A Lesson On How To Play Cyclical Progressions Using Three Note Voicings

In this lesson, we’ll be exploring how we can play cyclical progressions using three note voicings.

Jazz and gospel players have a way of playing or voicing their chords [especially extended chords] by omitting certain notes in the chord, and this produces exactly the same chord but with three notes.

In the previous lesson, we covered three note voicing. But in this lesson, we are taking it a step further by exploring cyclical progressions using this three note voicing.

A proper way to start this lesson is to do a review of what cyclical progressions are.

“What Are Cyclical Progressions?”

A chord progression is the movement of chords from one degree of a scale to another. Every key [whether major or minor] has its traditional scale.

The key of C major:

…has the C natural major scale:

…as its traditional scale, and chords move from one degree of the C natural major scale to another.

C:

…is the first degree.

D:

…is the second degree.

E:

…is the third degree.

F:

…is the fourth degree.

G:

…is the fifth degree.

A:

…is the sixth degree.

B:

…is the seventh degree.

…and C:

…is the eighth degree.

Attention: The eighth degree is a duplicate of the first degree and is usually excluded in the number system. Every movement to the eighth degree of the scale is considered a movement to the first degree of the scale because the first and eighth degree have the same letter name (C.)

In a chord progression, the idea is to move from one degree of the scale to another. However, there are predictable chord progressions that move in a certain interval, and are known as cyclical progressions.

The strongest and most common cyclical progression moves in fifth intervals. Have you ever wondered why a chord progression from the fifth degree to the first degree in any key creates a strongest sense of finality that ends songs 95% of the time.

So consequently, chord progressions that move in fifths are strong and are the best option. And if we begin to create progressions in fifths, we would have cyclical chord progressions.

For example, in the key of C:

…a fifth from C:

…is G:

…and another fifth from G:

…is D:

So a cyclical progression in fifth intervals moves (backwards) from D:

…to G:

…to C:

…and this produces a 2-5-1 chord progression.

The D:

…moves down to G:

…a fifth below, and down to C (a fifth below):

We can expand this cyclical progression and make it bigger by adding a fifth above D:

…which is A:

…and another fifth above A (which is E):

…so altogether, E (which is the third degree of the scale):

…to A (which is the sixth degree of the scale):

…to D (which is the second degree of the scale):

…to G (which is the fifth degree of the scale):

…to C (which is the first degree of the scale):

The 2-5-1 chord progression just got bigger, we now have a 3-6-2-5-1 chord progression, which can be expanded (in fifth intervals) until we add the seventh:

…and the fourth:

…degrees to form a 4-7-3-6-2-5-1 chord progression.

“Here’s The 4-7-3-6-2-5-1 Root Progression In The Key Of C…”

The fourth tone (F):

…to the seventh tone (B):

…which takes us down to the third tone (E):

…then to the sixth tone (A):

…the second tone (D):

…the fifth tone (G):

…and lastly, to the first tone (C):

In actuality, you don’t have to spread the notes throughout the entire keyboard section. Here’s an easier way to navigate through the 4-7-3-6-2-5-1 cyclical progression…

From the first:

…to the fourth:

…to the seventh:

…to the third:

…to the sixth:

…to the second:

…to the fifth:

…and to the first:

“Here’s A Breakdown Of The Root Progression In Ascents And Descents Of Fourths And Fifths Respectively…”

From the first:

…to the fourth:

…is the descent of a fifth interval.

From the fourth:

…to the seventh:

…is another ascent of a fourth interval.

From the seventh:

…to the third:

…is the descent of a fifth interval.

From the third:

…to the sixth:

…is the ascent of a fourth interval.

From the sixth:

…to the second:

…is the descent of a fifth interval.

From the second:

…to the fifth:

…is the ascent of a fourth interval.

From the fifth:

…to the first:

…is the descent of a fifth interval.

That’s basically how cyclical progressions move in any given key.

Scale Degree Seventh/Ninth Chords

Let’s take a look at the qualities of the chords that are used in cyclical progressions, which I don’t want to assume that you’re already aware of.

So, in the key of C:

Chord one is the C major seventh:

Chord two is the D minor seventh:

Chord three is the E minor seventh:

Chord four is the F major seventh:

Chord five is the G dominant seventh:

Chord six is the A minor seventh:

Chord seven is the B half-diminished seventh:

We’ll also be adding the ninth (an extension) to these basic seventh chords. For example, the C major seventh chord can be upgraded to a C major ninth chord by adding a ninth (D):

…to the C major seventh chord:

…to form the C major ninth chord:

To the D minor seventh chord:

…we can also add its ninth (E):

…to form the D minor ninth chord:

Before we continue our discussion on cyclical chord progressions, let’s learn about three note voicings.

A Quick Review On Three Note Voicings

We already covered three note voicings in a previous lesson, however, I’ll want us to discuss briefly on it before we move ahead.

