Progressive Music

Progressive music goes beyond the limits of basic, everyday rock 'n' roll. It expands the
horizons of what rock music really can be. It breaks some of the rules by fusing elements of
rock, metal, jazz, blues, classical and more all into one style. This lesson will provide you with
some basics, such as: chord shapes, scales, and some basic rhythm patterns for commonly
used odd time signatures. Creativly applying these ideas to your music is your job.

Chords

01. Power Chords

Power Chords are primarily used in most rock music. Progressive rock is no different. But
sometimes the basic power chord gets kind of boring. That's why many progressive rock bands
uses power chord extensions and inversions to add more of a variety in progressions.
Extentions are simply added scale tones applied to the chord. For example, an add6 power
chord adds the 6th note of the scale to the chord. Most power chord extensions still use the
root and the 5th, but also add something extra.
An inverted power chord is when any note other than the root is in the bass.
This is the C Major Scale (Ionian mode):

C
1

D
2

E
3

F
4

G
5

A
6

B
C
D
E
F
G
A
B
C
7
8
9
10 11 12 13 14 15
(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9)

The basic power chord has the root (1), 5th, and most times an 8th (octive). So a basic C
power chord would be CGC. A Cadd9 power chord would be CGD, and a Cadd6 would be CEA.

Open And Movable

Basic power chords:
E|--------------------|------------3----6--|
B|--------------------|--3----6----3----6--|
G|------------2----5--|--2----5----0----3--|
D|--2----5----2----5--|--0----3------------|
A|--2----5----0----3--|--------------------|
E|--0----3------------|--------------------|
Basic power chords (inverted):
E|--------------------|
B|--------------------|
G|------------2----5--|
D|--2----5----2----5--|
A|--0----3----0----3--|
E|--0----3----0----3--|
Add6 power chords:
E|--------------------|------------0----1--|
B|--------------------|--0----1----3----4--|
G|------------0----1--|--2----3----0----1--|
D|--0----1----3----4--|--0----1------------|
A|--3----4----1----2--|--------------------|
E|--1----2------------|--------------------|
Add7 power chords:
E|--------------------|------------2----5--|
B|--------------------|--2----5----3----6--|
G|------------1----4--|--2----5----0----3--|
D|--1----4----2----5--|--0----3------------|
A|--2----5----0----3--|--------------------|
E|--0----3------------|--------------------|
AddB7 power chords:
[the B is a flat sign and indicates that the note is flatted.
So instead of B it would be Bb (B flat)].
E|--------------------|------------1----4--|
B|--------------------|--1----4----3----6--|
G|------------0----3--|--2----5----0----3--|
D|--0----3----2----5--|--0----3------------|
A|--2----5----0----3--|--------------------|
E|--0----3------------|--------------------|
Add9 power chords:
E|--------------------|--0--------1--|
B|--------------------|--3--------4--|
G|------------4----7--|--2--------3--|
D|--4----7----2----5--|--0--------1--|
A|--2----5----0----3--|--------------|
E|--0----3------------|--------------|

02. Non-Power Chords

Progressive rock uses an array of chords that are not power chords. Here are some commonly
used progressive chords. Of course, the chords below are just a few examples of a open and
movable forms. There are many other ways to form the same chords on your guitar, but I'm
not going to show all of them.

03. Triads
Basic triads consist of the 1st, 3rd, and 5th degrees of a scale. The 3rd is what makes the
chord major or minor depending on what kind of interval it uses. The 5th can be altered to
make the chord augmented or diminished. A Perfect fifth is used in major an minor chords. A
tritone (one semitone down from a perfect fifth) makes the chord diminished and by raising a
perfect fifth up one semitone, you get an augmented chord.

Basic major triads (1, M3, P5):

E|-----------------1--|
B|------------1----3--|
G|-------1----2----3--|
D|--1----3----3-------|
A|--3----4------------|
E|--4-----------------|
Basic minor triads (1, M3, P5):
E|-----------------1--|
B|------------2----2--|
G|-------1----2----3--|
D|--1----2----4-------|
A|--2----4------------|
E|--4-----------------|
Basic augmented triads (1, M3, #5):
E|-----------------1--|
B|------------1----2--|
G|-------1----1----2--|
D|--1----2----2-------|
A|--2----3------------|
E|--3-----------------|
Basic diminished triads (1, M3, B5):
E|-----------------1--|
B|------------1----3--|
G|-------1----2----4--|
D|--1----3----4-------|
A|--3----5------------|
E|--5-----------------|

04. Major7 Chords

Major7 chords add the leadingtone, or the 7th note in a scale to the chord:
7M chords (1, M2, P5, M7):
E|--0----0----1----3--|
B|--0----0----1----3--|
G|--1----0----2----3--|
D|--1----2----2----1--|
A|--2----3----3-------|
E|--0---------1-------|
05. Add9 Chords.
Add9 chords are major or minor triads with an added 9th. The 5th is not always used.
Personally, these are my favorites.

Add 9 major chords (1, M3, P5, M9):

E|--0----2----1----1--|
B|--2----5----1----3--|
G|--4----2----2----5--|
D|--2----0----5----3--|
A|--0---------3----1--|
E|------------1-------|
Add 9 minor chords (1, m3, P5, M9):
E||--0----0----1----1----||
B||--0----0----1----2----||
G||--0----5----1----5----||
D||--4----7----5----3----||
A||--2----0----3----1----||
E||--0---------1---------||
06. Add 11 Chords
Add 11 Chords are major or minor chords with an added 11th (or 4th). The 5th is not always
used.
Add 11 major chords (1, M3, P5, M11):
E|-------1----1----1--|
B|--1----1----1----3--|
G|--0----0----2----3--|
D|--0----2----3----1--|
A|--2----3----1----1--|
E|--3---------1-------|
Add 11 minor chords (1, m3, P5, M11):
E|-------1----1----1--|
B|--1----1----1----2--|
G|--0----0----1----3--|
D|--0----1----3----1--|
A|--1----3----1----1--|
E|--3---------1-------|
07. Suspended Chords.
Suspended chords are neither major nor minor. Basically there are two types: sus2 and sus4.
The formula for a sus2 chord is (1, M2, P5). It replaces the 3rd with a 2nd. The formula for a
sus4 is (1, P4, P5). It replaces the 3rd with a perfect fourth. There is also the 7sus2 and
7sus4 chord. The 7sus2 chord has a dominant 7th, which is constructed (1, M2, P5, M7). The
7sus4 is constructed: (1, P4, P5, M7).

sus2 chords (1, M2, P5):

E|--0----0----2----1--|
B|--0----3----2----4--|
G|--2----2----4----3--|
D|--2----0----4----1--|
A|--0---------2-------|
E|--------------------|
sus4 chords (1, P4, P5):
E|--3----1----1----4--|
B|--3----1----1----4--|
G|--0----0----3----3--|
D|--0----3----3----1--|
A|--3----3------------|
E|--3-----------------|
7sus2 (1, M2, P5, M7):
E|--1------3----1------1--|
B|--3------1----4------1--|
G|--0------3----3------3--|
D|--0------0----1------1--|
A|--0------3----4------1--|
E|--3------------------1--|
7sus4 (1, P4, P5, M7):
E|--3----0---------1--|
B|--1----3---------4--|
G|--2----0----3----1--|
D|--0----2----1----3--|
A|-------0----3----1--|
E|------------1-------|

Progressive Scales
Progressive rock guitarists use a variety of scales in their soloing and song writing. Some are
standard, some are exotic. The exotic scales will give a song a much different feel if used right.

