Chords for Western Swing Guitar Lesson - The 5-Of Rule - Raymond Nijenhuis
Tempo:
132.4 bpm
Chords used:
G
D
B
A
C
Tuning:Standard Tuning (EADGBE)Capo:+0fret
Start Jamming...
One of the things that helped me a lot in understanding Eldon Shemlin's sophisticated chordal style
was realizing that you can place a dominant seventh chord, also known as the V chord, in front of any chord.
When you're in the key of G,
interchanging G with its V chord D7 is something we've grown accustomed to.
The V7 to I change is everywhere, you could say, and it's pleasing to the ears.
The human ear likes to hear music that resolves.
Playing two bars of [G] G
can be [B] made into G D7 and [G] G D7.
[D] [G]
[D] [G]
Now I can also play the dominant seven of the dominant seven chord.
[N] This is called the secondary dominant.
A secondary dominant chord is basically a chord that resolves to a scale degree
other than a tonic.
Take the Western swing favorite Rolley Polly, for example.
The original chords of the [G] first are
[D]
[G]
Now I could also put A7, the V chord of D7, before actually playing D7.
It will be [A] like
[G] You
[C] [G]
[A] [D] [G]
can imagine using this five of rule gives you an endless amount of harmonic variations.
The reason I address this subject in my Western Swing Guidebook is mainly
the five of rule is the tool to create moving bass lines, Eldon Shemlin style.
Let me give you an example.
Say you want a moving bass run and the chords of the tunes are
G, G, C, C, [D] D.
[G] I can spice this up with secondary dominants as mentioned.
Let's have a look.
G and [A] D7 with an A [D] in the bass,
[Ab] to an [G] inversion of [B] G [G] with a B in the bass,
[D] to G7 with a D in the [Bm] bass, and now the tonic G becomes a
dominant for C.
So G7 with a D in the bass,
[C] V for C,
[D] back to [Dm] G with a D in the bass, [E] to C [C] with an E in the bass, and
there's [E] A7 with an E [Db] in the bass, which is the V for D.
[D] Let me do that [G] again.
[A] [Gb] [B]
[G] [D] [B] [C] [D] [B]
[E] [C] [E] [A] [D]
By playing the V in the bass instead of the root, I get that moving bass.
Once you get this way of thinking and playing down, you're ready for a next step.
For example, adding chromatic anticipation chords.
[Em]
[G] G, [Am] D7 with an A in the bass, and before going [G] to G with a B in the bass, [Bb] I can play [Bbm] B flat
diminished [B]
to G [G] with a B, or
[C] [Am] descending,
[B] C, [G] G with a B in the [Bbm] bass, B flat diminished, [A] to [Am] D7 with an A in the bass.
[N] We don't want to get too deep into the theory side of things.
I mean, Western Swing is dance music, not rocket science, and we want to keep our focus on the music.
Let's say for now that you can use this rule as long as you're not interfering with the melody.
Okay, just to make sure you know how and where to find the right V chord.
Pick a chord,
count until you're at the fifth note from the root of that chord, and that's the one.
But it has to be the perfect fifth though, so the V chord of [B] B is
[Db] [Eb] [E] [Gb]
F sharp, not F.
It's not
[A] B, C, D, E, F.
That's the wrong fifth.
was realizing that you can place a dominant seventh chord, also known as the V chord, in front of any chord.
When you're in the key of G,
interchanging G with its V chord D7 is something we've grown accustomed to.
The V7 to I change is everywhere, you could say, and it's pleasing to the ears.
The human ear likes to hear music that resolves.
Playing two bars of [G] G
can be [B] made into G D7 and [G] G D7.
[D] [G]
[D] [G]
Now I can also play the dominant seven of the dominant seven chord.
[N] This is called the secondary dominant.
A secondary dominant chord is basically a chord that resolves to a scale degree
other than a tonic.
Take the Western swing favorite Rolley Polly, for example.
The original chords of the [G] first are
[D]
[G]
Now I could also put A7, the V chord of D7, before actually playing D7.
It will be [A] like
[G] You
[C] [G]
[A] [D] [G]
can imagine using this five of rule gives you an endless amount of harmonic variations.
The reason I address this subject in my Western Swing Guidebook is mainly
the five of rule is the tool to create moving bass lines, Eldon Shemlin style.
Let me give you an example.
Say you want a moving bass run and the chords of the tunes are
G, G, C, C, [D] D.
[G] I can spice this up with secondary dominants as mentioned.
Let's have a look.
