ColorMusic
Education • Art • Music
217 | ChordMap Quick Start
how to navigate the map
May 29, 2023
post photo preview

Here's a quick intro to navigating your ChordMap™ -- to crack the code to songwriting. With it, you can identify the key, mode, and chord progressions in a song. Here’s how it works:

Parallel Modes

In the circle of fifths, the chords in each key are grouped. Parallel modes (which share the same tonic) are all neighbors in the circle of fifths. These parallel modes are a common source of borrowed chords in songs. Using the key of C, for example:

  • Rotate the numerals layer to align “I” next to C (the red square in the inner ring). This will also position all of the other numerals with their respective chords.

  • Holding the numeral layer in place, next rotate the grouping line layer to point at the “Lydian” label. This layer arrangement highlights the chords of C LYDIAN, which includes C major, D major, E minor, F# diminished, G major, A minor, and B minor – marked by numerals I, II, iii, #iv°, V, vi, and vii, respectively:

  • Continuing to hold the numerals layer in place, you can then rotate the grouping line layer counterclockwise in 30-degree increments. This highlights the other C parallel modes, including C IONIAN (a.k.a. “C major”) with chords C major, D minor, E minor, F major, G major, A minor, and B diminished – marked by numerals, I, ii, iii, IV, V, vi, and vii°:

  • C MIXOLYDIAN with chords C major, D minor, E diminished, F major, G minor, A minor, and Bb major, marked by numerals I, ii, iii°, IV, v, vi, and bVII, respectively:

  • C DORIAN with chords chords C minor, D minor, Eb major, F major, G minor, A diminished, and Bb major, marked by numerals i, ii, bIII, IV, v, vi°, and bVII, respectively:

  • C AEOLIAN (a.k.a. “C minor”) with chords C minor, D diminished, Eb major, F minor, G minor, Ab major, and Bb major, marked by numerals i, ii°, bIII, iv, v, bVI, and bVII, respectively:

  • C PHRYGIAN with chords C minor, Db major, Eb major, F minor, G diminished, Ab major, and Bb minor, marked by numerals i, bII, bIII, iv, v°, bVI, and bvii, respectively:

  • And finally, C LOCRIAN with chords C diminished, Db major, Eb minor, F minor, Gb major, Ab major, and Bb minor, marked by numerals i°, bII, biii, iv, bV, bVI, and bvii, respectively:

Again, by holding the numerals layer in place and rotating the grouping line counterclockwise, you can see each parallel mode – as this image summarizes:

Relative Modes

The ChordMap also illustrates all relative modes in every key, but moving in reverse. You do this by holding the grouping line layer in place instead and rotating the numerals layer. Using the key of C again, for example:

  • Rotate the numerals layer to align “I” next to C (the red square in the inner ring). As before, this will position all the other numerals with their respective chords.

  • Next, position the grouping line layer so that it is pointing directly up to the “Ionian” label. This again highlights the C IONIAN mode (a.k.a. “C major”) with chords C major, D minor, E minor, F major, G major, A minor, and B diminished – marked by numerals, I, ii, iii, IV, V, vi, and vii°:

  • Holding the grouping line layer in place, rotate the numerals layer 30-degrees in a counterclockwise direction to highlights the chords of F LYDIAN, which includes F major, G major, A minor, B diminished, C major, D minor, and E minor – marked by numerals I, II, iii, #iv°, V, vi, and vii, respectively:

  • Again keeping the grouping line in place and rotating the numerals 30-degrees clockwise past C Ionian, the G MIXOLYDIAN mode is illustrated, with chords G major, A minor, B diminished, C major, D minor, E minor, and F major – marked by numerals I, ii, iii°, IV, v, vi, and bVII, respectively: 

  • Rotating the numerals further clockwise by 30-degrees, the stationary group line highlights the D DORIAN mode, with D minor, E minor, F major, G major, A minor, B diminished, and C major, marked by numerals i, ii, bIII, IV, v, vi°, and bVII, respectively:

  • Another clockwise rotation of the numerals by 30-degrees highlights the A AEOLIAN mode, which includes chords A minor, B diminished, C major, D minor, E minor, F major, and G major, marked by numerals i, ii°, bIII, iv, v, bVI, and bVII, respectively:

  • Yet another 30-degree clockwise rotation of the numerals in relation to the stationary group line highlights E PHRYGIAN, which includes chords E minor, F major, G major, A minor, B diminished, C major, and D minor, marked by numerals i, bII, bIII, iv, v°, bVI, and bvii, respectively:

  • Finally, one more 30-degree clockwise rotation of the numerals highlights the B LOCRIAN mode, with chords B diminished, C major, D minor, E minor, F major, G major, and A minor, marked by numerals i°, bII, biii, iv, bV, bVI, and bvii, respectively:

To summarize, these are the seven relative modes of C major:

 

Parallel vs. Relative Modes

Because each layer of the ChordMap can move independently, these same relationships are shown in all 12 keys – whether the numerals remain stationary and the grouping line rotates to illustrate PARALLEL modes … or vice versa, with the grouping line made stationary and the numerals rotated in 30-degree increments to highlight RELATIVE modes. 

