1. Theoretical Foundation & Acoustic Motion
Voice leading and tension-resolution mechanics
Pure natural minor cadence (i - iv - v - i). Relying on the natural minor v chord (Em) instead of a piercing major dominant delivers honest, noble grief without melodramatic theatrics.
Listen to Grief & Somber Farewell twice through
- Am
- Dm
- Em
- Am
- Am
- Dm
- Em
- Am
2. The progression, step by step
| Position | Chord | Degree |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Am | i |
| 2 | Dm | iv |
| 3 | Em | v |
| 4 | Am | i |
3. Chord tones and interval structure
| Chord | Chord tones | Formula |
|---|---|---|
| Am | A – C – E | 1 - ♭3 - 5 |
| Dm | D – F – A | 1 - ♭3 - 5 |
| Em | E – G – B | 1 - ♭3 - 5 |
| Am | A – C – E | 1 - ♭3 - 5 |
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 Grief & Somber Farewell 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 68 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, Em and Am, the progression CifraLab proposes for a “Grief & Somber Farewell” feel. What follows can be checked by playing.
From Am to Dm, A stays, and one hand position stays put. From Dm to Em, every note changes. From Em to Am, E stays, and one hand position stays put.
“Grief & Somber Farewell” runs at 68 beats per minute, so each beat lasts 882 milliseconds. If each chord takes one bar of four beats, the full cycle lasts 14.1 seconds. Read in A minor, its degrees are i, iv, v and i. In Am you hear A, C and E. Dm holds D, F and A. In Em you hear E, G and B.