01. Major And Minor Scales

The basic major and minor scales are popular in most music. To make them sound a little
different, start and end the scale on a different note. This will put you into a different mode,
giving you a different feel. This idea is popular among many progressive guitarists. I'm only
going to put the major and minor scales here. There are many other places to learn the
modes.
midi sample (C Ionian + A Aeolian)

C major scale [Ionian mode] - (C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C)

E|---------------------------------7-8--|
B|----------------------------8-10------|
G|---------------------7-9-10-----------|
D|--------------7-9-10------------------|
A|-------7-8-10-------------------------|
E|--8-10--------------------------------|
A minor scale [Aeolian mode] - (A, B, C, D, E, F, G, A)
E|------------------------------5--|
B|------------------------5-6-8----|
G|------------------4-5-7----------|
D|--------------5-7----------------|
A|--------5-7-8--------------------|
E|--5-7-8--------------------------|

The Harmonic Minor Scale

The harmonic minor scale is the minor scale with a sharped 7th, also known as a leading tone.
The sharped 7th makes the scale have more of a "pulling effect" at the last note. The Phrygian
mode starts on the 5th note of the scale. If you play the A harmonic minor scale starting on
the 5th note (E), you will get the phrygian dominant scale, also sometimes refereed to as the
Spanish scale. There are, of course, other modes of the harmonic minor scale which all give off
a different effect.
A lot of middle eastern music uses the harmonic minor scale, and that may be the first thing
that comes to mind when hearing it. The harmonic minor can also be found in classical and
Spanish music. Today, it can be found in all kinds of music, including progressive.
midi sample (A Harmonic Minor + E Phrygian Dominant)

A harmonic minor scale (A, B, C, D, E, F, G#, A):

E|----------------------------4-5--|
B|------------------------5-6------|
G|------------------4-5-7----------|
D|--------------6-7----------------|
A|--------5-7-8--------------------|
E|--5-7-8--------------------------|
E Phrygian Dominant Mode (E, F, G#, A, B, C, D, E):
E|--------------------------------------------12--|
B|-----------------------------------12-13-15-----|
G|-----------------------------13-14--------------|
D|--------------------12-14-15--------------------|
A|--------11-12-14-15-----------------------------|
E|--12-13-----------------------------------------|

The Melodic Minor Scale

The melodic minor scale, sometimes called the jazz minor scale, is the minor scale with a
sharped 6th and 7th. If you want, you can also think of it as the major scale with a flatted 3rd.
It can, if used right, give a jazzy feel to a solo. In formal composition, some composers will
ascend with the melodic minor and descend with the natural minor. The mode of interest in
this scale is the Lydian B7 mode. It is the Lydian mode with a flatted 7th.
midi sample (A Meodic Minor + A Meodic to A Natural + F Lydian B7)

A melodic minor scale (A, B, C, D, E, F#, G#, A):

E|----------------------------4-5--|
B|------------------------5-7------|
G|------------------4-5-7----------|
D|------------4-6-7----------------|
A|--------5-7----------------------|
E|--5-7-8--------------------------|
A melodic minor to a natural minor:
E|----------------------------4-5------------------------------|
B|------------------------5-7-----8-6-5------------------------|
G|------------------4-5-7---------------7-5-4------------------|
D|------------4-6-7---------------------------7-5--------------|
A|--------5-7-------------------------------------8-7-5--------|
E|--5-7-8-----------------------------------------------8-7-5--|
F Lydian B7 mode (F, G, A, B, C, D, Eb, F):
E|--------------------------------------------13--|
B|--------------------------------12-13-15-16-----|
G|--------------------------12-14-----------------|
D|-----------------12-13-15-----------------------|
A|--------12-14-15--------------------------------|
E|--13-15-----------------------------------------|

Symmetrical Scales
Symmetrical scales follow a repeating pattern and have a rather untraditional sound to them.
Whole tone scales are 6 note scales that only use major seconds, or whole steps (2 half steps).
The leading whole tone scale isn't symmetrical, but still takes the same basic form of the whole
tone scale, up until the 7th note which is added as the leading tone. This gives it a pulling,
more conclusive sound.
There are also the half-whole and whole-half scales that are frequently used along with the
whole tone scale. The half-whole uses one half step, one whole step, one half step, one whole
step, etc. The Whole-half is the same idea, but backwards. Since these scales are neither
minor, nor major, they have no modes and will make the song sound neutral and rather
untraditional. They can easily be used over chords that are unresolved or neutral (such as sus
chords), or diminished. I think they make good fills, but there are endless possibilities of how
they can be used.
midi sample (Symmetrical Scales)

C whole tone scale (C, D, E, F#, G#, A#, C):

E|-----------------------4-6--|
B|-------------------5-7------|
G|---------------5-7----------|
D|-----------6-8--------------|
A|-------7-9------------------|
E|--8-10----------------------|
C leading whole tone scale (C, D, E, F#, G#, A#, B, C):
E|-------------------------4-6-7-8--|
B|---------------------5-7----------|
G|-----------------5-7--------------|
D|-----------6-8-9------------------|
A|-------7-9------------------------|
E|--8-10----------------------------|
C half-whole scale (C, C#, D#, E, F#, G, A, A#, C):
E|------------------------------------6-8--|
B|-----------------------------7-8-10------|
G|-----------------------6-8-9-------------|
D|----------------7-8-10-------------------|
A|---------7-9-10--------------------------|
E|--8-9-11---------------------------------|
C whole-half scale (C, D#, F, F#, G#, A, B, C):
E|--------------------------------------7-8--|
B|-------------------------------7-9-10------|
G|------------------------7-8-10-------------|
D|-----------------7-9-10--------------------|
A|----------8-9-11---------------------------|
E|--8-10-11----------------------------------|

Rhythms In Tablature
4/4 is most likely the most common time signature in music. It means that there are four
beats in a measure and each quarter note gets one beat. Some examples:

Duration Legend
--------------W
- whole
H
- half
Q
- quarter
E
- 8th
S
- 16th
|-n-| - n-tuplets
W
E||-------------------||
B||-------------------||
G||-------------------||
D||-------------------||
A||-------------------||
E||--3----------------||
1
2
3
4
A whole note (W) takes up the whole measure. It is sustained for four beats.