In the examples above, each PARALLEL mode of C is shown to be a permutation of seven other keys:

  • C Lydian = G Ionian

  • C Ionian = C Ionian

  • C Mixolydian = F Ionian

  • C Dorian = Bb Ionian

  • C Aeolian = Eb Ionian

  • C Phrygian = Ab Ionian

  • C Locrian = Db Ionian 

In contrast, each RELATIVE mode C is a permutation of the key of C:

  • F Lydian = C Ionian

  • C Ionian = C Ionian

  • G Mixolydian = C Ionian

  • D Dorian = C Ionian

  • A Aeolian = C Ionian

  • E Phrygian = C Ionian

  • B Locrian = C Ionian 

Again, these relationships are cyclical and symmetrical so you can quickly navigate the circle of fifths. Once you know how to move around the ChordMap, it’s easy to analyze chord progressions, including:

  • the use of parallel modes for borrowed chords

  • the use of both parallel and relative modes for modal mixture

  • the use of modulation (shifting between modes within a composition)

  • etc.

There’s so much to explore. Enjoy!

community logo
Join the ColorMusic Community
To read more articles like this, sign up and join my community today
12
What else you may like…
Videos
Posts
Articles
354a | Creep (video)

An explanation and PDF is in the following post (354b).

00:01:14
350 | Extended chords explained

Extended chords are easy to understand -- once you know about the Circle of Thirds.

Essentially, fancy extended chords are built by adding notes incrementally from a key's Circle of Thirds. By including ever more intervals of a third, you can play increasingly more complex harmonies.

Had I only known this in the beginning!

Without the Circle of Thirds, exotic chord names seem mysterious and complicated. WITH the Circle of Thirds, however, everything clicks into place.

🎥 This short video gives you the gist.

For more details on the construction of these chords, check out Lesson 17 in the course: https://mikegeorge.locals.com/post/6051473/296-lesson-17-pdf-video

And the PDF referenced is ChordBook 2 here: https://shop.mycolormusic.com/products/colormusic%E2%84%A2%EF%B8%8F-guitar-chordbook-modebook-bundle

00:00:57
345a | Theory Course LIVE - heads up

Hey! Join Sunday's stream for the first in the Theory Course LIVE series.

We'll be going through the course lessons page-by-page, playing the exercises, etc. -- with questions, answers, and sidebars along the way. It's a new and insightful look into music theory.

(The live stream link referenced in this video is actually in the NEXT post.)

00:00:58
363 | Daily Dose

Here's a snapshot of the C Mixolydian mode -- in both pitch space (circular format) and on the guitar fretboard -- which you can play in any octave.

Mixolydian's b7 note gives the pattern a distinctively cool sound, as you can hear when you play it.

The QUESTION is, what is the source scale of this particular mode?

(Hint: Mixolydian starts on the fifth scale degree of its underlying source pattern.)

post photo preview
361 | Color notation (technical knowledge)

Hey, all -- question for you:
Do you have any thoughts on ways to colorize notation?

Folks regularly ask about software to use. And because we have engineers of various types in our community here, I'm hoping some of us may have ideas, or technical know-how.

I think creating an open source tool for community members is an excellent project! It will be very powerful for dissecting and composing songs. With a tool like this, our collective knowledge will rise exponentially.

See this post for context -- and please tag us if you're interested:
https://mikegeorge.locals.com/post/6059027/hey-all-mikegeorge-ive-been-really-loving-your-lessons-ive-worked-my-way-through-12-of-them?cid=8082688

356 | Harmonic Concept

POLL: If you could master one harmonic concept, which would it be?

post photo preview
364 | Cascading Fourths

Great chord progressions are informed by the circle of fifths / fourths. By simply playing chords of successive fourths in sequence, you can make excellent music.

Weezer's song, "Island in the Sun" is a nice example.

The song cycles through a simple pattern of:  Em - Am - D - G (or chords vi - ii - V - I in the key of G). Within the circle of thirds, you can see that these harmonies progress through states of stability (vi), change (ii), tension (V), and stability once more (I).

But when you look closer at that the root notes of these chords, it's clear that the pattern follows a sequence of successive fourths (Em - Am - D - G):  yellow, orange-yellow, orange, red-orange.

Only for Supporters
To read the rest of this article and access other paid content, you must be a supporter
Read full Article
post photo preview
362 | Theory Course LIVE - Session 5

This week, the Theory Course live stream is on *THURSDAY*.

Join us for the fifth session, where we're talking about notes and intervals -- the true essentials of music theory.

Time: THURSDAY, May 8 at 6:00 p.m. (UTC-6)

Link to join:

Only for Supporters
To read the rest of this article and access other paid content, you must be a supporter
Read full Article
post photo preview
359 | Theory Course LIVE - Session 4

This is the fourth session of the music theory course - LIVE.

Time: Sunday, May 4 at 10:00 a.m. (UTC-6)

Link to join:

Only for Supporters
To read the rest of this article and access other paid content, you must be a supporter
Read full Article
See More
Available on mobile and TV devices
google store google store app store app store
google store google store app tv store app tv store amazon store amazon store roku store roku store
Powered by Locals