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Hi Active Melody family!
Time for the August 2022 Site Member Challenge!
Ok folks, let’s see what you can do with this jam track (created exclusively for this challenge). It’s relatively simple sounding, C, Am, Bb, and F – but what key is this in? What scale(s) do you use? Do you have to change scales at some point or can you stay “in the key of the song?”
As you figure things out, feel free to post in the forum (on this thread or wherever you want), or if you’ve got questions, post those as well.
You can play a lead, or compliment the rhythm, but don’t be afraid to push yourself.
Here’s a link to the jam track
**If the MP3 doesn’t automatically download (and plays instead), try RIGHT clicking on the “Download MP3” link and then choose the “Save As..” option if you’re on a Windows computer. If you’re on a Mac, hold down the “Control” key and click on “Download MP3”.
The submission date for this challenge will be Sunday, September 4 – you can start submitting Friday, September 2
**If you need assistance with how to record yourself and post to the forum see this post**
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GROUND RULES FOR PARTICIPATION:
1. Post your Youtube, Vimeo, or Soundcloud links of you playing your chosen lesson anytime between Friday, September 2, through Sunday, September 4, 10:00 pm CST. Please do not submit earlier. I think it is fun to see everyone’s posts at once.
2. Submit individually in the “Active Melody Member Challenge Response Submissions” forum. Title your posts “August 2022 Challenge Response – [Your AM Screen Name]”
3. Please submit only a single video or audio file for this challenge.
4. Have fun and don’t be intimidated by these challenges!!! Use these challenges to help you set goals and complete them by a deadline. You can also use this as an opportunity to chat with your fellow Active Melody members and share tips or tricks on this challenge that you think are useful.
5. In my opinion, it is better to show progress versus perfection with these challenges. So if you are a beginner and can only play the first couple of measures. That is completely ok. If you play two more measures of the next challenge piece than you did the previous one, you are on track to getting better. This is what these challenges are about…you learning guitar and getting better. Remember we are all here to support you no matter what your current playing level is.
PREMIUM MEMBERS: DON’T FORGET ABOUT THE ACTIVE MELODY T-SHIRT CHALLENGE:
Premium members can earn a free AM T-Shirt as indicated here:
https://www.activemelody.com/forums/topic/active-melody-t-shirt-challenge2/I look forward to seeing everyone’s posts! 🙂
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Thought that too with the 1-4-5 which leaves Am as relative minor of the 5 chord. Is there more than one answer? Key of C would give 1-4, 4-1 with C and F with the Bb diminished 7 transition between them and Am as the relative minor of the 1 chord. Interesting to see what combination other AM folk see in this puzzle.
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Technically, F is a possible answer, yes. But to my ears that progression doesn’t sound like it resolves to F at all; the home chord is clearly C – at least to me.
Therefore, that progression is C Mixolydian – which is the fifth mode of F Major.The relatively fast tempo and the moderately fast harmonic rhythm make it possible to use C Mixolydian throughout. Put differently: no need to “follow the changes” in this case. But you can, of course!
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C major C E G
A minor A C E
Bb major B D F
F major F A CC D E F G A Bb C
C major only the Bb is out of key
C myxolydian perfect fit
C Allman hexatonic fits, missing the b7(Bb)
C major pentatonic fits, missing the 4th and b7Remembering to highlight chord tones at the right time is also a consideration.
Minor pentatonic (or blues scale) or hybrid minor/major pentatonic can be sprinkled in to give a bluesy feel.John
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Brian seems to have devised this chord sequence cleverly as a test of musical creativity. As the track plays the F doesn’t feel like a resolution, as J-M says, but if C is the home chord then the chord sequence feels unsatisfactory to me if we are playing the changes. As already said, C Mixolydian seems a good fit, but if I were trying to sound melodic over the changes my instinct would be to try to impose F tonality over the track. But what do I know?!
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As is often the case in music, there is no right or wrong. But I’m glad you talk about what you feel when listening to this progression, because that’s indeed the most important factor. Finding a scale that fits the chords is a technical implementation detail.
It is perfectly possible to interpret this progression as being in F Major, especially if you’re not particularly used to hearing modal constructions.
In that case we have (V iii IV I).
When improvising in the harmonic context of F Major you would emphasize the notes F and E (the leading tone) like Denise suggested.
But the deceptive cadence (V iii) at the very beginning of a song is rather unusual and a bit awkward; in fact, it’s one of the reasons why I don’t hear this is F Major. But I suppose contemporary pop/rock doesn’t worry too much about this.If you hear the progression in C (Mixolydian) like me, then you have a (I vi bVII IV) which cycles back to I.
