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Topic: Music Theory Question |
Jana Lockaby
From:
Kaufman, TX
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Posted 18 Jun 2014 11:31 am |
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I'm working on a song by Jean Shepard, titled "I'll Never Be Free". Picking it out by ear off the internet, and makeing a backing track with BIAB. Everything is working out until the song goes to the 7th. Let's say the key of C, so it should be a G7. It's not. It's, according to my ears, going to G#.
In the second part of the song, it does, in fact, go to G7 (G), so is there some music theory as to why the G# works in the key of C? Not one note of G, B, D, sounds right, so it's not a Gaug, or ...?This is blowing my mind, but G#, C, D#, sounds right. Are my ears fooling me?
I appreciate any help/explination. |
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Brad Bechtel
From:
San Francisco, CA
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Jerome Hawkes
From:
Fayetteville, North Carolina, USA
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Posted 18 Jun 2014 11:48 am
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i'm not familiar with the tune you are talking about - but in the key of C, if in fact it is a G# (this would be properly called Ab in key of C) - this was a common cadence in the 1920s & 30's. it is a substitute for the F (4 chord)...so instead of C-F-C the standard cadence you hear all the time to end a line, it would be C-Ab-C.
i call this the 'Bye Bye Blues' change - its the opening chord change C I Ab7 I C I A7
i'm not saying that is what is going on in this song - i dont know it - but if you see a "G#" (Ab) in the key of C, that is usually its function.
_________________
'65 Sho-Bud D-10 Permanent • '54 Fender Dual-8 • Clinesmith T-8 • '38 Ric Bakelite • '92 Emmons D-10 Legrande II
Last edited by Jerome Hawkes on 18 Jun 2014 2:09 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Orville Johnson
From:
Seattle, Washington, USA
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Posted 18 Jun 2014 1:04 pm
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I listened to the song. It is a G#, but if you listen closely it moves to the G7 for one beat before it resolves to the C. Without getting deep into the weeds of the music theory,it's really just a passing chord with its dissonance used for a dramatic effect.
The changes to the verse are
C//// C7//// F//// F#dim//// C//// G#7/// G7/ C//// |
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Clyde Mattocks
From:
Kinston, North Carolina, USA
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Posted 18 Jun 2014 5:37 pm
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Sometimes the 1#7th can be used as a substitute for a V. Think of the last chord in the chorus of "Crazy" just before it drops back to the I chord for the refrain.
_________________
LeGrande II, Nash. 112, Fender Twin Tone Master, Session 400, Harlow Dobro, R.Q.Jones Dobro |
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Greg Booth
From:
Anchorage, AK, USA
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Dave Hopping
From:
Aurora, Colorado
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Posted 18 Jun 2014 9:52 pm
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| You can hear a similar change(although it's used to go from I to IV)going into the bridge of "Blue Eyes Cryin' In The Rain". |
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Jana Lockaby
From:
Kaufman, TX
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Posted 19 Jun 2014 6:21 am
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You guys are great! Thanks. Brad, thanks for adding the link to the song.
I knew I was really close. There was just something not quite right. Thanks Orville, you cleared up the F#dim for me too. I found the right notes in several diferent places, thinking, maybe a D7, but I knew something just wasn't quite right there either. I got it right now...played along with the video...the song sounds so cool (on dobro). Just makes my day! Thanks you guys. |
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Orville Johnson
From:
Seattle, Washington, USA
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Posted 19 Jun 2014 11:22 pm
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| Yes, the F#dim chord has the 5-b7-3 of a D7 in it, but also has a D# that will make the D7 sound not quite right. |
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Jana Lockaby
From:
Kaufman, TX
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Posted 20 Jun 2014 10:27 am
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| I finished the BIAB track. It worked out pretty good, so I'm in business. Thanks again, everyone for your help and time. |
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chas smith R.I.P.
From:
Encino, CA, USA
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Posted 22 Jun 2014 7:49 pm
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| Quote: |
Sometimes the 1#7th can be used as a substitute for a V. |
Dominants a tritone apart can substitute for each other because they both contain the same 3rd and 7th and the 3rd and 7th of any chord is what defines it.
Think C7, the 3rd and 7th are E and Bb. F#7 is a tritone away. In a F#7 chord the 3rd is A# (Bb) and the 7th is E. |
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