H
H
E||--------------------||
B||--------------------||
G||--------------------||
D||--------------------||
A||--------------------||
E||--3--------3--------||
1
2
3
4
A half note (H) takes up half the measure and are sustained for two beats.

Q
Q
Q
Q
E||----------------------||
B||----------------------||
G||----------------------||
D||----------------------||
A||----------------------||
E||--3----3----3----3----||
1
2
3
4
A quarter note (Q) takes up a quarter of the measure are are sustained for one beat.

E E E E E E E E
E||--------------------------||
B||--------------------------||
G||--------------------------||
D||--------------------------||
A||--------------------------||
E||--3--3--3--3--3--3--3--3--||
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &

An eighth note (E) takes up an eighth of the measure and is sustained for a half a beat. They
can be played in between a beat (called an offbeat) and are represented with &'s. Two of them
can be played within one beat.

S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S
E||----------------------------------||
B||----------------------------------||
G||----------------------------------||
D||----------------------------------||
A||----------------------------------||
E||--3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-||
1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a
A sixteenth note (S) takes up a sixteenth of a measure. They are represented with e's, &'s,
and a's (ah)'s. Four of them can be played within one beat.

|--3--| |--3--| |--3--| |--3--|

E E E E E E E E E E E E
E||--------------------------------------||
B||--------------------------------------||
G||--------------------------------------||
D||--------------------------------------||
A||--------------------------------------||
E||--3--3--3--3--3--3--3--3--3--3--3--3--||
1 la le 2 la le 3 la le 4 la le
A triplet (indicated by the |--3--|) means there are 3 notes within each beat. The offbeats are
represented with la's and le's (spoken as lee).

Odd Time Signatures

Although 4/4 is the most common time signature in most rock music, it can get a little old.
Composing music in an odd time signature gives your music more originality and complexity,
which is what progressive music is all about. It's not easy to jump right into composing using
an odd time signature at first. It takes practice. Odd time signatures are called "odd" because
they use numbers (on the top) that are not divisible by two, such as 5/4, 7/4, 3/4, etc.

3/4 Time Signature

3/4 means there are 3 beats per measure and each quarter note gets one beat.

H.
H
Q
Q
Q
Q
E E E E E E
E||---------------|----------------|-----------------|--------------------|
B||---------------|----------------|-----------------|--------------------|
G||---------------|----------------|-----------------|--------------------|
D||---------------|----------------|-----------------|--------------------|
A||---------------|----------------|-----------------|--------------------|
E||--3------------|--3--------3----|--3----3----3----|--3--3--3--3--3--3--|
1
2
3
1
2
3
1
2
3
1 & 2 & 3 &
|--3--| |--3--| |--3--|
S S S S S S S S S S S S
E E E E E E E E E
--------------------------|-----------------------------||
--------------------------|-----------------------------||
--------------------------|-----------------------------||
--------------------------|-----------------------------||
--------------------------|-----------------------------||
--3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-|--3--3--3--3--3--3--3--3--3--||
1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a
1 la le 2 la le 3 la le
Above are examples of completed measures. The (H.) means a dotted half note, which adds a
quarter note to the length of the half note.

3/4 Rhythms In Progressive Music

In the below example, full chords are played on the first beat in quarter notes and
appeggeated with eighth notes on the second and third beats.

Emadd9
Emadd9
Em
Q
E E E E
Q
E E E E
Q
E E E E
E||--0------0-----------|--2------2-----------|--0----0-----------|
B||--0---------0--------|--0---------0--------|--0-------0--------|
G||--0------------0-----|--0------------0-----|--0----------0-----|
D||--4---------------4--|--2---------------2--|--2-------------2--|
A||--2------------------|--2------------------|--2----------------|
E||--0------------------|--0------------------|--0----------------|
1 (&) 2 & 3 &
1 (&) 2 & 3 &
1(&) 2 & 3 &
Am9
Em
Q
E E E E
H.
--3----3-----------|--0------------||
--1-------1--------|--0------------||
--4----------4-----|--0------------||
--2-------------2--|--2------------||
--0----------------|--2------------||
-------------------|--0------------||
1(&) 2 & 3 &
1
2
3

Below is a triplet pattern, when the arpeggio is changed every first beat.

|--3--| |--3--| |--3--|

|--3--| |--3--| |--3--|
E E E E E E E E E
E E E E E E E E E
E||-----------------------------|-----------------------------|
B||-----------------------------|-----------------------------|
G||--------0--------0--------0--|--------0--------0--------0--|
D||-----9--------9--------9-----|-----9--------9--------9-----|
A||--7--------7--------7--------|--9--------9--------9--------|
E||-----------------------------|-----------------------------|
1 la le 2 la le 3 la le
1 la le 2 la le 3 la le
|--3--| |--3--| |--3--|
|--3--| |--3--| |--3--|
E E E E E E E E E
E E E E E E E E E
-----------------------------|-----------------------------||
-----------------------------|-----------------------------||
--------0--------0--------0--|--------0--------0--------0--||
-----9--------9--------9-----|-----7--------7--------7-----||
--7--------7--------7--------|--5--------5--------5--------||
-----------------------------|-----------------------------||
1 la le 2 la le 3 la le
1 la le 2 la le 3 la le
The last 3/4 example uses a pattern of eighth notes and sixteenth notes. The "e" is left out of
the rhythm, possibly giving a "galloping" effect.

E S S E S S E S S
E S S E S S E S S
E||-----------------------------|-----------------------------||
B||-----------------------------|-----------------------------||
G||-----------------------------|-----------------------------||
D||-----------------------------|-----------------------------||
A||--5--------4--------5--------|--2--------1--------2--------||
E||--3--0--0--3--0--0--3--0--0--|--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--||
1 & a 2 & a 3 & a
1 & a 2 & a 3 & a

5/4 Time Signatures

5/4 means there a 5 beats in a measure and each quarter note gets one beat. You can think of
it as 4/4 plus one quarter note, or 3/4 and 2/4. Another way is to count quarter notes as: 1, 2,
3 - 1, 2 or 1, 2 - 1, 2, 3. Here are a few examples of completed measures.

W
Q
Q
Q
Q
Q
Q
E||------------------------|---------------------------|
B||------------------------|---------------------------|
G||------------------------|---------------------------|
D||------------------------|---------------------------|
A||------------------------|---------------------------|
E||--3----------------3----|--3----3----3----3----3----|
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
E E E E E E E E E E
S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S
--------------------------------|------------------------------------------||
--------------------------------|------------------------------------------||
--------------------------------|------------------------------------------||
--------------------------------|------------------------------------------||
--------------------------------|------------------------------------------||
--3--3--3--3--3--3--3--3--3--3--|--3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-||
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 5 &
1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a 5 e & a
5/4 Rhythms In Progressive Music
Below is a whole note for 4 beats and a quarter note for the last.

