Spotlight on Creative Chord Progressions

To kick things off we have a two-chord progression in “Petty Cash”. The inspiration for the progression rests with the Tom Petty classic, “Here Comes My Girl” from his seminal Damn the Torpedoes album. Based in the key of A and divided into three sets of 12 bars, this 36-bar journey travels through various voicings of A and B triads creating a I-II progression. While playing two major chords a whole step apart is not rocket science and could perhaps be considered the musical antithesis of creative, it’s how these two are presented that makes them a worthy kickstarter.

If you're keen on chord scales you may notice in the key of A there’s not a B major to be found. Instead, the B-rooted chord in an A major or Ionian chord scale (AKA the ii chord) would be Bm. The question now is, “what is the impact of B major in this scenario?” Or, better yet, “what does B major do to the progression’s color?” The answer to both questions is Lydian. Here’s why: The 3rd of a B major chord is D# and that’s a #4 in the key of A - the singular defining note in the Lydian formula.

Each four bar line goes between two positions a whole step apart dedicated to the same triad voicing for both chords. The first four bars focus on second inversions, the middle four shines a light on root position chords while the final four makes their way with first inversion chords.

The initial set of 12 bars calls for the chords to be played on downbeats in a reserved manner with space. Following the B major chords at every turn is complimentary melodies that lead back to A nicely, but with cool twists given the non-diatonic D#. In fact, bars 1-4 and 5-8 are identical melodies played in two different manners in two different positions on different strings to accommodate the second inversion and root position A and B chords. Trying to continue playing the melody in the same manner proved to be cumbersome for the first inversion chords in last four bars of this section. So, I opted to change it up with the addition of an open string feeding into a double stop before playing the last two single notes. It just goes to show you should always be open to tweaks and not feel you have to play something a certain way at the expense of what feels and sounds good.

The middle set of 12 bars sees the chords played less. In all three sets of four bars the response following the A and B triads take on a more prominent role. The second inversion chords are played just once followed by double stops. Tight-sounding add4 and 7th chord arpeggiated voicings tag the root position and first inversion respectively. In regards to the former, notice the A chord’s melody employs a P4 and not a #4. The opposing Ionian and Lydian flavors makes for a tantalizing mix of harmony and melody. The takeaway is, sometimes there doesn't need to be one modal sound to rule them all.

The final set pushes the envelope by changing how the A and B chords are played for the first eight bars. The following riff ideas are more intricate all the while never losing sight of the overall vibe of the track. The closing four bars return to a consistent approach to the chords while applying a more Hendrix-like feel to the melody responses.

To kick things off we have a two-chord progression in “Petty Cash”. The inspiration for the progression rests with the Tom Petty classic, “Here Comes My Girl” from his seminal Damn the Torpedoes album. Based in the key of A and divided into three sets of 12 bars, this 36-bar journey travels through various voicings of A and B triads creating a I-II progression. While playing two major chords a whole step apart is not rocket science and could perhaps be considered the musical antithesis of creative, it’s how these two are presented that makes them a worthy kickstarter.

If you're keen on chord scales you may notice in the key of A there’s not a B major to be found. Instead, the B-rooted chord in an A major or Ionian chord scale (AKA the ii chord) would be Bm. The question now is, “what is the impact of B major in this scenario?” Or, better yet, “what does B major do to the progression’s color?” The answer to both questions is Lydian. Here’s why: The 3rd of a B major chord is D# and that’s a #4 in the key of A - the singular defining note in the Lydian formula.

Each four bar line goes between two positions a whole step apart dedicated to the same triad voicing for both chords. The first four bars focus on second inversions, the middle four shines a light on root position chords while the final four makes their way with first inversion chords.

The initial set of 12 bars calls for the chords to be played on downbeats in a reserved manner with space. Following the B major chords at every turn is complimentary melodies that lead back to A nicely, but with cool twists given the non-diatonic D#. In fact, bars 1-4 and 5-8 are identical melodies played in two different manners in two different positions on different strings to accommodate the second inversion and root position A and B chords. Trying to continue playing the melody in the same manner proved to be cumbersome for the first inversion chords in last four bars of this section. So, I opted to change it up with the addition of an open string feeding into a double stop before playing the last two single notes. It just goes to show you should always be open to tweaks and not feel you have to play something a certain way at the expense of what feels and sounds good.

The middle set of 12 bars sees the chords played less. In all three sets of four bars the response following the A and B triads take on a more prominent role. The second inversion chords are played just once followed by double stops. Tight-sounding add4 and 7th chord arpeggiated voicings tag the root position and first inversion respectively. In regards to the former, notice the A chord’s melody employs a P4 and not a #4. The opposing Ionian and Lydian flavors makes for a tantalizing mix of harmony and melody. The takeaway is, sometimes there doesn't need to be one modal sound to rule them all.

