1. Theoretical Foundation & Acoustic Motion
Voice leading and tension-resolution mechanics
A heavy grunge and alt-rock cadence (i - III - VII - VI in E minor). Punching from a minor root to wide open major chords creates a raw, defiant, and visceral sonic wall.
Listen to Rebellion & Electric Fury twice through
- Em
- G
- D
- C
- Em
- G
- D
- C
2. The progression, step by step
| Position | Chord | Degree |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Em | i |
| 2 | G | III |
| 3 | D | VII |
| 4 | C | VI |
3. Chord tones and interval structure
| Chord | Chord tones | Formula |
|---|---|---|
| Em | E – G – B | 1 - ♭3 - 5 |
| G | G – B – D | 1 - 3 - 5 |
| D | D – F# – A | 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 Rebellion & Electric Fury 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 116 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 Em, G, D and C, the progression CifraLab proposes for a “Rebellion & Electric Fury” feel. What follows can be checked by playing.
Em and G keep G and B in common. Also, one hand position stays put. From G to D, D stays, but no fretted position repeats. From D to C, every note changes. From C to Em, E and G stay, and one hand position stays put.
“Rebellion & Electric Fury” runs at 116 beats per minute, so each beat lasts 517 milliseconds. If each chord takes one bar of four beats, the full cycle lasts 8.3 seconds. Read in E minor, its degrees are i, III, VII and VI.
Em holds E, G and B. In G you hear G, B and D. D holds D, F# and A. In C you hear C, E and G.