval.<\/p>\n2-5-1 Chord Progressions Using Tenths And Sevenths<\/h2>\n
The Major 2-5-1 Chord Progression<\/h3>\n
\n
\n…using the tenth intervals we learned in the previous segment, here’s a 2-5-1 chord progression…<\/p>\n
\n
\n5:
\n
\n1:
\n
\n…and this is also another 2-5-1 chord progression using seventh intervals…<\/p>\n
\n
\n5:
\n
\n1:
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\nPlaying the 2-5-1 chord progression using tenths or sevenths alone involves so much movement of the hand. For a smoother connection between the progressions, we need to imbibe what music scholars call voice leading principles.<\/p>\n
\n
\n…to a seventh is chord 5:
\n
\n…and then a tenth in chord 1:
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\nAltogether, we have the tenth, seventh, and tenth.<\/p>\n
\n
\n…to a tenth is chord 5:
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\n…and then a seventh in chord 1:
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\nAltogether, we have the tenth, seventh, and tenth.<\/p>\nThe Minor 2-5-1 Chord Progression<\/h3>\n
\n
\n…here’s a 2-5-1 chord progression…<\/p>\n
\n
\n5:
\n
\n1:
\n<\/p>\n
\n
\n5:
\n
\n1:
\n<\/p>\n
\n
\n…to a seventh is chord 5:
\n
\n…and then a tenth in chord 1:
\n
\nAltogether, we have the tenth, seventh, and tenth.<\/p>\n
\n
\n…to a tenth is chord 5:
\n
\n…and then a seventh in chord 1:
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\nAltogether, we have the tenth, seventh, and tenth.<\/p>\nFinal Thoughts<\/h2>\n
“…For The Major 2-5-1 Chord Progression”<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n
\n
\n…play the B voicing <\/em>of the F major seventh chord:
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\n…on the right hand, to form an overall D minor ninth chord:
\n
\nChord 5
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n
\n…play the A voicing <\/em>of the B half-diminished seventh chord:
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\n…on the right hand, to form an overall G dominant ninth chord:
\n
\nChord 1
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n
\n…play the B voicing <\/em>of the E minor seventh chord:
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\n…on the right hand, to form an overall C major ninth chord:
\n
\nAltogether, here’s a major 2-5-1 chord progression using tenths and sevenths on the left hand and chords on the right…<\/p>\n
\n
\nChord 5:
\n
\nChord 1:
\n
\nCheck out the minor 2-5-1 chord progression as well!<\/p>\n“…For The Minor 2-5-1 Chord Progression”<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n
\n
\n…play the A voicing <\/em>of the F minor major seventh chord<\/a>:
\n
\n…on the right hand, to form an overall D half-diminished seventh [major ninth] chord:
\n
\nChord 5
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n
\n…play the A voicing <\/em>of the F half-diminished seventh chord<\/a>:
\n
\n…on the right hand, to form an overall G altered dominant chord<\/a>:
\n
\nChord 1
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n
\n…play the A voicing <\/em>of the Eb major seventh chord:
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\n…on the right hand, to form an overall C minor ninth chord:
\n
\nAltogether, here’s the minor 2-5-1 chord progression using tenths and sevenths on the left hand and chords on the right…<\/p>\n
\n
\nChord 5:
\n
\nChord 1:
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\nThis is where I\u2019ll wrap it up for today and I\u2019ll see you in another lesson.<\/p>\n