Common variations to chords in the major key signature

Recently we’ve been talking about the chords within any major key signature and how you can use them to create chord progressions that express different feelings. Today I’d like to expand on this to talk about some of the variations to the standard chords that musicians often use to express even more emotions in their music.

I like to talk about variations when teaching about songwriting because I think it’s important to show piano beginners the kind of flexibility that exists within music theory. While the rules of music theory are important and helpful, it doesn’t mean that if you deviate from these rules even just a little that it automatically stops sounding like music. Rather, it just changes what you’re communicating musically. If we understand the standard major and minor chords as expressing the standard emotions of happiness and sadness, deviating from the standard chords means you start expressing non-standard emotions—that is, emotions that are more complex than basic happiness or sadness. That’s what I hope to help you learn today!

If you need a refresher on the typical chords within a major key signature before moving on, check out this blog post or this YouTube video!

Variation 1: Raising the minor 3rd

In a typical major key signature, your iii chord is going to have a minor sound. For example, in the key of C major, the iii chord is an E minor chord.

One really common and interesting variation on this is to turn this minor chord into a major chord. The way we do that is to raise the middle note of the minor chord up by a semitone. In the case of an E minor chord, we can raise its middle note G by adding a sharp in front of it. By turning the minor chord to a major chord, we no longer write it as iii but as III, because we use capital Roman numerals to denote major chords.

Why this works

Because traditionally the listener is expecting the third chord of a major key signature to have a minor sound, when you substitute it for a major chord, it gives the listener a feeling of unexpected happiness or optimism. A really great example of this is in the song “Imagine” by John Lennon. Just after he sings, “You may say I’m a dreamer,” there’s a really pretty chord progression — and that’s them moving from a I chord to a major III chord (Cmaj to Emaj)! That unexpected major third gives a feeling of unexpected optimism or hope that I feel is really suiting for such an optimistic and hopeful song.

Variation 2: Lowering the perfect 4th

In a typical major key signature, your IV chord is going to have a major sound. For example, in the key of C major, the IV chord is an F major chord.

An interesting variation we can make is to turn this major chord to a minor chord. The way we do this is to lower the chord’s middle note down by a semitone. In the case of an F major chord, we can lower its middle note A by adding a flat in front of it. By turning the major chord to a minor chord, we no longer write it as IV but as iv, because we use lower-case Roman numerals to denote minor chords.

Why this works

Because the listener is expecting the fourth chord of a major key signature to have a major sound, when you substitute it for a minor chord, it gives the listener a feeling of unexpected sadness or disappointment. The best example of this kind of chord progression is in “Creep” by Radiohead. When he sings “I wish I was special,” they start on a major IV chord — the traditional one! — but then they fall to a minor iv. This chord progression has the impact of making an already sad and desperate song feel even more desperate! I think the reason this comes across as so bleak is because they’ve taken a chord that was supposed to be positive-sounding and even that has been made minor. Pretty effective mood-setting!

Variation 3: Experimenting with the 7th chord

To this point, I haven’t discussed the 7th chord of the major scale because it isn’t typical—it doesn’t fall neatly into the major or minor categories. The 7th chord is a diminished chord; it has a very dissonant sound that is not often used in traditional music. But if you’re willing to experiment with it, I can give you two ideas for how you can use the 7th chord in your songwriting.

3a: Expanding the 7th chord

One way you can use the diminished 7th is playing it exactly the way it is, while adding octaves of the 5th step of the scale with your left hand. For example, in the case of C major, the diminished 7th chord would mean playing a B-D-F in your right hand and octave G’s in your left hand.

Why this works

When you play the notes this way, you’re actually changing the feeling of the 7 chord because you’re giving your listener a new lowest note. As a result, your listener gets the feeling that you’re actually playing a V chord with an extra note on top. In music theory, we would call this combination a G7 or V7 or dominant seven chord. Musically, it sounds great, like a V chord with an extra little ornament on top!

3b: Lowering the 7th chord

Another way you can use the 7th chord is by lowering its bottom note by a semitone. So in the case of C major, lowering the B to a B flat so the chord becomes a B flat-D-F. The effect of lowering that note is that it makes the chord sound like a major chord—B flat, D, and F are the notes of a B flat major chord.

Why this works

Because the listener would have expected to hear a diminished chord in this space, playing a B flat major chord instead gives your listener another feeling of unexpected optimism! One example of a song that uses this chord progression is “Sweet Home Alabama” by Lynyrd Skynyrd. The song starts on a I chord, it moves to a seven chord that has been changed to a major by lowering the first note, and then moves to a V chord. To me, this chord progression gives an extra dose of optimism, which I think is fitting for a song that celebrates home.

Any other ideas?

These have been my three favourite variations to the chords in a major key signature. I hope you found this helpful in thinking about the kinds of flexibility you have when writing your own music. But these ideas really are only the beginning. Sitting down at your piano and experimenting is the best way to find chord variations that you love!

If you have any questions about any of this or have your own favourite chord variations, I’d love to hear about them! You’re invited to share them as a comment on this video. Have fun at your piano!