Using Degree Names (Four-Note Chords) to Change Keys
Continuing from last time, we'll learn how to use degree names for four-note chords.
First, changing keys: with degree names, you can change keys very easily.
"Fly Me to the Moon (In Other Words)," which we've been using since last time, contains non-diatonic chords, but now that you know the Roman numerals represent the root notes, you should be able to change the key easily.
*We'll cover how to handle non-diatonic chords in detail in a later lesson, but this time you can manage with what you already know.
This time, let's change the key by "+2."
*You often see this notation for synth pitch and the like: +1 is a half step up, and -1 is a half step down.
+12 is an octave up, -12 is an octave down, and +7 is a P5th up.
This time it's the key, so picture the first note of the scale moving along with all the remaining notes.
We already completed the degree name analysis last time.
I7 and III7 aren't diatonic chords, but in the key of C, C = I and E = III, so we could write them as "I7" and "III7" by adding the chord quality next to them.
Now we're changing to the key of D major, so we just fit the notes of the D major scale into the Roman numerals.
Based on the above, the progression for the first half of "Fly Me to the Moon" in D major is as follows.
As you can see, even when a new technique (using non-diatonic chords) appears, you can handle it to some extent with what you already know.
When practicing song analysis or modulation, try it for now without worrying about diatonic vs. non-diatonic.
You'll come to understand how to use them in later lessons, so it doesn't hurt to build up your repertoire.
Variations Combining Triads and Four-Note Chords
Next, listen to the "royal road progression" we covered in Lesson 23.
IV → V → IIIm → VIm
Let's make this into four-note chords.
Check it together with the diatonic chord table.
IVmaj7 → V7 → IIIm7 → VIm7
With four-note chords, it has a different mood again.
By the way, the second chord, "V7," is a dominant seventh chord and contains the tritone.
If the "tension" of the tritone bothers you given the mood or melody of the song, it's also good to try changing it to the triad V.
IVmaj7 → V → IIIm7 → VIm7
Also, if the last chord as m7 sounds a little too sparkly, you could try a minor triad.
IVmaj7 → V → IIIm7 → VIm
Not only the chords themselves, but also changing the voicing and the top note (the highest note in the chord) makes all kinds of expression possible.
Be sure to try it.
Being Aware of a Song's Sense of Story
Finally, listen to audio that repeats the royal road progression about three times and then adds a certain device.
Doesn't it feel like the song has "ended" cleanly?
When you listen to all kinds of songs, you can feel a sense of story in their flow.
They express introduction, development, tense passages, and a sense of having "ended" or "come to a pause" through sound.
When analyzing songs, first try being aware of this kind of "sense of story."
From next time on, we'll bring a theoretical approach to this "sense of story."
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. When changing the key by +2, how should I change all the chords?
Just fit the scale notes of the new key into the Roman numerals. For example, to replace I in the key of C with the key of D, use D, the I of the D major scale. The chord qualities (7, m, etc.) don't change, so you can use the analysis you've already done.
Q2. What can I do if I don't want the tension of the tritone in the V7 chord?
Changing V7 to the triad V removes the tritone and reduces the tension. It's effective to choose between four-note chords and triads to suit the mood and melody of the song.
Q3. What exactly does a song's sense of story mean?
It means expressing a flow of introduction, development, rising tension, and an ending or pause through sound, using chord progressions, voicings, top notes and so on. It is a technique that lets listeners feel a clear narrative.
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