Music Theory: Arranging Two-Part Chord

Progressions askaudiomag.com by Lynda Arnold September 7, 2014

Ever wanted some tips on how to effectively come up with two-part chord

progression arrangements? Lynda Arnold cuts through the choices to help you

creatively evolve your song.

One of the challenges Ive come across in my writing process and the writing

process of my production students is creating a two-part chord progression

arrangement. Its often easy to come up with a series of two, three or four chords

for a loop and create an effective groove for part A. But, when it comes time to

transition into the next part, whether it is a chorus of a pop song or part B of

an instrumental arrangement, its not always so intuitive where to take the song.

For one thing, there are a myriad of choices and that can be intimidating!

When I talk about Part A and Part B in this article, you can think of those parts

as a Verse and Chorus in a standard pop song for example. There are many

genres of music and styles of arranging. For the purposes of this article, I am

going to explore creative ways to evolve your song harmonically from one part to

the next and utilize chord progressions effectively to create more dynamic

arrangements. Hopefully these examples will help you come up with creative

ways to solve harmonic challenges in your arrangements, no matter the type

music you create.

The Part A Progression

Lets start with a simple Part A 8-Bar Progression in C Major: I-IV-I-IV-I-IV-I-

V. This translates to C, F, C, F, C, F, C, G. The I IV tonic/subdominant

progression is one of the most common. You can find this in the verse of John

Lennons classic song, Imagine. Whats great about this progression is

simplicity. We have lots of room to evolve from this harmonic base. I throw in a

dominant V chord at the end of the progression to help create tension for our

transition to part B.

Heres the Part A Chord progression played over a simple beat:

Part A Chord Progression I-IV-I-IV-I-IV-I-V

As we move forward from here, keep in mind that a strong melody often dictates

the chord progression and its rhythmic movement. This is something I can cover

in another article. The examples in this article will be helpful from the

standpoint of not necessarily having a melody and working on the chord

progression only. Its also important to note that I use chord inversions and

voice leading between chords, not just root progression chords.

Lets Look at Some Options...

Stay away from I chord in Part B

If we stay in the key of C Major without borrowing a chord from another key,

there are 7 basic chords to choose from when building a basic chord progression:

I C Major

iiD Minor

iiiE Minor

IVF Major

VG Major

viA Minor

viiB Diminished

The Part A progression relies heavily on the Tonic or I chord so one option for

Part B would be to avoid the I chord entirely and experiment with the others.

Heres one example using four chords to create Part B: ii-V-ii-IV-ii-vi-ii-V. This

progression relies heavily on the subdominant ii chord alternating between IV, vi

and the dominant V Chords. Since I avoid the I chord, there is a lifting or

traveling feeling to Part B. Think of this as traveling from our home base and not

coming to rest until Part A begins again. To make things more interesting, I

change up the rhythm a bit and hold the ii chord in the beginning of the

progression instead of change each chord at the beginning of the measure. Also,

I create quick changes between chords.

Listen to an example of Part A into this Part B progression and then back to Part

A:

Heres another option with the I chord substituted for the IV and vi chords in the

previous example. You will hear a distinct difference in the feeling of the

progression between using the IV and vi in the first example and the I chord in

the second.

Part B - ii-V-ii-I-ii-I-ii-V

Get Deceptive with the vi chord

Usually, youll find a dominant chord (V or vii) or even a tonic chord (I) at the

end of a section or cadence. In a deceptive cadence, the section ends on a vi

chord, creating a feeling of longing or suspension. This cadence is used a lot in

classical music and modern film music but can also be used effectively in

songwriting. The 4-chord progression you will hear below is played two times

over 8 bars.

Part B IV-I-V-vi-IV-I-V-vi

iii as alternate tonic chord

The iii chord is considered an alternate tonic chord in a harmonized scale and is

an interesting chord to try instead of the I chord. But, since its minor and used

in conjunction with the vi chord in the progression below, Part B gets a more

reflective feel before ending on the dominant to bring the song back to the happy

feeling of Part A.

Part B vi-iii-IV-iii-vi-iii-IV-V

Time to Borrow

If youre bored with the 7 basic chord options available in the key youre in, start

playing around with substituting chords from other tonalities that sound good.

Often, I stumble upon chord progressions accidently while jamming. When I hit

something I like, I figure out what key Im centered in and what key the

borrowed chords are likely from to complete my harmonic and melodic picture.

In the example below, I used a Major III chord, which is the dominant or V

chord in A minor. A minor is the relative minor of C Major so that substitution

works well. In the second half of Part B, I re-establish the home key and cadence

before going back to Part A.

Part B Borrowed Chord vi-III-vi-III-IV-I-IV-V

Find Your Chords!

Coming up with harmonic arrangements takes time and practice. My suggestion

is allow yourself to experiment at the keyboard, either in a key or freely, to find

chord progressions you resonate with. Youll also find inspiration by studying

scores or lead sheets from favorite artists. Theres no shame in mimicking other

artists ideas and then finding your own variations. This is a great way to develop

your ear. As you experiment, you may hear the perfect melody while playing the

chords and then you know youll have something special.