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Riddle me this?
In what key/scale/mode am I if my progression is G major, A# major, C major ?
It's a super easy, very well known sequence of chords, but I'm trying to intellectualize it needlessly right now. I know a fair bit of theory but I find myself at a loss with this one. My G is clearly where I resolve this progression, but not scale that I know of have these three chords in.
Am I just breaking key here? Or am I missing something super obvious?
G minor diminished chord. Key of g minor.
Edit: I'm stupid, that would be a G A# C# chord
Last edited by r4c7 (Mar 28, 2013 9:26 pm)
From what i understand, i would say g is.
Okay, think I got this right. A# major 7th chord without the E flat. A# major scale. Pretty sure this is right.
Edit: Keep messing my intervals up. I tried and failed.
Last edited by r4c7 (Mar 28, 2013 10:20 pm)
A# major would make my G chord a minor one, and I'm using a major there.
And if I'm in G major, then A# isn't possible.
If I'm in G minor, I have the A# available but both my G and C would need to be minor.
It's really starting to rustle my jimmies because this progression has been used ad nauseum in rock history so yknow.. we know its VALID somehow. But the more I look at it, the more I'm starting to think its simply a G Major with a borrowed chord from another key. I don't think it fits any scale because you have both a B note and a A#/Bb note in the progression.
Hell I've even looked at all the modes, and nothing seems to fit.
Also.... and this is where I started to mentally masturbate too much with this... I was assuming I was in G Major with a borrowed chord. So for my middle eight I went to the relative minor, Em, and now I can't make it resolve back to a G, it wants to resolve on the Em every damn time no matter what twisted fucked up path I take through the chords.
ARGH.
It's a "borrow from modes" thing, if C is the key it's "borrow from relative minor" and written V-bVI-I.
If the key is not C, tell me what the key is and I'll tell you where the chords are from.
Last edited by chunter (Mar 28, 2013 9:59 pm)
Ahh, the freebird progression.
My best understanding is that this is an example of referencing parallel key signatures. The G major and C major chords imply G major, but the flattened 3rd (the Bb major chord) is borrowed from the natural/melodic minor key of G. I've seen this progression with D major tagged on the end too; the dominant chord from the G major scale. So.. yeah, G major with a borrowed chord from that parallel minor seems to be an answer.
I guess you could also be writing in C major, but the Bb major chord is again borrowed from the minor of C. (as chunter mentioned above)
There are a number of options for what scale to write the melody in. Alternating between the mixolydian on G (G-A-B-C-D-E-F-G) and the dorian on G (G-A-Bb-C-D-E-F-G) can work. Basically, all you're doing is changing the identity of the 3rd.
There's probably a better explanation that I've missed, to be honest.
Also.... and this is where I started to mentally masturbate too much with this... I was assuming I was in G Major with a borrowed chord. So for my middle eight I went to the relative minor, Em, and now I can't make it resolve back to a G, it wants to resolve on the Em every damn time no matter what twisted fucked up path I take through the chords.
ARGH.
Try and set yourself up for some kind of cadence (eg. end a progression on D major or C major/minor or something so that you can head on back to G.... Be as interesting as you want)
Last edited by Fearofdark (Mar 28, 2013 10:24 pm)
I thought that said Ab. In Freebird, the key is G so it's I-bIII-IV and jammed on the G blues scale of your choice. In any case, there's no need to overthink it.
I dont know what mode it is but I can play 3 hundred guitar solos for that
Edit:
Forgett my recent suggestion, I tried it and does not seem to work.
G Blues scale works great!
Last edited by wandering genie (Mar 29, 2013 12:39 am)
What note starts your song? I am hearing this sequence in a Jimi Hendrix song...
If G is home (tonic), you're going G (I), to what is actually Bb (bIII), and C (IV). This doesn't fall into a specific key other than to say it's G Major but with a flat major 3.
Short answer: Mostly G Major.
Edit: G Mixolydian works too since there is an F in Bb. It's all about when/how you use the chromatic notes you're borrowing.
Last edited by sleepytimejesse (Mar 29, 2013 1:48 am)