1. Theoretical Foundation & Acoustic Motion
Voice leading and tension-resolution mechanics
A summary of Minor Blues (i - iv - i - V7). Trading between the minor tonic and subdominant sets an atmospheric late-night pulse, capped by the scorching bite of dominant E7.
Listen to Midnight Blues Laments twice through
- Am
- Dm
- Am
- E7
- Am
- Dm
- Am
- E7
2. The progression, step by step
| Position | Chord | Degree |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Am | i |
| 2 | Dm | iv |
| 3 | Am | i |
| 4 | E7 | V7 |
3. Chord tones and interval structure
| Chord | Chord tones | Formula |
|---|---|---|
| Am | A – C – E | 1 - ♭3 - 5 |
| Dm | D – F – A | 1 - ♭3 - 5 |
| Am | A – C – E | 1 - ♭3 - 5 |
| E7 | E – G# – B – D | 1 - 3 - 5 - ♭7 |
Check it with your ear
Two short questions to solidify what you've just read. There's no grade or record, so if you get it wrong, you can listen again and try again.
Which chord does Midnight Blues Laments start on and settle into?
Listen to both orders. Which one is the progression on this page?
Try it on your guitar
Play , , and with four beats per chord, slowly at first and then close to 70 BPM. Once you can play it without stopping, sing one long note over every chord and hear how its color changes even though you do not move it.
Acoustic Chords:
What you can check on the guitar
This reading uses Am, Dm, Am and E7, the progression CifraLab proposes for a “Midnight Blues Laments” feel. What follows can be checked by playing.
Am and Dm keep A in common. Also, one hand position stays put. From Dm to Am, A stays, and one hand position stays put. Am and E7 share E, though the hand changes shape. Going back from E7 to Am, G# rises a semitone to A and D falls a whole tone to C. The two chords share E.
“Midnight Blues Laments” runs at 70 beats per minute, so each beat lasts 857 milliseconds. If each chord takes one bar of four beats, the full cycle lasts 13.7 seconds. Read in A minor, its degrees are i, iv, i and V7. Am holds A, C and E. In Dm you hear D, F and A. E7 holds E, G#, B and D.