1. Theoretical Foundation & Acoustic Motion
Voice leading and tension-resolution mechanics
The Andalusian cadence (i - VII - VI - V7). A Phrygian descent by tone, tone and semitone, culminating in a fiery dominant 7th chord (E7) that charges the progression with dramatic tension.
Listen to Dramatic Tension & Passionate Fire twice through
- Am
- G
- F
- E7
- Am
- G
- F
- E7
2. The progression, step by step
| Position | Chord | Degree |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Am | i |
| 2 | G | VII |
| 3 | F | VI |
| 4 | E7 | V7 |
3. Chord tones and interval structure
| Chord | Chord tones | Formula |
|---|---|---|
| Am | A – C – E | 1 - ♭3 - 5 |
| G | G – B – D | 1 - 3 - 5 |
| F | F – A – C | 1 - 3 - 5 |
| E7 | E – G# – B – D | 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 Dramatic Tension & Passionate Fire 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 96 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, G, F and E7, the progression CifraLab proposes for a “Dramatic Tension & Passionate Fire” feel. What follows can be checked by playing.
It uses the same chords in the same order as “Flamenco Passion & Andalusian Cadence”. What changes is the tempo, 96 against 115 beats per minute, and the name CifraLab proposes for each one. From Am to G, every note changes. G and F have no notes in common.
From F to E7, every note changes. Going back from E7 to Am, G# rises a semitone to A and D falls a whole tone to C. The two chords share E.
“Dramatic Tension & Passionate Fire” runs at 96 beats per minute, so each beat lasts 625 milliseconds. If each chord takes one bar of four beats, the full cycle lasts 10.0 seconds. Read in A minor, its degrees are i, VII, VI and V7.
Another reading takes E as the centre. Am holds A, C and E. In G you hear G, B and D. F holds F, A and C. In E7 you hear E, G#, B and D.