1. Theoretical Foundation & Acoustic Motion
Voice leading and tension-resolution mechanics
A cinematic chord progression (i - VI - III - VII). Jumping from the dark minor root to the major ♭VI triggers an immediate feeling of courage, scale, and grandeur.
Listen to Heroic Epic & Overcoming twice through
- Dm
- Bb
- F
- C
- Dm
- Bb
- F
- C
2. The progression, step by step
| Position | Chord | Degree |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dm | i |
| 2 | Bb | VI |
| 3 | F | III |
| 4 | C | VII |
3. Chord tones and interval structure
| Chord | Chord tones | Formula |
|---|---|---|
| Dm | D – F – A | 1 - ♭3 - 5 |
| Bb | Bb – D – F | 1 - 3 - 5 |
| F | F – A – C | 1 - 3 - 5 |
| C | C – E – G | 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 Heroic Epic & Overcoming 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 90 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 Dm, Bb, F and C, the progression CifraLab proposes for a “Heroic Epic & Overcoming” feel. What follows can be checked by playing.
From Dm to Bb, D and F stay, and two hand positions stay put. Bb and F keep F in common. Also, two hand positions stay put. From F to C, C stays, and two hand positions stay put. From C to Dm, every note changes.
“Heroic Epic & Overcoming” runs at 90 beats per minute, so each beat lasts 667 milliseconds. If each chord takes one bar of four beats, the full cycle lasts 10.7 seconds. Read in D minor, its degrees are i, VI, III and VII.
It can also be read from F major. In Dm you hear D, F and A. Bb holds Bb, D and F. In F you hear F, A and C. C holds C, E and G.