Dm
D7sus2/5W
Q
E||--1----------------0---------||
B||--3----------------1---------||
G||--2----------------1---------||
D||--0----------------0---------||
A||-----------------------------||
E||-----------------------------||
1
2
3
4
5

Below is an example of Dream Theater's "Beyond This Life" intro. It uses eighth notes. You can
break this song up as 1-2-3, 1-2-3, 1-2, 1-2.

E E E E E E E E E E
E E E E E E E E E E
E||--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
B||--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
G||--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
D||--6--6--6--9--9--9--5--5--4--4--|--6--6--6--9--9--9--5--5--4--4--|
A||--6--6--6--9--9--9--5--5--4--4--|--6--6--6--9--9--9--5--5--4--4--|
E||--4--4--4--7--7--7--3--3--2--2--|--4--4--4--7--7--7--3--3--2--2--|
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 5 &
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 5 &
E E E E E E E E E E
E
E
E E E E E E E E
--------------------------------|-----------------------------------||
--------------------------------|-----------------------------------||
--------------------------------|-----------------------------------||
--6--6--6--9--9--9--5--5--4--4--|--10--10--10--9--9--9--8--8--7--7--||
--6--6--6--9--9--9--5--5--4--4--|--10--10--10--9--9--9--8--8--7--7--||
--4--4--4--7--7--7--3--3--2--2--|---8---8---8--7--7--7--6--6--5--5--||
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 5 &
1
&
2 & 3 & 4 & 5 &
Here is another example using eighth notes. In this example, the last note could resolve back
to the root.

E
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
E||------------------------------------------|
B||------------------------------------------|
G||------------------------------------------|
D||------------------10--12--10--------------|
A||--------------12--------------12----------|
E||--10--12--13----------------------13--12--|
1
&
2
&
3
&
4
&
5
&
E
E
E
E E
E E
E
E
E
---------------------------------------|
---------------------------------------|
---------------------------------------|
-----------------8--10--8--------------|
-------------10------------10----------|
--8--10--11--------------------11--10--|
1 &
2
&
3 &
4 &
5
&
E
E
E
E
E
E E
E
E E
W
Q
-------------------------------------8--|--10----------------------||
---------------------------------10-----|--------------------------||
--------------------------9--10---------|--------------------------||
------------------10--12----------------|--------------------------||
--------------12------------------------|--------------------------||
--10--12--13----------------------------|--------------------------||
1
&
2
&
3
&
4 &
5
&
1
2
3
4
5

The last example, using the whole tone scale, has quarter notes and sixteenth notes in it.

A#7
Q
S S S S Q
S S S S Q
E||---------------------------------||
B||---------------------------------||
G||---------------------------------||
D||--6----6-4-----6----6-4-----7----||
A||--5--------7-5-5--------7-5-5----||
E||--6------------6------------6----||
1
2 e & a 3
4 e & a 5
7/4 Time Signatures.
7/4 means there are 7 beats in a measure and each quarter note gets one beat. You can think
of 7/4 as 3/4 + 4/4 or 2/4 + 2/4 + 3/4. Here are some completed measures:

W
H.
Q
Q
Q
Q
Q
Q
Q
E||--------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
B||--------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
G||--------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
D||--------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
A||--------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
E||--3----------------3------------|--3----3----3----3----3----3----3----|
1
2
3
4
5 6 7
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
E E E E E E E E E E E E E E
--------------------------------------------|
--------------------------------------------|
--------------------------------------------|
--------------------------------------------|
--------------------------------------------|
--3--3--3--3--3--3--3--3--3--3--3--3--3--3--|
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 5 & 6 & 7 &
S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S
----------------------------------------------------------||
----------------------------------------------------------||
----------------------------------------------------------||
----------------------------------------------------------||
----------------------------------------------------------||
--3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-||
1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a 5 e & a 6 e & a 7 e & a

7/4 Rhythms In Progressive Music.

One of the most popular examples of 7/4 is Pink Floyd's Money.

Q
E E E E Q
Q
E E Q
E||----------------------------------------||
B||----------------------------------------||
G||-------4--------------------------------||
D||----------4-----------------------------||
A||--2----------2---------------2-----5----||
E||-------------------2----5---------------||
1
2 + 3 + 4
5
6 + 7
The next example uses quarter notes and eighth notes, a common mixture when using 7/4.

Q
E E Q
Q
Q
E E Q
E||---------------------------------------|
B||---------------------------------------|
G||---------------------------------------|
D||-------6--4-----------------4--6--7----|
A||--4----------4----6----7---------------|
E||---------------------------------------|
1
2 + 3
4
5
6 + 7
E E E E Q
Q
Q
Q
Q
---------------------------------------||
---------------------------------------||
---------------------------------------||
--6--4--------4------------------------||
--------7--6-------6--------------4----||
------------------------7----7---------||
1 + 2 + 3
4
5
6
7
Another example using quarter and eighth notes.

Q
E E Q
E E Q
E E Q
E||----------------------------------------||
B||----------------------------------------||
G||----------------------------------------||
D||--3----3-----5----5-----8----8-----6----||
A||--3-------3--4-------4--6-------6--6----||
E||--1----------3----------4----------4----||
1
2
+ 3
4 + 5
6 + 7

7/8 Time Signatures

In 7/8, the eighth note gets one beat. It's 4/4 without one eight note. 7/8 has 7 eight notes
per measure. A good way to make up eighth note rhythms is counting 1, 2 - 1, 2 - 1, 2, 3 or 1,
2 - 1, 2, 3 - 1, 2 or 1, 2, 3 - 1, 2 - 1, 2.
Here are some completed measures. Don't forget the counting is based on eighth notes.

H
Q
E
Q
Q
Q
E
E E E E E E E
E||-------------------|--------------------|-----------------------|
B||-------------------|--------------------|-----------------------|
G||-------------------|--------------------|-----------------------|
D||-------------------|--------------------|-----------------------|
A||-------------------|--------------------|-----------------------|
E||--3--------3----3--|--3----3----3----3--|--3--3--3--3--3--3--3--|
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
S S S S S S S S S S S S S S
------------------------------||
------------------------------||
------------------------------||
------------------------------||
------------------------------||
--3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-||
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6 + 7 +

7/8 Rhythms In Progressive Music

This example uses each pattern of counting eighth notes.

1 2 1 2 1 2 3
1
2 1 2 3 1 2
1 2 3 1
2 1 2
E E E E E E E
E E E E E E E
E E E E E E E
E||-----------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------||
B||-----------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------||
G||-----------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------||
D||-----5-----5--------5--|-----5--------5-----5--|--------5-----5-----5--||
A||-----------------5-----|-----------5-----------|-----5-----------------||
E||--3-----3-----3--------|--3-----3--------3-----|--3--------3-----3-----||
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
The next example is a very common rhythm pattern for 7/8 in progressive rock.