G and [A] D7 with an A [D] in the bass,
[Ab] to an [G] inversion of [B] G [G] with a B in the bass,
[D] to G7 with a D in the [Bm] bass, and now the tonic G becomes a
dominant for C.
So G7 with a D in the bass,
[C] V for C,
[D] back to [Dm] G with a D in the bass, [E] to C [C] with an E in the bass, and
there's [E] A7 with an E [Db] in the bass, which is the V for D.
[D] Let me do that [G] again.
[A] [Gb] [B]
[G] [D] [B] [C] [D] [B]
[E] [C] [E] [A] [D]
By playing the V in the bass instead of the root, I get that moving bass.
Once you get this way of thinking and playing down, you're ready for a next step.
For example, adding chromatic anticipation chords.
[Em]
[G] G, [Am] D7 with an A in the bass, and before going [G] to G with a B in the bass, [Bb] I can play [Bbm] B flat
diminished [B]
to G [G] with a B, or
[C] [Am] descending,
[B] C, [G] G with a B in the [Bbm] bass, B flat diminished, [A] to [Am] D7 with an A in the bass.
[N] We don't want to get too deep into the theory side of things.
I mean, Western Swing is dance music, not rocket science, and we want to keep our focus on the music.
Let's say for now that you can use this rule as long as you're not interfering with the melody.
Okay, just to make sure you know how and where to find the right V chord.
Pick a chord,
count until you're at the fifth note from the root of that chord, and that's the one.
But it has to be the perfect fifth though, so the V chord of [B] B is
[Db] [Eb] [E] [Gb]
F sharp, not F.
It's not
[A] B, C, D, E, F.
That's the wrong fifth.
Key:
G
D
B
A
C
G
D
B
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ One of the things that helped me a lot in understanding Eldon Shemlin's sophisticated chordal style
was realizing that you can place a dominant seventh chord, also known as the V chord, in front of any chord.
_ _ When you're in the key of G,
interchanging G with its V chord D7 is something we've grown accustomed to.
_ _ The V7 to I change is everywhere, you could say, and it's pleasing to the ears.
_ _ The human ear likes to hear music that resolves.
_ _ Playing two bars of [G] G
can _ _ _ _ _ _ be [B] made into G D7 and [G] G D7.
_ [D] _ _ [G] _ _
[D] _ _ [G] _ _ _ _ _ _
Now I can also play the dominant seven of the dominant seven chord.
_ [N] This is called the secondary dominant.
_ _ A secondary dominant chord is basically a chord that resolves to a scale degree
other than a tonic.
_ _ Take the Western swing favorite Rolley Polly, for example.
The original chords of the _ [G] first are_ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ [D] _ _ _
_ _ [G] _ _ _ _ _ _
_ Now I could also put A7, the V chord of D7, before actually playing D7.
It will be [A] like_
[G] You _ _
[C] _ _ [G] _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ [A] _ _ [D] _ _ _ [G] _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
can imagine using this five of rule gives you an endless amount of harmonic variations. _ _
The reason I address this subject in my Western Swing Guidebook is mainly
the five of rule is the tool to create moving bass lines, Eldon Shemlin style.
_ Let me give you an example.
_ Say you want a moving bass run and the chords of the tunes _ are_
_ G, _ _ _ _ G, _ C, _ C, _ [D] D. _ _ _ _
_ [G] _ _ I can spice this up with secondary dominants as mentioned.
_ _ Let's have a look.
G _ and _ [A] D7 with an A [D] in the bass,
[Ab] to an [G] inversion of [B] G [G] with a B in the bass,
_ _ _ [D] to G7 with a D in the [Bm] bass, and now the tonic G becomes a
dominant for C.
So G7 with a D in the bass,
_ [C] _ V for C, _
_ _ [D] back to [Dm] G with a D in the bass, [E] to C [C] with an E in the bass, _ and
there's [E] A7 with an E [Db] in the bass, which is the V for D.
[D] _ _ _ _ Let me do that [G] again.
_ _ [A] _ [Gb] _ [B] _ _
[G] _ [D] _ [B] _ [C] _ _ _ [D] _ [B] _
[E] _ _ [C] _ [E] _ [A] _ _ [D] _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
By playing the V in the bass instead of the root, I get that moving bass.
_ Once you get this way of thinking and playing down, you're ready for a next step.
For example, adding chromatic anticipation chords.
_ _ [Em] _
[G] _ _ _ G, [Am] D7 with an A in the bass, and before going [G] to G with a B in the bass, [Bb] I can play [Bbm] B flat
_ diminished [B]
to G [G] with a B, _ _ or
_ [C] _ _ [Am] descending, _ _
[B] C, [G] G with a B in the [Bbm] bass, B flat diminished, [A] to [Am] D7 with an A in the bass. _
_ _ [N] _ _ _ We don't want to get too deep into the theory side of things.