The three note voicing concept is usually used to voice (or rearrange) the chord tones of seventh and ninth chords with preference for the third, seventh, and ninth tones.

In the reduction of the Cmaj9 chord:

…to a three note voicing, the first two notes to consider are the third (E) and the seventh (B):

…and then the ninth (D):

These three important notes (E, B, and D):

…can be played as the three note voicing of the C major ninth chord:

…over C on the bass.

In the three note voicing of the Cmaj7 chord:

…the seventh (B) and third (E) tones:

…are considered first, then the fifth:

…this gives a three note voicing of the Cmaj7 chord:

Altogether, here’s the three note voicing of the Cmaj9 chord:

…and the three note voicing of the Cmaj7 chord:

The three note voicing of the C major ninth chord consists of the third, seventh and ninth chord tones, and is known as a 3-7-9 voicing, while the three note voicing of the C major seventh chord consists of the seventh, third, and fifth chord tones, and is known as a 7-3-5 voicing.

The 3-7-9 and 7-3-5 voicing should be learned for various chord qualities like:

• Major chords
• Minor chords
• Dominant chords
• Altered chords

…because they are mostly used in chord progressions.

Before we look at cyclical chord progression with these three note voicings, let’s take a look at the 3-7-9 and 7-3-5 voicing of chords.

Chord one can either be played with the 3-7-9 voicing (Cmaj9):

…or the 7-3-5 voicing (Cmaj7):

Chord two can either be played with the 3-7-9 voicing (Dmin9):

…or the 7-3-5 voicing (Dmin7):

Chord three can either be played with the 3-7-9 voicing (E Alt):

…or the 7-3-5 voicing (E Alt):

Chord four can either be played with the 3-7-9 voicing (Fmaj9):

…or the 7-3-5 voicing (Fmaj7):

Chord six can either be played with the 3-7-9 voicing (Amin9):

…or the 7-3-5 voicing (Amin7):

Chord six can either be played with the 3-7-9 voicing (A Alt):

…or the 7-3-5 voicing (A Alt):

Chord seven can either be played with the 3-7-9 voicing (B Alt):

…or the 7-3-5 voicing (B Alt):

Cyclical Chord Progressions Using Three Note Voicings

Cyclical chord progressions can be approached in two ways…

• Starting with the 7-3-5 voicing of chord 2
• Starting with the 3-7-9 voicing of chord 2

…and we’ll be covering both approaches in this segment starting from the use of the 7-3-5 voicing of chord 2…

Chord 2:

…the 7-3-5 voicing of the D minor seventh chord.

Chord 5:

…the 3-7-9 voicing of the G dominant ninth chord.

Chord 1:

…the 7-3-5 voicing of the C major seventh chord.

Chord 4:

…the 3-7-9 voicing of the F major ninth chord.

Chord 7:

……the 7-3-5 voicing of the B half-diminished seventh chord.

Chord 3:

…is the 3-7-9 of the E altered chord.

Chord 6:

…is the 7-3-5 of the A minor seventh chord and another chord 6:

…which is the 7-3-5 voicing of the A altered chord.

So altogether we have:

2:

…5:

…1:

…4:

…7:

…3:

…6:

…6:

Then the alternate progression starts from the 3-7-9 voicing of chord 2…

Chord 2:

…the 3-7-9 voicing of the D minor ninth chord.

Chord 5:

…the 7-3-5 voicing of the G dominant seventh chord.

Chord 1:

…the 3-7-9 voicing of the C major ninth chord.

Chord 4:

…the 7-3-5 voicing of the F major seventh chord.

Chord 7:

……the 3-7-9 voicing of the B half-dim7 (maj9) chord.

Chord 3:

…is the 7-3-5 voicing of the E altered chord.

Chord 6:

…is the 3-7-9 voicing of the A minor ninth chord and another chord 6:

…which is the 3-7-9 voicing of the A altered chord.

Putting all the chords together, we have:

2:

…5:

…1:

…4:

…7:

…3:

…6:

…6:

“End Of The First Cycle And Beginning Of The Second Cycle…”

2:

…5:

…1:

…4:

…7:

…3:

…6:

…6:

Final Words

By making it to the end of this lesson, you’ve shown how serious you are about learning cyclical chord progressions using three note voicings.

The practice journal that will help you play these cyclical chord progressions in all twelve keys will be uploaded soon, so, keep an eye on this page.

See you in the next lesson!

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• Bio
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Chuku Onyemachi

Head of Education at HearandPlay Music Group

Onyemachi "Onye" Chuku is a Nigerian musicologist, pianist, and author. Inspired by his role model (Jermaine Griggs) who has become his mentor, what he started off as teaching musicians in his Aba-Nigeria neighborhood in April 2005 eventually morphed into an international career that has helped hundreds of thousands of musicians all around the world. Onye lives in Dubai and is currently the Head of Education at HearandPlay Music Group and the music consultant of the Gospel Music Training Center, all in California, USA.

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Tagged as: Cyclical progression, Three note voicings