Ragtime progression
Encyclopedia
The ragtime progression is a chord progression
typical of ragtime
music and parlour music
genres though its use originated in classical music and spread to American folk music
:
and its close variants.
In C major this is:
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 fifths
.
Variations include the addition of minor seventh chord
s before the dominant seventh chord
s, creating overlapping temporary ii-V-I relationships through ii-V-I substitution
:
since Bm7-E7-A is a ii-V-I progression, as is Em7-A7-D and so on.
Chord progression
A chord progression is a series of musical chords, or chord changes that "aims for a definite goal" of establishing a tonality founded on a key, root or tonic chord. In other words, the succession of root relationships...
typical of ragtime
Ragtime
Ragtime is an original musical genre which enjoyed its peak popularity between 1897 and 1918. Its main characteristic trait is its syncopated, or "ragged," rhythm. It began as dance music in the red-light districts of American cities such as St. Louis and New Orleans years before being published...
music and parlour music
Parlour music
Parlour music is a type of popular music which, as the name suggests, is intended to be performed in the parlours of middle class homes by amateur singers and pianists...
genres though its use originated in classical music and spread to American folk music
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
:
| (III7) | VI7 | II7 | V7 | I |
and its close variants.
In C major this is:
| (E7) | A7 | D7 | G7 | C |
The progression is an example of centripetal harmony, harmony which leads to the tonic
Tonic (music)
In music, the tonic is the first scale degree of the diatonic scale and the tonal center or final resolution tone. The triad formed on the tonic note, the tonic chord, is thus the most significant chord...
and an example of the circle progression
Circle progression
In music, the circle progression is a chord progression named for the circle of fifths, along which it travels. It is "undoubtedly the most common and the strongest of all harmonic progressions" and consists of "adjacent roots in ascending fourth or descending fifth relationship", with movement by...
, a progression along the circle of fifths
Circle of fifths
In music theory, the circle of fifths shows the relationships among the 12 tones of the chromatic scale, their corresponding key signatures, and the associated major and minor keys...
.
Variations include the addition of minor seventh chord
Minor seventh chord
In music, a minor seventh chord is any nondominant seventh chord where the "third" note is a minor third above the root.Most typically, minor seventh chord refers to where the "seventh" note is a minor seventh above the root...
s before the dominant seventh chord
Dominant seventh chord
In music theory, a dominant seventh chord, or major minor seventh chord,is a chord composed of a root, major third, perfect fifth, and minor seventh. It can be also viewed as a major triad with an additional minor seventh...
s, creating overlapping temporary ii-V-I relationships through ii-V-I substitution
Chord substitution
In music theory, chord substitution is the use of a chord in the place of another related chord in a chord progression. Jazz musicians often substitute chords in the original progression to create variety and add interest to a piece. The substitute chord must have some harmonic quality and degree...
:
| Bm7-E7 | Em7-A7 | Am7-D7 | Dm7-G7 | C |
since Bm7-E7-A is a ii-V-I progression, as is Em7-A7-D and so on.