Answer key: THINK MUSIC CHALLENGE: Why does this Chord Progression Work?

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Check out the THINK MUSIC CHALLENGE before you check for the answer.

We threw out an interesting Chord Progression.
B  G  Eb  B  


We also added bass movement for interest.
B/F#  B/D#    G/D  G/B    Eb/Bb  Eb/G    B/F#  B/D#

The progression sounds great.  Give it a listen...

The question is WHY DOES THIS PROGRESSION SOUND GOOD?


B, G , and Eb and are not in the same key.  They are CHROMATIC not DIATONIC. According to surface/basic music theory these chords shouldn't get along as well as they do...

This is where Music Theory goes all INCEPTION on you... you know... a dream in a dream in A DREAM!!! You must think deeper in your music theory and find the note relationship inside the chord relationship, inside the Scale relationship.  BOOM someones mind just blew up! 

I feel like a music theory gangsta all of a sudden...  What does that even mean?

Ok... Let's look at the relationship on the staff...

Each chord has 1 Common tone with both the previous and following chord.

The 1 of B is the 3 of G.
The 1 of G is the 3 of Eb.
The 1 of Eb/D# is the 3 of B.  (The same is true in reverse...)

What we are dealing with is a Sequence. These chords are moving in a minor 6th interval Sequence. B down to G down to Eb down to B.  These are equal intervals which makes them a sequence.  One that could loop forever...

Music doesn't sound great because the chords are in the same key... ...

...Music sounds great because there is some sort of Relationship between Harmonic and Melodic movement. 

Your ear/brain is always smarter than you. You heard these chords and although you perhaps couldn't explain it, your brain realized their was a relationship/sequence between these chords.  Any sequence will end up sounding musical - It's like a mathematical wormhole of music.

In addition to the Common tones and minor 6th sequence you have an interesting HALF STEP sequence happening!

1 Note stays static the other 2 notes move by half steps. These half steps move the progression as much as anything, much like a dominant 5 chord pushing the progression back to the 1 with the use of 2 half steps.

In addition to that... The bass movement formed 1 more sequence as well...

We got really involved today. I hope I didn't lose you. Feel free to ask questions.

The bottom line is... we musicians need to look beyond the surface of chord - scale relationships, because music goes much deeper.

As always... don't Play Music... THINK MUSIC!