The final set pushes the envelope by changing how the A and B chords are played for the first eight bars. The following riff ideas are more intricate all the while never losing sight of the overall vibe of the track. The closing four bars return to a consistent approach to the chords while applying a more Hendrix-like feel to the melody responses.

To kick things off we have a two-chord progression in “Petty Cash”. The inspiration for the progression rests with the Tom Petty classic, “Here Comes My Girl” from his seminal Damn the Torpedoes album. Based in the key of A and divided into three sets of 12 bars, this 36-bar journey travels through various voicings of A and B triads creating a I-II progression. While playing two major chords a whole step apart is not rocket science and could perhaps be considered the musical antithesis of creative, it’s how these two are presented that makes them a worthy kickstarter.

If you're keen on chord scales you may notice in the key of A there’s not a B major to be found. Instead, the B-rooted chord in an A major or Ionian chord scale (AKA the ii chord) would be Bm. The question now is, “what is the impact of B major in this scenario?” Or, better yet, “what does B major do to the progression’s color?” The answer to both questions is Lydian. Here’s why: The 3rd of a B major chord is D# and that’s a #4 in the key of A - the singular defining note in the Lydian formula.

Each four bar line goes between two positions a whole step apart dedicated to the same triad voicing for both chords. The first four bars focus on second inversions, the middle four shines a light on root position chords while the final four makes their way with first inversion chords.

The initial set of 12 bars calls for the chords to be played on downbeats in a reserved manner with space. Following the B major chords at every turn is complimentary melodies that lead back to A nicely, but with cool twists given the non-diatonic D#. In fact, bars 1-4 and 5-8 are identical melodies played in two different manners in two different positions on different strings to accommodate the second inversion and root position A and B chords. Trying to continue playing the melody in the same manner proved to be cumbersome for the first inversion chords in last four bars of this section. So, I opted to change it up with the addition of an open string feeding into a double stop before playing the last two single notes. It just goes to show you should always be open to tweaks and not feel you have to play something a certain way at the expense of what feels and sounds good.

The middle set of 12 bars sees the chords played less. In all three sets of four bars the response following the A and B triads take on a more prominent role. The second inversion chords are played just once followed by double stops. Tight-sounding add4 and 7th chord arpeggiated voicings tag the root position and first inversion respectively. In regards to the former, notice the A chord’s melody employs a P4 and not a #4. The opposing Ionian and Lydian flavors makes for a tantalizing mix of harmony and melody. The takeaway is, sometimes there doesn't need to be one modal sound to rule them all.

The final set pushes the envelope by changing how the A and B chords are played for the first eight bars. The following riff ideas are more intricate all the while never losing sight of the overall vibe of the track. The closing four bars return to a consistent approach to the chords while applying a more Hendrix-like feel to the melody responses.

To kick things off we have a two-chord progression in “Petty Cash”. The inspiration for the progression rests with the Tom Petty classic, “Here Comes My Girl” from his seminal Damn the Torpedoes album. Based in the key of A and divided into three sets of 12 bars, this 36-bar journey travels through various voicings of A and B triads creating a I-II progression. While playing two major chords a whole step apart is not rocket science and could perhaps be considered the musical antithesis of creative, it’s how these two are presented that makes them a worthy kickstarter.

If you're keen on chord scales you may notice in the key of A there’s not a B major to be found. Instead, the B-rooted chord in an A major or Ionian chord scale (AKA the ii chord) would be Bm. The question now is, “what is the impact of B major in this scenario?” Or, better yet, “what does B major do to the progression’s color?” The answer to both questions is Lydian. Here’s why: The 3rd of a B major chord is D# and that’s a #4 in the key of A - the singular defining note in the Lydian formula.

Each four bar line goes between two positions a whole step apart dedicated to the same triad voicing for both chords. The first four bars focus on second inversions, the middle four shines a light on root position chords while the final four makes their way with first inversion chords.

The initial set of 12 bars calls for the chords to be played on downbeats in a reserved manner with space. Following the B major chords at every turn is complimentary melodies that lead back to A nicely, but with cool twists given the non-diatonic D#. In fact, bars 1-4 and 5-8 are identical melodies played in two different manners in two different positions on different strings to accommodate the second inversion and root position A and B chords. Trying to continue playing the melody in the same manner proved to be cumbersome for the first inversion chords in last four bars of this section. So, I opted to change it up with the addition of an open string feeding into a double stop before playing the last two single notes. It just goes to show you should always be open to tweaks and not feel you have to play something a certain way at the expense of what feels and sounds good.