I mean, Western Swing is dance music, not rocket science, _ and we want to keep our focus on the music.
Let's say for now that you can use this rule as long as you're not interfering with the melody.
_ _ Okay, just to make sure you know how and where to find the right V chord. _ _ _
Pick a chord,
count until you're at the fifth note from the root of that chord, and that's the one.
But it has to be the perfect fifth though, _ _ _ so the V chord of [B] B _ is _ _
_ _ [Db] _ [Eb] _ [E] _ [Gb] _ _
F sharp, not F.
It's not
[A] _ B, C, D, E, F.
That's the wrong fifth.
_ _ _ _ One of the things that helped me a lot in understanding Eldon Shemlin's sophisticated chordal style
was realizing that you can place a dominant seventh chord, also known as the V chord, in front of any chord.
_ _ When you're in the key of G,
interchanging G with its V chord D7 is something we've grown accustomed to.
_ _ The V7 to I change is everywhere, you could say, and it's pleasing to the ears.
_ _ The human ear likes to hear music that resolves.
_ _ Playing two bars of [G] G
can _ _ _ _ _ _ be [B] made into G D7 and [G] G D7.
_ [D] _ _ [G] _ _
[D] _ _ [G] _ _ _ _ _ _
Now I can also play the dominant seven of the dominant seven chord.
_ [N] This is called the secondary dominant.
_ _ A secondary dominant chord is basically a chord that resolves to a scale degree
other than a tonic.
_ _ Take the Western swing favorite Rolley Polly, for example.
The original chords of the _ [G] first are_ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ [D] _ _ _
_ _ [G] _ _ _ _ _ _
_ Now I could also put A7, the V chord of D7, before actually playing D7.
It will be [A] like_
[G] You _ _
[C] _ _ [G] _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ [A] _ _ [D] _ _ _ [G] _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
can imagine using this five of rule gives you an endless amount of harmonic variations. _ _
The reason I address this subject in my Western Swing Guidebook is mainly
the five of rule is the tool to create moving bass lines, Eldon Shemlin style.
_ Let me give you an example.
_ Say you want a moving bass run and the chords of the tunes _ are_
_ G, _ _ _ _ G, _ C, _ C, _ [D] D. _ _ _ _
_ [G] _ _ I can spice this up with secondary dominants as mentioned.
_ _ Let's have a look.
G _ and _ [A] D7 with an A [D] in the bass,
[Ab] to an [G] inversion of [B] G [G] with a B in the bass,
_ _ _ [D] to G7 with a D in the [Bm] bass, and now the tonic G becomes a
dominant for C.
So G7 with a D in the bass,
_ [C] _ V for C, _
_ _ [D] back to [Dm] G with a D in the bass, [E] to C [C] with an E in the bass, _ and
there's [E] A7 with an E [Db] in the bass, which is the V for D.
[D] _ _ _ _ Let me do that [G] again.
_ _ [A] _ [Gb] _ [B] _ _
[G] _ [D] _ [B] _ [C] _ _ _ [D] _ [B] _
[E] _ _ [C] _ [E] _ [A] _ _ [D] _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
By playing the V in the bass instead of the root, I get that moving bass.
_ Once you get this way of thinking and playing down, you're ready for a next step.
For example, adding chromatic anticipation chords.
_ _ [Em] _
[G] _ _ _ G, [Am] D7 with an A in the bass, and before going [G] to G with a B in the bass, [Bb] I can play [Bbm] B flat
_ diminished [B]
to G [G] with a B, _ _ or
_ [C] _ _ [Am] descending, _ _
[B] C, [G] G with a B in the [Bbm] bass, B flat diminished, [A] to [Am] D7 with an A in the bass. _
_ _ [N] _ _ _ We don't want to get too deep into the theory side of things.
I mean, Western Swing is dance music, not rocket science, _ and we want to keep our focus on the music.
Let's say for now that you can use this rule as long as you're not interfering with the melody.
_ _ Okay, just to make sure you know how and where to find the right V chord. _ _ _
Pick a chord,
count until you're at the fifth note from the root of that chord, and that's the one.
But it has to be the perfect fifth though, _ _ _ so the V chord of [B] B _ is _ _
_ _ [Db] _ [Eb] _ [E] _ [Gb] _ _
F sharp, not F.
It's not
[A] _ B, C, D, E, F.
That's the wrong fifth.