| Let me give you some easy progressions that will help | | | | As you might guess LH means left hand and in the |
| you in your improvisational piano playing! | | | | Dm chord D3 indicates that you play the note D3 on |
| What is a progression? | | | | your piano or keyboard with your left hand at the |
| A progression is a set of chords played consecutively. | | | | same time as you play the right hand notes. |
| Generally, successive chords in a chord progression | | | | This II-V-I progression in C major is a little bit clumsy. |
| share some notes, which provides harmonic and linear | | | | You have to move your fingers a little to much in order |
| continuity to a passage. | | | | to play the chords. We will adjust the G major chord a |
| What is a II-V-I progression? | | | | bit and play the progression in the following manner: |
| Is is a chord progression with three chords built on the | | | | LH: D3 RH: D4 F4 A4 (Dm) |
| roots of the second, fifth and first note of a key. | | | | LH: G3 RH: B3 D4 G4 (G major) |
| The three roman numerals correspond to the digits 2, | | | | LH: C3 RH: C4 E4 G4 (C major) |
| 5 and 1. In it's most basic form the numbers indicate the | | | | To make smooth transitions between the piano chords |
| root of a triad. For example, the roman number I in | | | | in the II-V-I progression you can change the chords |
| C-major means a triad built from the note C. This triad | | | | even more. Let's change the Dm chord to Dm11 and G |
| consists of the notes C, E and G. | | | | major to G7. |
| The Roman numeral II in the key of C-major tells you | | | | LH: D3 RH: C4 F4 G4 (Dm11) |
| to play a triad built from the notes in the C-major scale | | | | LH: G3 RH: B3 F4 G4 (G7) |
| beginning with the second note. The notes will be D, F | | | | LH: C3 RH: C4 E4 G4 (C major) |
| and A. | | | | We might as well change the C major chord to Cmaj7 |
| The Roman numeral V indicates a triad built from the | | | | in order to make the changes smoother. |
| fifth step on the C-scale. The fifth note in the C-scale | | | | LH: D3 RH: C4 F4 G4 (Dm11) |
| is G so the triad will include the notes G, B and D. | | | | LH: G3 RH: B3 F4 G4 (G7) |
| Piano tab notation | | | | LH: C3 RH: B3 E4 G4 (Cmaj7) |
| In order to demonstrate the chords I will use a notation | | | | Finally we will introduce a substitute chord for G. |
| suitable for articles sites. First we will look at the middle | | | | Actually a so called tritone substitution. |
| C. The note C on the middle of the piano keyboard, | | | | This means that instead of a G chord we will use a |
| sometimes near the key hole of some pianos is called | | | | chord with the root a tritone interval from G, that is |
| C4. | | | | three whole steps. Instead of G we will play Db+11. |
| The number 4 indicates that it is the C on the fourth | | | | LH: D3 RH: C4 F4 G4 (Dm11) |
| octave of the piano. Of course, there are piano | | | | LH: Db3 RH: B3 F4 G4 (Db+11) |
| keyboards with less keys and less octaves. In this | | | | LH: C3 RH: B3 E4 G4 (Cmaj7) |
| case you have to think of C4 as middle C and nothing | | | | This will make the chord changes even smoother, |
| else. | | | | especially the bass notes, and maybe more interesting. |
| Our first piano chord progression | | | | You can use this formula, which in the key of C |
| We will start out by playing a progression with the triad | | | | means to play Dm, G7 and C, to find many interesting |
| chords built on the second, fifth and the first note of | | | | variations on this theme. |
| the C scale. | | | | It will be a great help for you in piano improvisation to |
| LH: D3 RH: D4 F4 A4 (Dm) | | | | have a working knowledge of the II-V-I progression |
| LH: G3 RH: G4 B4 D5 (G major) | | | | with variations in different keys because this |
| LH: C3 RH: C4 E4 G4 (C major) | | | | progression is used in a wide variety of music genres. |