1. Theoretical Foundation & Acoustic Motion
Voice leading and tension-resolution mechanics
A minor cadence with a tango air (i - iv - V7 - i in D minor). Pivoting sharply to G minor before striking dominant A7 instantly paints the theatrical, passionate air of Buenos Aires.
Listen to Mystery & Dramatic Tango twice through
- Dm
- Gm
- A7
- Dm
- Dm
- Gm
- A7
- Dm
2. The progression, step by step
| Position | Chord | Degree |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dm | i |
| 2 | Gm | iv |
| 3 | A7 | V7 |
| 4 | Dm | i |
3. Chord tones and interval structure
| Chord | Chord tones | Formula |
|---|---|---|
| Dm | D – F – A | 1 - ♭3 - 5 |
| Gm | G – Bb – D | 1 - ♭3 - 5 |
| A7 | A – C# – E – G | 1 - 3 - 5 - ♭7 |
| Dm | D – F – A | 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 Mystery & Dramatic Tango 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 100 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, Gm, A7 and Dm, the progression CifraLab proposes for a “Mystery & Dramatic Tango” feel. What follows can be checked by playing.
From Dm to Gm, D stays, and one hand position stays put. Gm and A7 share G, though the hand changes shape. From A7 to Dm, A stays, but no fretted position repeats. Going back from A7 to Dm, C# rises a semitone to D and G falls a whole tone to F. The two chords share D, F and A.
“Mystery & Dramatic Tango” runs at 100 beats per minute, so each beat lasts 600 milliseconds. If each chord takes one bar of four beats, the full cycle lasts 9.6 seconds. Read in D minor, its degrees are i, iv, V7 and i. In Dm you hear D, F and A. Gm holds G, Bb and D. In A7 you hear A, C#, E and G.