Starting a progression on a chord other than the I

[black cobra]

Hi, What do you think of starting a chord progression on a chord other than the I, and using reverse polarity on the chord you start on?

[Knottyhed]

I think that might result in a serious risk of electric shock...

 

Seriously though - what do you mean?

[gennation]

 

Hi, What do you think of starting a chord progression on a chord other than the I, and using reverse polarity on the chord you start on?

 

 

Not 100% sure what you are saying/asking. But there are MANY tunes and progressions that start on a chord other than I. Take the ii-V-I progression, or even just V-I. Take a I-IV-V...diatonic in Roots, but NO WHERE NEAR diatonic in harmony, it's almost modal since each chord can be it's own I7 chord But there's no diatonic I chord, as in a Imaj7.

 

Regardless of what chord you start more kind of depends what you resolve, or end on.

 

The "reverse polarity" part is the main part that I don't understand in your question, but...regardless of playing ANY of the diatonic scales over any chord frm within the scale, it's ALL harmony, so experiment.

[black cobra]

Thanks for the replies so far. "Reverse polarity" occurs when you change a chord that is normally a major chord in the key to a minor chord, and the converse, when you change a chord that is normally minor in the key, to a major chord.

[1001gear]

Major/minor subs are done. I suspect what you're getting at is a kind of deceptive progression that lands in the opposite 'polarity' as you put it ? Baroque music often ended pieces in minor keys on a major tonic. The raised third is referred to as a Picardy third.

 

Anyway modern music allows for any chord going to any other chord regardless of traditional tendencies and while there are of course sophisticated and very cool sounding ways of going about it, you can do just about anything you want. IMO the only critical thing is the voice leading.

[gennation]

 

Thanks for the replies so far. "Reverse polarity" occurs when you change a chord that is normally a major chord in the key to a minor chord, and the converse, when you change a chord that is normally minor in the key, to a major chord.

 

 

That's actually termed "Borrowed/Parallel/Neighboring chords". Happens all the time. In theory you are "borrowing from the parallel Major/Minor".

 

Personally, I think of them as "stand-alone" or "drop-in" chords since you can practically leave the diatonic stuff aside when playing over them. Thinking this way allows you to deal with almost any "non-diatonic chord" you run into, even if it's NOT a borrowed chord.

 

Like a "drop-in" Dominant chord, in place of a diatonic m7 chord...you can use a Lydian Dominant from the Root of the "7" chord. So, you're not even looking at it a Mixolydian or diatonic to anything at all. It's just "dropped in" on you and standing alone.

 

Like a "drop-in" maj7 chord, you treat it with a Lydian scale. So, it's like it's coming form some other Key but the Root of you're maj7 doesn't tell you what Key, the Lydian scale does. It's just "dropped in" on you and standing alone.

 

So, while they are borrowed from the parallel Maj/Min that are treated differently that that playing wise.

[Paul J. Edwards]

Loads of Blues tunes start with the turnaround or last 4 measures of the 12 bar form.

[Dubb]

Hi, What do you think of starting a chord progression on a chord other than the I, and using reverse polarity on the chord you start on?

I'm for it, baby!