How to practice all your chords using cycle of fifths. 2 2
You already used a version of this progression in book one, 3 3
in the broken chord ballad. 4 4
If you remember it, you used C family chords. 5 5
C 6 6
[MUSIC] 7 7
F 8 8
[MUSIC] 9 9
B diminished 10 10
[MUSIC] 11 11
E minor. 12 12
[MUSIC] 13 13
A minor. 14 14
[MUSIC] 15 15
D minor. 16 16
[MUSIC] 17 17
G. 18 18
[MUSIC] 19 19
C. 20 20
[MUSIC] 21 21
And you can hear that the chords want to resolve to one another. 22 22
And that movement is what is known as the cycle of fifths progression. 23 23
Using this cycle is a great way to practice your chords and progressions. 24 24
Because it's one of the most common occurrences in music, it's the movement 25 25
of two or more chords whose root notes are a fifth apart in a downwards direction. 26 26
So, for example, one of the most common progressions you'll hear, 27 27
as chords a fifth apart C, A minor, D minor, G. 28 28
So we all know that progression. 29 29
[MUSIC] 30 30
And it's easier to see this downward progression, 31 31
let's say we start on the A minor of it. 32 32
A minor [SOUND]. 33 33
Two three four, down to D minor. 34 34
Two three four five. 35 35
Down to the G, back to the C. 36 36
[MUSIC]. 37 37
You can hear that each chord wants to resolve back to the next chord. 38 38
Now I realize this all might sound a bit complicated. 39 39
But for now all you need to do is memorize basic cycle of fifths progression. 40 40
Cuz it will help you practice changing your chord shifts which is good practice 41 41
for your fingers. 42 42
And you will come across it in so many tunes. 43 43
So it will also get your musical ears used to the movement between chords. 44 44
So look at the circle on the page. 45 45
You really do need to try and memorize this sequence of letters. 46 46
Be very important. 47 47
So to help you, think of the word bead, that occurs twice in the sequence. 48 48
So, B-E-A-D, and then you can just memorize G-C-F, and 49 49
then it's back to the word bead again, but this time they're all flats, 50 50
so B flat, E flat, A flat, D flat, and then add in F sharp. 51 51
So try to get used to just being able to rhyme of 52 52
B E A D G C F B flat E flat A flat D flat F sharp. 53 53
B E A D G C F B flat E flat A flat D flat, and you'll be able to start 54 54
that anywhere in the sequence once you get used to the words. 55 55
So don't worry about the theory of any of this for now. 56 56
Just memorize, and later on, you'll see how useful it can be. 57 57
So let's try exercise one. 58 58
We're going to start with a root position cord, followed by a middle inversion, 59 59
then a root position, then a middle inversion, and so on. 60 60
And we're going to start with an E chord root to an A middle, 61 61
then a D root, and a G middle, and so on. 62 62
So find the E. 63 63
[MUSIC] 64 64
Then A middle, middle finger on the A. 65 65
Find the other two notes of the chord 66 66
[MUSIC] 67 67
Put that one down there. 68 68
So that's A middle. 69 69
And down to D and G middle. 70 70
Then C then F middle and 71 71
B flat and E flat middle. 72 72
Can you see how it works? 73 73
So, E, you can see that your hands stay in one position, quite close together. 74 74
You're getting to change chords, you're going through the progression. 75 75
So E, A middle, D, G middle, C, 76 76
F middle, B flat, E flat middle, A flat, 77 77
D flat middle, F sharp, B middle. 78 78
[SOUND] Okay, you can also go through this sequence again but 79 79
change every chord to a minor chord. 80 80
And that’ll get you used to your minor chord changes. 81 81
So E minor root. 82 82
[SOUND] A minor middle. 83 83
So middle finger on the A, find the notes of the A minor chord. 84 84
[MUSIC] 85 85
A minor middle. 86 86
[MUSIC] 87 87
D minor, root. 88 88
[MUSIC] 89 89
Up to G minor middle. 90 90
[MUSIC] 91 91
G minor. 92 92
[MUSIC] 93 93
And then C minor. 94 94
So that's C, that's C minor. 95 95
F minor middle. 96 96
[MUSIC] 97 97
And so on. 98 98
Chord practice number two. 99 99
And you're going to use different inversions this time, 100 100
because in exercise one, only half the chords used a middle inversion. 101 101
So you'll want to practice all inversions so 102 102
it's important to do different exercises with the same cycle of fifths. 103 103
So this time we'll start with an E backwards inversion to a root position A. 104 104
So it's kinda reversed. 105 105
So let's find the E backwards. 106 106
So. [MUSIC] 107 107
That's an E chord. 108 108
Play it backwards you're going to put your small finger on the E and 109 109
find the other two notes, G sharp and B. 110 110
But because we want to move in a downward direction, we'll go to far down the piano. 111 111
So we'll start the E higher up. 112 112
So E, [SOUND] A flat, B. 113 113
[SOUND] So that's E backwards from the start there. 114 114
Then to an A root. 115 115
[SOUND] Then D backwards, so there's D [SOUND] up here. 116 116
F sharp, A, [SOUND] you want to play it backwards, so D, [SOUND] F sharp, 117 117
[SOUND] A. 118 118
[SOUND] 119 119
[MUSIC] And a G rich 120 120
[MUSIC] And a C backwards. 121 121
[MUSIC] 122 122
And an F rich. 123 123
And a B flat backwards. 124 124
[MUSIC] 125 125
Then E flat rich. 126 126
[MUSIC] 127 127
And A flat backwards. 128 128
[MUSIC] 129 129
And D flat. 130 130
[MUSIC] 131 131
And F sharp. 132 132
[MUSIC] 133 133
Backwards. 134 134
And a B. 135 135
[MUSIC] 136 136
Okay. 137 137
And then again, you can play the above again, but 138 138
you change each chord to a minor. 139 139
So there's your E minor. 140 140
Play it backwards. 141 141
E minor backwards to A minor. 142 142
[SOUND] D minor backwards to G minor. 143 143
[SOUND] C minor backwards to F minor. 144 144
[SOUND] That'll get you used to all the chords and every inversion. 145 145
So, chord practice number three. 146 146
This time we're gonna start with a middle inversion to backwards inversion. 147 147
So, this means that over the three exercises, 148 148
you've covered both types of inversions for every chord. 149 149
So let's find E middle, and again we're going to start higher up the piano this 150 150
time, because we're going to move in a downwards direction, so that would be E up 151 151
there, E middle would be put you're middle finger on the E find the other two notes. 152 152
[MUSIC] 153 153
Okay? 154 154
So that's E middle, A backwards, right beside it A. 155 155
[MUSIC] 156 156
A backwards. 157 157
Okay? 158 158
D middle. 159 159
[MUSIC] 160 160
G backwards. 161 161
[MUSIC] 162 162
C middle. 163 163
[MUSIC] Middle finger on the C. 164 164
F backwards. 165 165
Okay. 166 166
B flat middle. 167 167
[MUSIC] 168 168
E flat backwards. 169 169
A flat middle. 170 170
[MUSIC] 171 171
All right. 172 172
D flat backwards. 173 173
[MUSIC] 174 174
F sharp middle. 175 175
[MUSIC] 176 176
B backwards. 177 177
[MUSIC]