H.
E
H.
E
H.
E
H.
E
E||------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------||
B||------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------||
G||------------------|---------------4--|--3------------6--|--8---------------||
D||--2------------6--|--4------------4--|--1------------6--|--6---------------||
A||--2------------6--|--2------------2--|--1------------4--|--6---------------||
E||--0------------4--|--2---------------|------------------|------------------||
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
1 2 3 4 5 6 7

This next example uses the 1, 2 - 1, 2 - 1, 2, 3 pattern in sixteenth notes.

S S S S S S S S S S S S S S
E||--------------------------------------------|
B||--------------------------------13-12-------|
G||--------11-12-------12-11-------------12-11-|
D||--10-12-------10-12-------10-12-------------|
A||--------------------------------------------|
E||--------------------------------------------|
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6 + 7 +
S S S S S S S S S S S S S S
----------------------------------------|
-----------------------------10---------|
----------11---------12---------12-11-9-|
--9-10-12----9-10-12----9-10------------|
----------------------------------------|
----------------------------------------|
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6 + 7 +
S S S S S S S S S S S S S S
--------------------------------------------||
--------------------------------------------||
--------11-12-------12-14-------14----11----||
--12-14-------12-14-------12-14----14----10-||
--------------------------------------------||
--------------------------------------------||
1
+ 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6 + 7 +

5/8 Time Signatures

5/8 means there are 5 beats in a measure and each eighth note (not quarter note) gets one
beat. 5/8 is like 4/4 minus three eighth notes. There are many ways to count the eighth notes,
on of the most popular is 1, 2 - 1, 2, 3. Here are some completed measures (don't forget, the
counting is based on eighth notes).

H
E
Q
Q
E
E E E E E
S S S S S S S S S S
E||--------------|---------------|-----------------|----------------------||
B||--------------|---------------|-----------------|----------------------||
G||--------------|---------------|-----------------|----------------------||
D||--------------|---------------|-----------------|----------------------||
A||--------------|---------------|-----------------|----------------------||
E||--3--------3--|--3----3----3--|--3--3--3--3--3--|--3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-||
1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 +

5/8 Rhythms In Progressive Music

This example uses a pattern of a quarter note (1, 2) and three eighth notes (3, 4, 5).

Q
E E E
Q
E E E
Q
E E E
Q
E E E
E||-------------0--|----------0--2--|-------0--4--5--|--0----2--4--5--||
B||-------0--3-----|--0----1--------|--3-------------|----------------||
G||--2-------------|----------------|----------------|----------------||
D||----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------||
A||----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------||
E||----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------||
1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5
The next example emphisizes the 5/8 time signature by playing a 5 chord on the first beat in
the measure.

E E E E E
E E E E E
E E E E E
E E E E E
E||-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
B||-----------------|-----3-----------|-----1-----------|-----------------|
G||--7--8--7--------|--5-----5--3-----|--3-----3--1-----|--0--1--0--------|
D||--5--------8--6--|--3-----------6--|--1-----------3--|--0--------3--1--|
A||-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
E||-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5
H
E
--------------||
--------------||
--------------||
--0-----------||
--------------||
--------------||
1 2 3 4 5
The last example uses eighth notes and sixteenth notes.

E E E S S E
S S E E E E
E||------------------|------------------||
B||------------------|------------------||
G||---------------2--|------------------||
D||-----------3-5----|--5-3-------------||
A||-----2--5---------|------5--2--------||
E||--3---------------|------------5--3--||
1 2 3 4 + 5
1 + 2 3 4 5

11/8 Time Signatures

11/8 is 11 notes per measure and eighth notes get one beat. 11/8 is 4/4 plus three eighth
notes. There are many ways to count the eighth notes in 11/8, one of the most popular is 1, 2,
3, 4 - 1, 2, 3, 4 - 1, 2, 3. You can also use 1, 2, 3 - 1, 2, 3 - 1, 2, 3 - 1, 2. These are my
favorite way to count 11/8, but in order to make the music sound as original as possible you
should make up your own ways of counting the eighth notes. It doesn't take much math to find
numbers that, when added, give you 11. So the possibilities are endless. Here are some
completed measures:

W
Q.
W
Q
E
E||--------------------------|---------------------------|
B||--------------------------|---------------------------|
G||--------------------------|---------------------------|
D||--------------------------|---------------------------|
A||--------------------------|---------------------------|
E||--3----------------3------|--3----------------3----3--|
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
W
E E E
Q
Q
Q
Q
Q
E
----------------------------|------------------------------|
----------------------------|------------------------------|
----------------------------|------------------------------|
----------------------------|------------------------------|
----------------------------|------------------------------|
--3----------------3--3--3--|--3----3----3----3----3----3--|
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
E E E E E E E E E E E
-----------------------------------|
-----------------------------------|
-----------------------------------|
-----------------------------------|
-----------------------------------|
--3--3--3--3--3--3--3--3--3--3--3--|
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S
----------------------------------------------||
----------------------------------------------||
----------------------------------------------||
----------------------------------------------||
----------------------------------------------||
--3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-||
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6 + 7 + 8 + 9 + 10+ 11+

11/8 Rhythms In Progressive Music.

This example uses a whole note and a dotted quarter note.

Fm
Gm7
Am
Bm6
W
Q.
W
Q.
E||--1----------------1------|--0----------------2------||
B||--1----------------3------|--1----------------3------||
G||--1----------------3------|--2-----------------------||
D||--3----------------0------|--2----------------6------||
A||--3-----------------------|--0----------------2------||
E||--1----------------3------|--------------------------||
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
This rather dark sounding progression uses quarter notes, eighth notes, and a dotted quarter
note at the end.

Q
Q
E E E E Q
E
E E E E Q
E E Q.
E||--------------------------------|--------------------------------||
B||--------------------------------|--------------------------------||
G||--------------------------------|-----------6--5----4--7---------||
D||--6----5----9--8--7--6--2----4--|--6--7--9--6--4----3--6--7------||
A||--6----5----9--8--7--6--2----4--|--6--7--9--4--3----2--5--6------||
E||--4----3----7--6--5--4--0----2--|--4--5--7----------------5------||
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
The next example is a melody using the 1, 2, 3, 4 - 1, 2, 3, 4 - 1, 2, 3 pattern.

E E E E E E E E E E E
E E E E E E E E E E E
E||-----------------------------------|-----------------------------------||
B||-----------------------------------|-----------------------------------||
G||-----------------------------------|-----------------------------------||
D||-----------------------------------|--------------------------8--7-----||
A||-----------6-----------6--8--6-----|-----------6-----------6--------9--||
E||--6--8--9-----5--6--8-----------8--|--6--8--9-----5--6--8--------------||
This very complex rhythm is made up of eighth notes, dotted eighth notes, and sixteenth
notes. Unless you are very good with dictating rhythm, I strongly suggest you use the midi or
guitar pro file to listen to this.

