3rd relationships in chords

[chriskhs]

I've been kind of trying to figure out relationship between two key centers (I think that is what I'm trying to figure out, although it isn't exactly what I'm trying to do...)

 

So I've been using chord progression such as Gmaj7/D going to Bbmaj7/D (it sounds good if you do second inversion G major 7 on the middle four strings then the first inversion Bbmaj7 on the same strings). Another one I've been using a lot is say going from C major to Abmajor with no preperation.

 

In short I've been messing around with minor and major 3rd root movements and experimenting with different chord qualities over the given root. Does anybody here experiment with these relationships? If so would you like to share some with me?

[Poparad]

'Chromatic Third' chord movement is an old technique that became common practice in the Romantic era (c.1800's).

 

The reason why it works so well is that in most movements, one note remains the same between the two chords while the other two (when dealing with triads) move by half step.

 

 

The particular one you are using can be explained another way as well, through modal borrowing. If you consider the first maj7 chord to be the I chord of a major key (G major in your first example), the second chord is coming from the parallel minor key. Modal borrowing is the use of chords from the parallel minor key in a major key, or vice versa. In other words, using chords from the key of G minor while in the key of G major. The Bbmaj7 chord is the bIII chord of G minor. By putting the D on the bottom, you are simply emphasizing the common tone between the two chords. The second example can also be explained through this. Cmaj7 is the I chord in the key of C major, and Abmaj7 is the bVI chord of the parallel minor key, C minor.

[chriskhs]

Hey thanks for the reply Poparad,

 

I'm kind of looking for how other folks are using these relationships. I think it is one of the more unused chord relationship (for example I see minor iv all the time, and other cool borrowings, but I don't quite see that many third relationships... except Pat Metheny who uses it all the time).

 

I've using these harmony a lot for new compositions, so I was wondering if other people had cool chord progressions that use this relationship... so that I can shamelessly steal it any use it.

[1001gear]

Try Larry Carlton's, 'Room 335'.

[gennation]

I think Poparad hit it on the head with the term "modal".

 

While many people have a misconception that playing different scales over chords in the same Key is modal...you are finding that one chord plucked out of no where lands you in a completely different play than you where, you can only play modally...which opens up the whole new Key all over the place.

 

I have MANY modal progressions I use, and plan on posting many of them in the future.

 

I posted one a couple of weeks ago : http://acapella.harmony-central.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1410631

 

It essentially moves between D Major and C Major (Dmaj9 and Dm7. So, the M3 to m3 is talked about. But, there's a few other twists when looking at the specific chords I present. It makes it so you can take the second to a different Key than C.

 

Look at that thread and see how I see the second chord as a few different chords. It REALLY opens up the possibilities. And this is something I look at all the time regradless of the chords or Key, but ALWAYS when two chords aren't connected Diatonically.

 

I need to embellish that thread at some time since I've been working with that progression non-stop the last couple of weeks an found it as a great vehicle for a couple of mode (Scales and modal chords) as well as combining at least two sounds over one chord.

 

I have 3 sheets of modal progression that tease the crap out of the 3rds. I'll have to post them.