A typical (Mixolydian) four chord pop sequence where the V chord is replaced by the IV chord (almost a must in pop).
If you view the Am chord as a C chord in disguise (call it C6/A), then the progression simplifies to (I bVII IV) which is a prototypical Mixolydian cadence.
When improvising in the context of C Mixolydian, you would emphasize the notes C and Bb.
Also note that in the backing track all the chords are in root position; to be honest, these roots are all over the place! If you play the progression (C Am Bb(b) F(b)), i.e. where Bb(b) and F(b) designate first inversions, then C becomes even more obvious as tonal center.You can also push a little harder and consider the thing to be a progression in C Major that modulates to F Major, like so C:(I vi) F:(IV I) and the final F chord is a pivot chord to brings you back to C. Two chords are a little too short to strongly establish a tonality, but why not?
I guess you could even consider each chord for what it is, play the corresponding arpeggio and not worry at all about tonal directions or chord functions. Again, why not?
I personally find the harmonic rhythm a little too fast for this, but it’s a matter of feeling.…but as you said: what do I know? 😉
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Just from playing all the chords and noodling, clearly sounds key of C to me, with its relative minor chord (Am), being the two chords dominating.
Therefore, to my ear, any lead played with just Am or Cmaj pentatonic notes (same notes) sounded acceptable to me, even played over the F and Bb chords. The two extra mixolydian notes for the key of C also sounded good to me.
Larry -
I think a chord progression can be in two different keys. And, not all chords in the progression have to be in the designated key. I think in this case the progression is in C. The odd chord out “B flat”, serves as a passing chord, resolving the progression back to F. Where then it picks back up again in C.
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Key of F:)
F – G – A – Bb – C – D – E – F
W W H W W W HRule of Harmony:
MAJOR – minor – minor – MAJOR – MAJOR – MINOR – dim
Therefore: C, Bb and F are MAJOR & A is Am
Have fun,
Bobby UtBob U. (aka Bobby Ut)
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BOBBY and Bill!
Yours is the first of the comments here that I can even remotely understand! LOL!
I just played to this track the way it FEELS and from the very start it comes out pretty much in the progression you’ve listed – F G A B and then “fiddle-stix” from there back to the F – LOL!If it feels right – play it. Right?
“Laissez les bon temps rouler“
Marie Jarreau
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This is like the black and white picture where you see either a beautiful woman or an old hag. I was playing C myxolydian with C blues before and now I’m playing through it and F major/F major pentatonic also seems to work (of course they’re the same notes but it’s a different resolve). Actually, I think I’m playing C and resolving some phrases on the F chord and at other time resolving and starting a new phrase on the C. So, it’s C myxolydian/C blues for me.
John -
Two faces or a vase!!! LOL!! Good to see peeps talking about stuff. I miss Yinz guys. Ut
Bob U. (aka Bobby Ut)
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so if you dont know any of that fancy stuff will C Maj pentatonic get me in the ballpark? it seems to so far.
Longtime banjo player looking for some variety so taking up the blues on guitar
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Just be careful in that F chord as C major pentatonic doesn’t have an F in it. I found F Maj Pentatonic a good fit.
Words like “Mixolydian” scare me 🙂
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Someday I’ll understand the language and learn to speak in musical alphabet!
I think I can!
I think I can!
I think I can!For now I DO APPRECIATE the conversation as I feel I’m picking up bits and pieces of the language and will someday put it together – when that light bulb comes on!
“Laissez les bon temps rouler“
Marie Jarreau
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Billy my friend!!! It is in the – drum roll please –
THE KEY OF FREAKIN’ FUDGIN FROGGIN’ FROSTY FREZZING F!!!!!
UT
F it is!
Hey thanks Bobby,gave me a good hearty chuckle…
..Billy..
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Thanks Billy and glad to have you back playing some gitfiddle!! B
Got to admit that I am struggling, it is like learning guitar all over again at this point..
..Billy..
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I’m on team C! Just sounds like the gravity goes there…
It’s almost got a gospel/soul vibe to it, where C/Am represents the I, Bb/F representing the IV…
One thing I discovered is C major pentatonic sounds good over the C, Am and C minor pentatonic over the Bb, F
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All I did was pick up my guitar and Took the 1-4-5 to find the key. Used 1 for the F, B flat for the IV and C for the V. and the A Min fell right into place for the iii. My money is on the key of F.
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