E. E S E. E S E. E S E E
E||-----------------------------------||
B||-----------------------------------||
G||-----------------------------------||
D||--7---5--5-5---5--5-7---5--5-2--2--||
A||--7---5--5-7---5--5-7---5--5-2--2--||
E||--5---5--5-7---5--5-5---5--5-0--0--||

Practicing Odd Time Signatures

It takes a lot of practice to be able to fluently compose music in an odd time signature. A good
way to practice is to take some songs you have written and add or subtract notes from them.
If you're playing a chord progression, maybe add a quick arpeggio to the measure. If you're
playing the same chord for 4 beats, why not take a beat out and put it in 3/4? This gives your
music variety.
Grouping For Odd Time Signatures.
A simple way to compose in an odd time signature is to group quarter notes. For example, 5/4
has 5 quarter notes in a measure and 2 + 3 = 5. So, you can group the quarter notes by 2 and
3. Here is an example in 5/4:
Q
Q
Q
Q
Q
E||---------------------------||
B||---------------------------||
G||---------------------------||
D||----------------------5----||
A||-------5---------5---------||
E||--3---------3--------------||
1,
21,
2,
3
See how they are grouped? 1, 2 - 1, 2, 3. It can also be grouped as 1, 2, 3 - 1, 2. In fact, it
can be grouped as anything as long as it is equal to 5 (in 5/4).

Q
Q
Q
Q
Q
E||---------------------------||
B||---------------------------||
G||---------------------------||
D||------------5--------------||
A||-------5--------------5----||
E||--3--------------3---------||
1,
2,
31,
2

It can get complicated when you add eighth notes because they would be equal .5. I prefer not
to get that complicated, but if it works for you, use it. Here are some grouping ideas commonly
used (they can all be reversed or put into different order):

5/4
--------------1, 2 - 1, 2, 3
--------------1, 2, 3 - 1, 2
--------------1, 2 - 1, 2 - 1
--------------6/4
-----------------1, 2, 3 - 1, 2, 3
-----------------1, 2 - 1, 2 - 1, 2
-----------------1, 2 - 1, 2, 3 - 1
-----------------1, 2, 3, 4 - 1, 2
-----------------7/4
--------------------1, 2 - 1, 2 - 1, 2, 3
--------------------1, 2, 3, 4 - 1, 2, 3
--------------------(the eight notes are counted instead of the quarter notes)
5/8
--------------1, 2 - 1, 2, 3
--------------1, 2, 3 - 1, 2
--------------1, 2 - 1, 2 - 1
--------------7/8
--------------------1, 2 - 1, 2 - 1, 2, 3
--------------------1, 2, 3, 4 - 1, 2, 3
--------------------11/8
-----------------------------------1, 2, 3 - 1, 2, 3 - 1, 2, 3 - 1, 2
-----------------------------------1, 2 - 1, 2 - 1, 2 - 1, 2 - 1, 2 - 1
-----------------------------------1, 2, 3, 4 - 1, 2, 3, 4 - 1, 2, 3

Every time you practice your guitar, try playing in an odd time signature by counting and
grouping the notes. That way, you can get two things done at once. Another good idea is to
make up beats in odd time signatures in your head while you are away from your guitar. This
will get your mind used to hearing odd time signatures, and hopefully give you some original
ideas. I hope you learned a lot from this lesson. If you found some of the material confusing,
you ming want to consider taking a music theory class or getting help from a professional.
Remember, there is no good substitute for a good teacher.

Metric Modulation
Metric modulation is the changing of a time signature or tempo. Both are used in progressive
music and add variety and originality to the music. When changing time signatures, the tempo
should stay the same. A change in time signatures must sound as smooth as possible.
1a. Simple Metric Modulations Simple metric modulation is when the time signature
changes stay consistent and structured. Here are some simple and common examples to get
started with. The first example starts in 4/4 and modulates to 3/4 for one measure, then goes
back to 4/4. This kind of modulation can be found in almost every kind of music, even rap. The
last two measures could be combined to make 7/4 (because 3+4=7) but using four measures
is just simpler. midi sample (Simple Metric Modulation)
4/4
H
H
H
H
H
H
E||--0-----------2-----------|--5--------2--------|--0-----------2-----------|
B||--3-----------5-----------|--2--------3--------|--3-----------5-----------|
G||--0-----------0-----------|--4--------2--------|--0-----------0-----------|
D||--0-----------0-----------|--2--------0--------|--0-----------0-----------|
A||--0-----------0-----------|--2--------0--------|--0-----------0-----------|
E||--------------------------|--------------------|--------------------------|
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
3/4
E E E E E E
-----2--------------||
--------5-----------||
-----------0--------||
--------------0-----||
--0--------------0--||
--------------------||
1 + 2 + 3 +
The next example switches between 11/8 and 9/8 every bar (9/8 wasn't covered in the last
lesson. It's 9 beats per measure and each eighth note gets one beat).
11/8 9/8
E E E E E E E E E E E
E E E E E E E E E
E||-----9-----8-----6-----------------|-----6-----4-----3-----------|
B||--6-----6-----6-----6--9--8--------|--4-----4-----4-----4--------|
G||-----------------------------5--6--|-----------------------6--8--|
D||-----------------------------------|-----------------------------|
A||-----------------------------------|-----------------------------|
E||-----------------------------------|-----------------------------|
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
11/8 9/8
E E E E E E E E E E E
E E
E E E E E E
E
-----9-----8-----6-----------6--8--|-----11-----9-----8------------|
--6-----6-----6-----6--8--9--------|--9------9-----9-----9--11--8--|
-----------------------------------|-------------------------------|
-----------------------------------|-------------------------------|
-----------------------------------|-------------------------------|
-----------------------------------|-------------------------------|
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
11/8
W
Q.
--------------------------||
--9----------------L*-----||
--------------------------||
--------------------------||
--------------------------||
--------------------------||
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

