This One Chord Will Make You a Better Musician

Summary

In this informative video, Jeff Schneider delves into the depths of secondary dominance, a musical concept that explores chords beyond the traditional scale. He shares his journey of discovering these non-diatonic chords and breaks down the basic concepts, including the 'five of X' and 'seven of X' variations. Schneider then introduces five additional spin-offs: The Lucky Seven, The Sub Sandwich, That Guy's Acting Sus, The One-Two Punch, and The Reverse Engineer. Through practical examples and chord progressions, he demonstrates how these techniques can smoothen transitions, modulate keys, and add depth and complexity to music composition. Designed for both the uninitiated and the initiated, this video promises to be a revelatory exploration of secondary dominance and its deeper truths.

Takeaways

• 😀 There are two types of people: those who know about secondary dominance and those who don't.
• 🎵 Secondary dominance involves using chords that are not in the key to smoothly transition between chords.
• 🎹 The basic secondary dominant is the '5 of X' chord, where X is the target chord.
• 🎼 The 'Lucky 7' variation uses the '7 of X' chord to transition to the target chord.
• 🎶 The 'Sub Sandwich' variation uses a tritone substitution for the '5 of X' chord.
• 🎻 The 'That Guy is Acting Sus' variation uses a 13sus chord ('5 of X' with a major 7th chord stacked above) to smoothly modulate to any chord.
• 🎤 The 'One-Two Punch' variation sets up the '5 of X' chord with a '2 of X' chord.
• 🎷 The 'Reverse Engineer' variation works backwards by using a series of 'One-Two Punches' to create a dense harmonic progression.
• 🎧 These variations can be combined to create rich and smooth chord progressions.
• 🎼 Understanding and applying secondary dominance can add depth and color to your music.

Q & A

What is secondary dominance?

Secondary dominance refers to the use of chords that are not part of the main key, but still lead smoothly to chords within the key. It involves the use of 'dominant' seventh chords that temporarily establish a new key area before resolving to a chord in the original key.

What are the five variations/spin-offs of secondary dominance discussed in the video?

The five variations discussed are: 1) The Basic 'V of X' (e.g., E7 leading to A minor), 2) The Lucky Seven (using the 'vii' chord instead of 'V'), 3) The Sub Sandwich (using a tritone substitute for the 'V' chord), 4) 'That Guy is Acting Sus' (using a 13th suspension chord as a 'V' substitute), and 5) The One-Two Punch (using the 'ii' chord as a setup to the 'V' chord).

What is the significance of the progression the speaker heard on Saturday Night Live as a teenager?

The progression he heard on SNL, which used non-diatonic chords not belonging to the key, sparked his interest in understanding and using secondary dominance in his own music. It opened his ears to the possibilities of using 'outside' chords to add color and depth.

How does the 'Lucky Seven' chord help in modulating to a new key?

The 'Lucky Seven' chord, which is the viidim7 of the new key, can help smooth out the transition when modulating to a new key. It acts as a substitute for the standard 'V' chord, making the key change sound less abrupt.

What is the purpose of the 'Reverse Engineer' variation?

The 'Reverse Engineer' variation involves working backwards from a target chord, using a series of 'one-two punches' (ii-V progressions) to create a dense, harmonically active sequence of chords that eventually lead to the desired resolution.

How can the 'That Guy is Acting Sus' (13th suspension) chord be used?

The 13th suspension chord is described as a 'magic chord' that can help smooth out any modulation or key change. It can be used as a substitute for a standard 'V' chord to facilitate smooth transitions to any key or chord.

What are the benefits of using secondary dominance in music?

Secondary dominance allows musicians to add more color, depth, and harmonic interest to their music by introducing 'outside' chords that don't belong to the main key. It helps create smoother modulations, richer chord progressions, and a more sophisticated overall sound.

What is the purpose of the 'Sub Sandwich' variation?

The 'Sub Sandwich' variation involves using a tritone substitute for the standard 'V' chord. This creates a different harmonic flavor and can help smooth out the resolution to the target chord.

What is the significance of the chord scale charts mentioned in the video?

The chord scale charts are used as a reference to help identify the appropriate chords to use for the various secondary dominance variations. They show the notes and chords that belong to each key, making it easier to determine the correct 'V,' 'vii,' or 'ii' chords to use.

What is the role of the 'One-Two Punch' variation?

The 'One-Two Punch' variation involves setting up the 'V' chord with the 'ii' chord beforehand. This creates a more harmonically rich progression (ii-V-I) that leads smoothly to the target chord.