Dragon Quest’s classic “Heavenly Flight” features an inventive bass line built with slash chords. This article explains how a stepwise descending bass counterline beneath a sustained melody evokes the vast sky suggested by the title. We also explore its relationship to the Canon progression, a popular choice in hit songs, and how the relationship between relative major and minor keys can be used in composition. These practical chord progression and arranging ideas are useful to music producers at any level.
Focus on the Bass Line
Last time, we examined the chord progression in the first four bars of “Heavenly Flight.”
This time, let’s focus on the bass line in that progression.
The Song Being Analyzed
Tutorial Videos
1. Song Structure
2. Key and Tonality
3. Chord Progression
4. Focus on the Bass Line (this article)
5. Substitute Chords
6. Bass Line Cliché
7. Pedal Points
8. Picardy Third
Looking at Slash Chords
Notice that the second chord, Em, is written as the slash chord Em/G. Let’s isolate the melody and bass lines and consider them on their own.
Looking only at the bass, it follows the scale of the song’s key, A minor,
descending one step at a time.
We might call it a “counterline resembling a bass line cliché”.
A true bass line cliché means that only the bass changes while a single chord continues,
as in Am → Am/G# → Am/G.
Here, the chords themselves change, so strictly speaking this is not a bass line cliché.
Its defining feature is the smooth stepwise descent of the bass.
Another striking feature is the way the melody remains at the same pitch
while the bass counterline gradually descends.
The widening interval between melody and bass creates an atmosphere that evokes the open sky.
Immediately after that sense of space, the melody suddenly begins to move broadly and gracefully, creating a striking contrast.
The Same Idea in the Canon Progression
This is the Canon progression, one of the chord progressions frequently used in hit songs.
It takes its name from the progression in Johann Pachelbel’s Canon.
It is one of the established progressions used in many hit songs:
I → V → vi → iii → IV → I → IV → V. In C major: C → G → Am → Em → F → C → F → G.
Here too, by changing the chord tones so that the lowest line
descends step by step, you can create a counterline resembling a line cliché.
This variation of the Canon progression appears in many songs.
Try combining the Canon progression with the melody of “Heavenly Flight,” and you may find that the result sounds surprisingly natural.
This works because C major and A minor are relative keys that share a close relationship.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. What is a slash chord?
A slash chord places a different bass note after a slash in the chord symbol. For example, Em/G means an Em chord with G in the bass. Slash chords let you choose the bass line and add depth to a chord’s sound.
Q2. How does a bass line cliché differ from a counterline resembling one?
In a bass line cliché, the bass changes while the same chord continues. In a cliché-like counterline, the bass moves stepwise through a progression of different chords. “Heavenly Flight” uses the latter approach.
Q3. What is the Canon progression?
The Canon progression is an eight-bar pattern, I → V → vi → iii → IV → I → IV → V, associated with Pachelbel’s Canon. This versatile progression has been used in many hits across pop, rock, and anime music.
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