*The L in the last measure means the note is sustained for the duration indicated... in this
case a dotted quarter note. The next example alternates between 3/4 and 5/8 each bar.
Modulating like this may be hard and confusing because of the beat change.
3/4 5/8 3/4
E E E E E E
E E E E E
E E E E E E
E||--------------------|-----------------|--------------------|
B||-----------0--------|-----------0-----|-----------0--------|
G||--------2-----2-----|--------0-----0--|--------2-----2-----|
D||-----3-----------3--|-----3-----------|-----3-----------3--|
A||--5-----------------|--5--------------|--5-----------------|
E||--------------------|-----------------|--------------------|
1 + 2 + 3 + 1 2 3 4 5 1 + 2 + 3 +
5/8
E E E Q
----------------||
-----------1----||
--------0-------||
-----3----------||
--5-------------||
----------------||
1 2 3 4 5
1b. Complex Metric Modulation When modulating between 3 or more different time
signatures, it is referred to as complex metric modulation. Complex metric modulation can be
structured (by following a repeating pattern or idea) or unstructured and spontaneous. A
rather overlooked sub genre of progressive rock is "Math Rock" (or Tech Metal/Math
metal/Mathcore etc.) Math rock, as it's name suggests, is a form or progressive rock that uses
math as a musical outlet for creativity. Math rock puts a very untraditional, sometimes akward
spin on standard rock/punk/acustic music by using complex metric modulation and rhythm
patterns. Some of the more extreme math rock bands won't even think about using 4/4 or
3/4, but will use 13/8, 17/4, 11/8 and other crazy time signatures. Sometimes math rock will
use odd grouping with meters, like 3, 5, or 7 bar riffs, rather than the traditional 4, 2, or 8
bars. This style of progressive music is very hard to write in because it sounds very unfamiliar
to our ears. Some of the more popular math rock bands are Don Caballero, Breadwinner, and
Bozart. The example below is the introduction to a song I wrote. It uses elements of math rock
and progressive rock by changing time signatures after every bar. The intorduction is 28 bars
long, so I figured I would give a picture instead of actual text tablature. It will help to figure
out the counting on your own.
1c. Mathematical Application To Time Signatures Time signatures can be figured out in
many ways. My favorite way is to think of them in terms of quarter notes. For example, 4/4
has 4 quarter notes in a measure. 3/4 has 3 quarter notes in a measure. 5/4 has 5 and 6/4
has 6. Now, if you look at a time signature like 7/8, you know that there are 7 eighth notes in
a beat. Since 2 eighth notes = 1 quarter note, that would mean there are 3.5 quarter notes
per measure. Look at it this way:
7/8
= 7 eighth notes
1 eighth note = 0.5 quarter note
0.5 x 7
= 3.5
7/8
= 3.5 quarter notes
You can figure out how many quarter notes are in any x/8 time signature using this method.

1d. Practicing/Composing A good way to practice metric modulation is by using a

metronome. Set the metronome to about 60bpm and play through a few of your original riffs
in 4/4. Now take these riffs and add a few notes to them (5/4), then subtract (3/4). Finally, try
to make a smooth transition between the riffs. Try doing this with other time signatures.
Remember, it is very important that the tempo does not change when using/ practicing metric
modulation. Here is an example that goes from 9/8 to 11/8 to 9/8 to 4/4 using the
add/subtract idea:
9/8 11/8
S S S Q S S S Q S S S S S S S Q S S S Q S S S S S S S S
E||---------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
B||---------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
G||*--------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
D||*-----------------2-4----5-4-----|-----------------2-4----5-4-------------|
A||---5-3-2-0----2-3------------5-2-|--5-3-2-0----2-3------------5-2-------2-|
E||---------------------------------|--------------------------------0-2-3---|
9/8 4/4
S S S Q S S S Q S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S
--------------------------------|-----------------------------------||
--------------------------------|-----------------------------------||
--------------------------------|----------------------------------*||
-----------------2-4----5-4-----|--------------2-4-5-4-------------*||
--5-3-2-0----2-3------------5-2-|--5-3-2-0-2-3---------5-2-------2--||
--------------------------------|--------------------------0-2-3----||
4/4
W
-------------------||
-------------------||
-------------------||
-------------------||
-------------------||
--0----------------||
Another way of practicing is to count beats in your head. This can be done without your guitar
so you can do it in a car, in school, wherever. You do this by modulating in your head with
numbers. For example, you can count eighth notes and modulate between 4/4 and 7/8:
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
or, 3/4 and 5/8
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
or, 5/4 and 4/4
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
The possibilities are endless. Make sure to keep a steady tempo when doing this exercise. After
you get good with eighth notes, try sixteenth notes, quarter notes, triplets, etc. I don't
recommend mixing note values during mental practice because that may get too confusing.

Chord Progressions And Harmonic Concepts

Chord progressions in progressive music can go in almost any direction. The more chords
used, the more complex the song will be. You could write a song where no chord is ever
repeated, or a song with just a few diatonics. In progressive music, non-diatonic chords are
used to make harmony more interesting.
2a. Diatonic And Non-Diatonic Chords Basically, a diatonic progression is when all chords
belong to the key. Here is the C major scale:
I ii iii IV V vi vii* I
C D E F G A B C
The roman numerals above indicate a major or minor triad. The upper case are major and the
lower case are minor. The vii* is a diminished triad. A * is used in place of a circle, which is
most common. This pattern of major/minor/diminished applies to all major scales. Only chords
I, IV, and V are major, ii, iii, and vi are minor and the vii* is diminished. A non-diatonic chord
is any chord that does not belong to the key. For example, if a song is in G major.
I ii iii IV V vi vii* I
G A B C D E F# G
And a C minor chord is used, it would be a non-diatonic chord. Non-diatonic chords can be
used to change the key of a song, but can also add interest to the harmony.
2b. Chord Progressions With Pedal Tones A pedal tone is a note that is repeated or
sustained while the harmony changes over it. Pedal tones are commonly used in progressive
rock to add color to a chord progression. In the below example in 5/4, E is used as the pedal
tone:
5/4
E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E
E||--------------------------------|--------------------------------||
B||--------------------------------|--------------------------------||
G||--9--------6-----4--------6-----|--8--------4-----4--------6-----||
D||--9--------6-----4--------6-----|--9--------6-----4--------6-----||
A||--7--------4-----2--------4-----|--7--------4-----2--------4-----||
E||-----0--0-----0-----0--0-----0--|-----0--0-----0-----0--0-----0--||
Pedal tones can also be played with the chords, like the example below, where A is the pedal
tone:
4/4
H H H H
E||---0--------4--------|--7--------4---------||
B||---2--------2--------|--5--------2---------||
G||*--1--------2--------|--5--------2--------*||
D||*--2--------2--------|--5--------2--------*||
A||---0--------0--------|--0--------0---------||
E||---------------------|---------------------||
In the next example, in 7/4, the pedal tone is B and arpeggios are used instead of chords:
7/4
E E E H E E E H E E E E E E E E H.
E||--------------------------------------|-----------------------------------||
B||--------------------------------------|-----------------------------------||
G||-----------------------------4--------|-----------4-----------------------||
D||--------4--7--------------4-----------|--------4-----7--4-----------------||
A||-----5-----------------5--------------|-----5--------------5--------------||
E||--7-----------------7-----------------|--7--------------------5--7--------||
There are all kinds of ways to use pedal tones in chord progressions.
2c. Chord Progressions With A Moving Bass A moving bass line is a great way to make a
chord progression sound more melodic.
4/4
E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E
E||--------------------------|--------------------------||
B||--------------------------|--------------------------||
G||--------------------------|--------------------------||
D||-----5-----5-----5-----5--|-----5-----5-----5-----5--||
A||-----5-----5-----5-----5--|-----5-----5-----5-----5--||
E||--3-----2-----0-----2-----|--7-----5-----3-----2-----||

