Theory & ear training for the Major 1-6-4-5 Chord Progression used in an incredible amount of pop and rock tunes…
The music world has gotten lots of mileage out of the I-vi-IV-V chord progression starting in the fifties and used in pop and rock music ever since: Heart and Soul, Earth Angel, Stand By Me, Duke of Earl, Crocodile Rock, Unchained Melody, Every Breath You Take, I Will Always Love You. Can you think of some others? (Please comment below and I will add to the list above!)
Major 1-6-4-5 Chord Progression Theory
Using the I-vi-IV-V Chord Progression in the key of C Major as an example, we are going to integrate reading, roman numeral analysis, solfege, and ear training…
Simply listen and be receptive to the sound-feeling of each chord as a whole, and notice:
- The C chord (I) establishes the major-ness and home key.
- The Am chord (vi) creates a minor-ish harmonic tension.
- The F chord (IV) creates a major-ish harmonic tension.
- The G chord (V) extends the harmonic tension.
- That tension is released with the return back to the C chord (I).
Major 1-6-4-5 Chord Progression Solfege Ear Training
Important: It is absolutely essential that you sing all of these studies out loud and at your own pace, a pace that allows you to sustain each note long enough to make an impression on your mind’s ear. If you can’t sing them, you don’t know them! Singing out loud is a very effective way to get musical sounds into your mind’s ear. Singing is an active process that excites many sensory and memory and motor pathways in your brain. This broad-based activation leads to much faster and deeper learning than passive listening alone.
Listen to Frank model how to do the following ear training studies in order to maximize learning…
Sing the Bass line…
Be receptive to how each and every note sounds and feels with respect to the key center Do.
Sing Each Chord as an Arpeggio…
Singing the chord tones as arpeggios is great ear training.
It’s absolutely essential that you sing all these studies out loud and at your own pace, a pace that allows you to sustain each note long enough to make an impression on your mind’s ear. If you can’t sing them, you don’t know them!
Sing the “Do-Do-Do-Ti” voice…
Notice the very strong pull that Ti has to resolve to Do. This is a particularly strong attraction, so strong that B (Ti) is referred to as the leading tone, because it so strongly leads the ear back to the tonic C (Do).
Sing the “Mi-Mi-Fa-Re” voice…
Notice that Mi is what make this sound and feel major. Also notice the very strong pull that Re has to resolve to Mi.
Sing the “So-La-La-So” voice…
Notice that A (La) is common to the iv and IV chords. Also feel the strong need for La to resolve back to So.