Minor 1 6 4 5 Chord Progression

Lesson Goal: To quickly internalize some common practice comping styles for the Minor 1 6 4 5 Chord Progression… by ear, intellect, eye, and muscle…

Table of Contents

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Prerequisites

Basic music reading skills… basic scale, chord, and chord progression theory… basic technique… the LOVE of music… and the discipline to study and practice.

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Study & Practice Reminders

1. Never play mindlessly and mechanically. Always aspire to play musically.
2. Your goal is not to merely memorize these, but to study and practice them until you internalize them using all four musical intelligences: ears, intellect, eyes, and muscles.
3. Every time you practice something, you are programming your brain. So always play accurately.
4. Practice with a Click Track or a Rhythm Track. Doing so will give you immediate feedback on any rhythmic misconceptions or places where your timing gets sloppy.
5. Record Yourself. Always. Listen to the playback immediately. And ask yourself: Is that what you intended to play?”
6. If anything feels tense or awkward, stop immediately and experiment with alternative fingerings or choreography.
7. Play this in other keys you expect to play in. By the way, once you see the patterns (which is guaranteed if you know your scales and chords) finding the notes in other keys will be a piece of cake!
8. If you feel stuck or overwhelmed, realize that anything can and will be mastered if you slow things down or break things down to small enough pieces.

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Minor 1 6 4 5 Chord Progression Comping Style #1

Here’s one way to play a minor 1 6 4 5 chord progression in the key of C Minor (Cm-Ab-Fm-G) in 8-bar form and in 4/4 time, chord roots in left hand and block chords connected by voice-leading in the right…

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Performance Tips

1. Use the sustain pedal, but be sure to “un-pedal” with each chord change so that you do not smear and muddy up the sound.
2. Don’t underestimate the challenge of playing in time at such a slow tempo and with so much space between the notes.
3. Your sense of time should never be rigid and mechanical.
4. Release each chord before playing the next.
5. Anticipate each chord change and allow the entire form to breathe naturally by having some momentum going into each chord and bass note.
6. Remember: How you move your body is how the music is going to sound and feel!

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Minor 1 6 4 5 Chord Progression Comping Style #2

Straight time voice-led triads in the right hand and chord roots connected by passing tones in the left…

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Performance Tips

1. Shape the phrases so that the dynamics ebb and flow.
2. Consider making the chords played on the weak beats an echo of the chords played on the strong beats.
3. Don’t try to hold each chord. Use the the sustain pedal, but be sure to “un-pedal” with each chord change so that you do not smear and muddy up the sound.
4. Have some momentum going into each chord and bass note.
5. Play the left hand melodically.

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Minor 1 6 4 5 Chord Progression Comping Style #3

Flowing triplet arpeggios in the right hand and chord roots connected by passing tones in the left…

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Performance Tips

1. Shape the phrases so that the dynamics ebb and flow.
2. Consider making the chords played on the weak beats an echo of the chords played on the strong beats.
3. Don’t try to hold each chord. Use the the sustain pedal, but be sure to “un-pedal” with each chord change so that you do not smear and muddy up the sound.
4. Have some momentum going into each chord and bass note.
5. Play the left hand melodically.

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Minor 1 6 4 5 Chord Progression Comping Style #4

Voice-led triads with each triad played in an alternating broken 2/1 pattern in straight 8th notes in the right hand accompanied by chord roots connected by passing tones in the left…

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Performance Tips

1. Use the sustain pedal, but be sure to “un-pedal” with each chord change so that you do not smear and muddy up the sound.
2. Shape the phrases so that the dynamics ebb and flow.
3. Consider making the chords on the weak beats an echo of the chord on the strong beat.
4. Bring out the down beat in each duplet while playing the up beat short and subdued, almost at a whisper.
5. Play the left hand melodically.

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