1. Theoretical Foundation & Acoustic Motion
Voice leading and tension-resolution mechanics
Lush extended harmony with 7ths (Imaj7 - vi7 - iim7 - V7). Seventh color tones enrich each chord into a silky, sophisticated glow, perfect for seaside twilight.
Listen to Warm Romance & Bossa twice through
- Cmaj7
- Am7
- Dm7
- G7
- Cmaj7
- Am7
- Dm7
- G7
2. The progression, step by step
| Position | Chord | Degree |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cmaj7 | Imaj7 |
| 2 | Am7 | vi7 |
| 3 | Dm7 | iim7 |
| 4 | G7 | V7 |
3. Chord tones and interval structure
| Chord | Chord tones | Formula |
|---|---|---|
| Cmaj7 | C – E – G – B | 1 - 3 - 5 - 7 |
| Am7 | A – C – E – G | 1 - ♭3 - 5 - ♭7 |
| Dm7 | D – F – A – C | 1 - ♭3 - 5 - ♭7 |
| G7 | G – B – D – F | 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 Warm Romance & Bossa 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 80 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 Cmaj7, Am7, Dm7 and G7, the progression CifraLab proposes for a “Warm Romance & Bossa” feel. What follows can be checked by playing.
From Cmaj7 to Am7, C, E and G stay, and one hand position stays put. Am7 and Dm7 keep A and C in common. Also, one hand position stays put. From Dm7 to G7, D and F stay, and one hand position stays put. Going back from G7 to Cmaj7, B rises a semitone to C and F falls a semitone to E. The two chords share G and B.
“Warm Romance & Bossa” runs at 80 beats per minute, so each beat lasts 750 milliseconds. If each chord takes one bar of four beats, the full cycle lasts 12.0 seconds. Read in C major, its degrees are Imaj7, vi7, iim7 and V7.
In Cmaj7 you hear C, E, G and B. Am7 holds A, C, E and G. In Dm7 you hear D, F, A and C. G7 holds G, B, D and F.