In the example below, the bass notes emphasize the power chords in the first measure. In the
second measure they lead the F# power chord to the Bb7 power chord. In the third measure
the root and fifth are played to bring it all to a close. Using notes other then the root in the
bass is common in bass lines and is called an inversion.
7/4 5/4
Q E E E E E Q E E E E E Q E E E E H
E||--------------------------------------------|----------------------------|
B||--------------------------------------------|----------------------------|
G||--11----------11----------------------------|-------------------2--------|
D||--11-----------9--------9----------9--------|--4----------------4--------|
A||---9----9--9---7--7--7--9----------7--------|--4-------------0--2--------|
E||------------------------7----7--7--5--5--5--|--2----0--2--4--------------|
5/4
Q Q H E E
---------------------------||
---------------------------||
--4------------------6--4--||
--4---------4--------4--4--||
--2----2-------------2--2--||
---------------------------||
2d. Harmonic Modulation Harmonic Modulation occurs when they key of the song is
changed. Harmonic modulation is used a great deal in progressive music and gives the song
variety and complexity. Note: To understand this next section, a good solid background in
diatonic harmony would be very helpful. Remember the formulas:
(1=root)
Basic major triads
(1, M3, P5)
Basic minor triads
(1, m3, P5)
Basic augmented triads (1, M3, #5)
Basic diminished triads (1, m3, b5)
In the first example, the key of G major will change to A major.
I ii iii IV V vi vii* I
GM: G A B C D E F# G
AM: A B C# D E F# G# A
Notice that the only note difference between G major and A major are C# and G#? The C#
and G#, in A major, alter the chords in G major. For example in G major, the A (ii) chord is
minor because it is spelled A-C-E. In A major, the A chord is spelled A-C#-E, making it major.
Another difference is in G major, the F# (vii*) chord would be diminished because it is spelled
F#-A-C. In A major, it would be minor because it is spelled F#-A-C#. G major has an E(vi)
minor chord, spelled E-G-B. A major has a E(V) major chord, spelled E-G#-B. G major has
C(IV) and G(I) natural chords in it, but A major does not. A major has a C#(iii) minor chord in
it and a G#(vii*) diminished. Those are all the differences within the two keys, now look at the
similarities. G major and A major both share a Bm and a Dm. NOTE: Many of the examples
below are very simple and un-progressive. As an optional excercise, try to put these chord
progressions into odd time signatures, while using a more creative rhythm pattern.

2e. Harmonic Modulation With Borrowed Notes Using borrowed notes isn't a key change.
It is simply a way to add non-diatonic chords to a diatonic melody. In the example below, the
key will not change from G major. Instead, it will use some chords from A major. The below
example is extremely simple in rhythm and time signature. As a nice progressive exercise, try
to put this chord progression into an odd time signature, while using a more creative rhythm
pattern.
(Bc = Borrowed Chord)
4/4
Bc Bc
GM DM CM GM AM EM CM DM GM
Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q W
E||--3----2----0----3----|--0----0----0----2----|--3----------------||
B||--0----3----1----0----|--2----0----1----3----|--0----------------||
G||--0----2----0----0----|--2----1----0----2----|--0----------------||
D||--0----0----2----0----|--2----2----2----0----|--0----------------||
A||--2---------3----2----|--0----2----3---------|--2----------------||
E||--3--------------3----|-------0--------------|--3----------------||
2f. Harmonic Modulation With Pitch Changes Often times in progressive music, a chord
progression is played exactly the same way, just up or down in pitch.
4/4
Up a major 2nd Down a perfect 4th
Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q
E||--3----3----5----3----|--5----5----7----5----|--0----0----2----0----|
B||--3----4----6----4----|--5----6----8----6----|--0----1----3----1----|
G||--3----5----7----5----|--5----7----9----7----|--0----2----4----2----|
D||--5----5----7----5----|--7----7----9----7----|--2----2----4----2----|
A||--5----3----5----3----|--7----5----7----5----|--2----0----2----0----|
E||--3----3----5----3----|--5----5----7----5----|--0----0----2----0----|
Up a minor 3rd
W
--3----------------||
--3----------------||
--3----------------||
--5----------------||
--5----------------||
--3----------------||
2g. Harmonic Modulation With Pivot Chords In a lot of music, a I chord comes after a V
chord. Our ears are used to hearing this. So using the V chord as a pivot chord is a great way
to get into a new key. The example below shows a harmonic modulation between G major and
F major by using a pivot chord. In G major, the V chord is a DM. In F major, the V chord is a
CM, but is only a IV chord in G major. So to make a C(IV) chord into a C(V) chord, we make it
a dominant C chord. This gives it a feeling of being a V chord. The progression goes GM, DM,
C7, FM. Of course, this example is very short and simple. Normally it would be longer to
establish the keys.
4/4
C7
Q Q Q Q
E||--3----2----3----1----||
B||--0----3----5----1----||
G||--0----2----3----2----||
D||--0----0----5----3----||
A||------------3----3----||
E||-----------------1----||

2h. Harmonic Modulation With Relative Keys In every major key there is a relative minor
key that has the exact same notes in it, just in a different order. The best example is C major
and A minor. They both have all natural notes in them, but sound very different.
Major: C D E F G A B C
Minor: A B C D E F G A
This is also how modes work. If the scale is started on a different note, it will be in a different
mode. The major mode (C major) is also called the Ionian mode and the minor mode (A
minor) is also called the Aeolian mode. Going to a relative minor/major key will not change the
key of the song, so technically it's not harmonic modulation. It is, however, a very easy way to
give a song a different feel. In the below example, G major will turn to E minor. Remember:
The relative minor of any major key is the 6th degree of the scale and the relative major of
any minor key is the 3rd degree of the scale.
GM: Em:
Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q
E||--3----0----2----3----|--0----0----2----0----||
B||--0----1----3----0----|--0----1----3----0----||
G||--0----0----2----0----|--0----2----4----0----||
D||--0----2----0----0----|--2----2----4----2----||
A||--2----3---------2----|--2----0----2----2----||
E||--3--------------3----|--0--------------0----||
2i. Harmonic Modulation With Parallel Keys Every key has a parallel key such as G major
is parallel to G minor, C minor is parallel to C major, F# major is parallel to F# minor, etc.
Changing a major key to a minor key or vise versa is called mutation. In the example below, E
minor will mutate to E major.
4/4
Em Am GM Em EM AM BM EM
Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q
E||--0----0----3----0----|--0----0----2----0----||
B||--0----1----0----0----|--0----2----4----0----||
G||--0----2----0----0----|--1----2----4----1----||
D||--2----2----0----2----|--2----2----4----2----||
A||--2----0----2----2----|--2----0----2----2----||
E||--0---------3----0----|--0--------------0----||

Final Thoughts
Hopefully you have learned a lot about harmony and time signatures in this lesson. If you
found this lesson confusing, maybe you should consider taking music theory lessons. There is
no good substitute for a teacher, so if your stuck, ask someone. Now, using the information
you have learned, go write some music. The more you apply these concepts, the more you will
understand them. Good luck, and keep creating original progressive music.