[mcollett]

Hello, been awhile since I post a real question. Finding my place in the music world of my mind and where I want to go has been slow to develop.
I'm learning a song that intrigued the hell out of me. Very cool voicing (I guess you would call it). I'm drawn to it like a moth to a flame.
My intention is to start lessons after the first of the year. Understanding the theory or music has crept into my mind and I have to chase it.
My question; what is the chore progression I,III V ect and how or why does this work on this tune?
Hit 2 or 3 down strokes per chord to get a feel for the sound, again very cool (to me).
E, F#m11/E, Emaj7, F#m11/E

E, F#m11/E

A, Bm(add4), C#m, D6(9)

Cmaj7, B

E, F#m11/E, Emaj7, F#m11/E

I've left a space between for comments. I'm coming up on 2 years of noodling around and I've never even heard of most of these chords.
Thanks
Mike

[Fretsource]

It's not really possible to say why they work well, without hearing why they work well, and also agreeing that they DO work well.

All sorts of chord combinations can produce a range of results from terrific to terrible, and even then not everyone will agree.
It depends on how they're arranged, i.e., the duration of each chord, the rhythm, which ones are accented and which are just passed through, and how they match up with the musical phrases. I could write a song with the same progression and everyone might be asking, "Why DON'T those chords work well together?"

As for the I ii iii thing.
To know that, just take the scale of the key and match the root of the chord to the numbered scale degree.
So if the key is E major, the scale is E F# G# A B C# D# E. So in that key F#m must be chord ii because F# is note 2 of the scale. (As that chord is minor, not major, we write ii instead of II)

[mcollett]

Thanks for the reply Fretsource.
I guess the maj 7, #/11, add 4's etcetera are what's driving the question. Understanding these are options for most if not all chords.
Acoustic guitar magazine had an article about spicing up a tune using these variation earlier this year. I need to dig it back up.
Do the added designations play into the numbering system? (I, V thing again). As stated on this forum many time, when I get around other players the terms I, III, V do come up and I'm lost.
Am I correct in assuming the trick here is to know the different keys, (A, E, C and such), then the chords will fall into place and it will make sense?
More reasons to take lessons
Kind regards
mlc

[allthumbs]

Yup. Know each key, the 3 major, 3 minor and diminished chord for each. Start with the I,IV,V of each key since they are the most commonly used and then add to them.

[Fretsource]

Originally Posted by mcollett

Do the added designations play into the numbering system? (I, V thing again).

Yes - just add the chord type after the Roman numeral, e.g., I maj7, V9, etc.

[Kirk Lorange]

Are you leaving the B and E strings open for these changes? Just moving up the major/minor shapes on the 345 stingset? As in

-0--0--0--0--0--0---0---0---0---------------------------
-0--0--0--0--0--0---0---0---0---------------------------
-1--2--4--6--7--9---11--9---8---------------------------
-2--4--6--7--9--11--12--10--9---------------------------
-2--4--6--7--9--11--12--10--9---------------------------
-0--0--0--0--0--0---0---0---0---------------------------

If so, I reckon it's those drone strings adding a whole lot to the beauty of it.

That would be I > ii > iii > IV > v > vi > bVII > bVI > V

I don't know, maybe that bVI would be better written as #V ... Fretsource?

[Fretsource]

Originally Posted by Kirk Lorange

I don't know, maybe that bVI would be better written as #V?

Kirk, there seems to be a discrepency between the tab and the progression you wrote.
The last two chords in your tab (V & bV) are a semitone lower than how you've written the progression (bVI & V).

As for bVI or #V, I'd go with bVI.
#V would be B# major with notes B#, D##, F##, none of which make much sense in the key of E major. bVI on the other hand (C major) is directly related to the parallel minor key, E minor, and therefore much more closely related to E major

Also, we wouldn't expect #V to fall naturally to V, it would more likely have a tendency to rise, following the (very) general rule that if you chromatically alter a diatonic scale note, it assumes a tendency to continue in the same direction.
bVI, on the other hand falls naturally to V, an example of it in action being in The Beatles song 'Oh Darling': "Well you (B7) know I nearly (C7)broke down and (B7) cried.

[Kirk Lorange]

Thanks, Fretsource ... I fixed that up. I never count these things out right, my fingers know where it all is, but counting frets is beyond me.

I thought the bVI looked better.