The middle set of 12 bars sees the chords played less. In all three sets of four bars the response following the A and B triads take on a more prominent role. The second inversion chords are played just once followed by double stops. Tight-sounding add4 and 7th chord arpeggiated voicings tag the root position and first inversion respectively. In regards to the former, notice the A chord’s melody employs a P4 and not a #4. The opposing Ionian and Lydian flavors makes for a tantalizing mix of harmony and melody. The takeaway is, sometimes there doesn't need to be one modal sound to rule them all.

The final set pushes the envelope by changing how the A and B chords are played for the first eight bars. The following riff ideas are more intricate all the while never losing sight of the overall vibe of the track. The closing four bars return to a consistent approach to the chords while applying a more Hendrix-like feel to the melody responses.

Sticking with major chords exclusively “Bald Eagle” swipes the ending solo section chords from Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Freebird”. While G is the key as well as the tonic chord and C is a legit IV chord in the key of G, it’s the Bb that provides the secret ingredient to this tasty I-bIII-IV progression. The biting nature of a major chord rooted from the b3 of the tonic key always brings the zing much like a perfectly seasoned BBQ sauce. For 24 bars you get variations on this progression that feature moves like palm-muted 1/8-note roots, middle four-string voice led inversions, dynamic sus chord movements and clever use of open strings. Regarding the latter the open string and sus chord-laden voicings harken back to mighty tunes like “Over the Hills and Far Away,” “Starship Trooper” and even “Pinball Wizard” and “Distant Early Warning” from four masters of creative progressions - Jimmy Page, Steve Howe, Pete Townsend and Alex Lifeson respectively.

Split into three sections of eight bars “Bald Eagle” starts off with spread voicings relative to the common major barre chord rooted off the sixth string. In-between the chord stabs is staple palm muting on each root. In bars 7-8 the IV chord absconds another Skynyrd move, this time straight out of the “Sweet Home Alabama” chord riff playbook.

The next eight bars up the ante with inversions for the I and IV chords that share a palm muted bass note before introducing the first open string-laced chords in the Bb6 to C slide in bar 11. Those are textbook Jimmy Page voicing and I love them. The open strings continue with arpeggiation activities on the unique C voicing as well as in the next four bars where you see various Steve Howe-like voicings appear.

The third and final set of eight bars set the open strings aside for more gutsy voicings featuring top note movements between extended power chords and spread voiced major chords. While you get a sample of sus chord sounds in bars 19-20 (Csus4) it’s game-on starting in bar 21 starting with the thumb-fretted Gsus4-G ala “Pinball Wizard”. Staying with forward-thinking fingerings “Bald Eagle” goes out big with Lifeson-like sus chord movements.

Sticking with major chords exclusively “Bald Eagle” swipes the ending solo section chords from Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Freebird”. While G is the key as well as the tonic chord and C is a legit IV chord in the key of G, it’s the Bb that provides the secret ingredient to this tasty I-bIII-IV progression. The biting nature of a major chord rooted from the b3 of the tonic key always brings the zing much like a perfectly seasoned BBQ sauce. For 24 bars you get variations on this progression that feature moves like palm-muted 1/8-note roots, middle four-string voice led inversions, dynamic sus chord movements and clever use of open strings. Regarding the latter the open string and sus chord-laden voicings harken back to mighty tunes like “Over the Hills and Far Away,” “Starship Trooper” and even “Pinball Wizard” and “Distant Early Warning” from four masters of creative progressions - Jimmy Page, Steve Howe, Pete Townsend and Alex Lifeson respectively.

Split into three sections of eight bars “Bald Eagle” starts off with spread voicings relative to the common major barre chord rooted off the sixth string. In-between the chord stabs is staple palm muting on each root. In bars 7-8 the IV chord absconds another Skynyrd move, this time straight out of the “Sweet Home Alabama” chord riff playbook.

The next eight bars up the ante with inversions for the I and IV chords that share a palm muted bass note before introducing the first open string-laced chords in the Bb6 to C slide in bar 11. Those are textbook Jimmy Page voicing and I love them. The open strings continue with arpeggiation activities on the unique C voicing as well as in the next four bars where you see various Steve Howe-like voicings appear.

The third and final set of eight bars set the open strings aside for more gutsy voicings featuring top note movements between extended power chords and spread voiced major chords. While you get a sample of sus chord sounds in bars 19-20 (Csus4) it’s game-on starting in bar 21 starting with the thumb-fretted Gsus4-G ala “Pinball Wizard”. Staying with forward-thinking fingerings “Bald Eagle” goes out big with Lifeson-like sus chord movements.