Ragtime progression

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Ragtime progression
The ragtime progression (E7-A7-D7-G7-C) often appears in the bridge of jazz standards. [1] The III7-VI7-II7-V7 (or V7/V/V/V–V7/V/V–V7/V–V7) leads back to C major (I) but is itself indefinite in key.
Ragtime progression's origin in voice leading: II itself is the product of a 5-6 replacement over IV in IV-V-I. "Such a replacement originates purely in voice-leading, but" the 6 3 chord above IV (in C, FAD) is a first-inversion II chord. Play (help*info) Ragtime progression voice leading.png
Ragtime progression's origin in voice leading: II itself is the product of a 5–6 replacement over IV in IV–V–I. "Such a replacement originates purely in voice-leading, but" the 6
3  chord above IV (in C, FAD) is a first-inversion II chord. Loudspeaker.svg Play  (help·info)

The ragtime progression [3] is a chord progression characterized by a chain of secondary dominants following the circle of fifths, named for its popularity in the ragtime genre, despite being much older. [4] Also typical of parlour music, its use originated in classical music and later spread to American folk music. [5] Growing, "by a process of gradual accretion. First the dominant chord acquired its own dominant...This then acquired its dominant, which in turn acquired yet another dominant, giving": [6]

Contents

It can be represented in Roman numeral analysis as [7] [8]

(V7/V/V/V)V7/V/VV7/VV7I

or [9] [10]

(III7)VI7II7V7I

In C major this is

(E7)A7D7G7C

Most commonly found in its four-chord version (including the chord in parentheses). This may be perceived as a, "harder, bouncier sounding progression," than the diatonic vi–ii–V7–I (in C: Am–Dm–G7–C). [11] [12] Loudspeaker.svg Play  (help·info) The three-chord version (II–V–I) is "related to the cadential progression IV–V–I...in which the V is tonicized and stabilized by means of II with a raised third." [2]

The progression is an example of centripetal harmony, harmony which leads to the tonic and an example of the circle progression, a progression along the circle of fourths. Though creating or featuring chromaticism, the bass (if the roots of the chords), and often the melody, are pentatonic. [6] (major pentatonic on C: C, D, E, G, A) Contrastingly, Averill argues that the progression was used because of the potential it offered for chromatic pitch areas. [13]

Variations include the addition of minor seventh chords before the dominant seventh chords, creating overlapping temporary ii–V–I relationships [14] through ii–V–I substitution:

Bm7 E7Em7 A7Am7 D7Dm7 G7C

since Bm7–E7–A is a ii–V–I progression, as is Em7–A7–D and so on. Loudspeaker.svg Play  (help·info)

Gnome-mime-sound-openclipart.svg
Liebestraum No. 3 in A♭ major
Composer Franz Liszt. Performed by Martha Goldstein on an 1851 Erard piano
Problems playing this file? See media help.

Examples of the use of the ragtime progression include the chorus of Howard & Emerson's "Hello! Ma Baby" (1899), the traditional "Keep On Truckin' Mama," Robert Johnson's "They're Red Hot" (1936), Arlo Guthrie's "Alice's Restaurant" (1967), [15] Bruce Channel's "Hey! Baby" (1962), Gus Cannon' "Walk Right In" (1929), James P. Johnson's "Charleston" (1923), Ray Henderson's "Five Foot Two, Eyes of Blue" (1925), [12] Rev. Gary Davis's "Salty Dog," [16] Bernie and Pinkard's "Sweet Georgia Brown" (1925), the "Cujus animam" (mm.9-18) in Rossini's Stabat Mater , the beginning of Liszt's Liebesträume (1850), [6] Bob Carleton's "Ja-Da" (1918), [17] and Sonny Rollins's "Doxy" (1954). [18]

See also

Sources

  1. ↑ Boyd, Bill (1997). Jazz Chord Progressions, p.56. ISBN   0-7935-7038-7.
  2. 1 2 Jonas, Oswald (1982) Introduction to the Theory of Heinrich Schenker (1934: Das Wesen des musikalischen Kunstwerks: Eine Einführung in Die Lehre Heinrich Schenkers), p.116. Trans. John Rothgeb. ISBN   0-582-28227-6.
  3. ↑ Fahey, John (1970). Charley Patton, p.45. London: Studio Vista. Cited in van der Merwe (1989).
  4. ↑ van der Merwe, Peter (2005). Roots of the Classical, p.496. ISBN   978-0-19-816647-4.
  5. ↑ van der Merwe, Peter (1989). Origins of the Popular Style: The Antecedents of Twentieth-Century Popular Music, p.321. Oxford: Clarendon Press. ISBN   0-19-316121-4.
  6. 1 2 3 Van der Merwe (2005), p.299.
  7. ↑ Warnock, Matthew. "Turnarounds: How to Turn One Chord into Four". Music Theory Lesson. jazzguitar.be. Retrieved February 27, 2012.
  8. ↑ Levine, Mark (1996). The jazz theory book. O'Reilly Media. ISBN   1-883217-04-0 . Retrieved February 27, 2012.
  9. ↑ Averill, Gage (2003). Four Parts, No Waiting, p.162. ISBN   978-0-19-511672-4.
  10. ↑ Weissman, Dick (2005). Blues: The Basics, p.50. ISBN   978-0-415-97067-9.
  11. ↑ Scott, Richard J. (2003). Chord Progressions for Songwriters, p.428. ISBN   978-0-595-26384-4.
  12. 1 2 Davis, Kenneth (2006). The Piano Professor Easy Piano Study, p.105. ISBN   978-1-4303-0334-3. Same quote but gives the progression in E instead of C.
  13. ↑ Averill, Gage (2003). Four Parts, No Waiting: A Social History of American Barbershop Harmony, p.162. ISBN   978-0-19-511672-4.
  14. ↑ Boyd (1997), p.60.
  15. ↑ Scott (2003), p.429
  16. ↑ Grossman, Stefan (1998). Rev. Gary Davis/Blues Guitar, p.71. ISBN   978-0-8256-0152-1.
  17. ↑ Weissman, Dick (2001). Songwriting: The Words, the Music and the Money, p.59. ISBN   9780634011603. and Weissman, Dick (1085). Basic Chord Progressions: Handy Guide, p.28. ISBN   9780882844008.
  18. ↑ Fox, Charles; McCarthy, Albert (1960). Jazz on record: a critical guide to the first 50 years, 1917-1967. Hanover Books. p. 62.

Further reading

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