Music Composition DUMmIES

As far as these rules go, they just mean (in the case of major chord progres-

sions) that a ii chord (such as D minor if you’re playing in the key of C major)

sounds most natural when it leads to I (C major), V (G major), or vii”(B dimin-

ished). However, there’s absolutely no reason why you can’t go from a ii chord

to a IV chord, for example — but you have to bear in mind that it won’t be

what listeners are expecting.

When it comes to departing from the rules, a little goes a long way. You may

have to back off after using a couple of unconventional chord changes and

play more conventional ones to satisfy your audience. Pop music especially

adheres to the rules regarding chord progressions, and is even more didactic

than classical music about what sounds “good” and what sounds “strange.”

Try the above chord progressions with an added seventh to the triads to

see if they sound acceptable to you. You will probably find that some sound

good — and some, not so good.

Coming Home with Cadences .....................................................................

An important part of making your music (and audience) breathe is through

the use of cadence, or a return to the I/i chord from a iv or a V chord.

The longer you take to reach this point of cadence, the more tension you can

build in your music.

A musical phrase can come to an end by simply stopping, of course, but if

that stopping position doesn’t make “sense” to the listeners, they may not be

very happy with you. Ending your song on the wrong note or notes is like

ending a conversation with a non sequitur, and you may leave your listeners

a little uncomfortable. Some audiences are absolutely delighted to hear

music that confounds their expectations, however, and this may be exactly

the audience you’re trying to reach.

This section covers the four main types of cadences:

Authentic

Plagal

Deceptive/Interrupted

Half-cadence

114 Part III: Harmony and Structure