Jam Session Rewind: 104k, or the Grand Dramatic Chord Progression

The four chords of Jam Session 104k (8:52; see original show notes) need to be incorporated into a song.  The progression -- Am-F-C-E -- has that epic feel, like the overly-used Am-F-C-G chord progression, but instead of ending with G, we end with E major.  With the E major chord (E, G#, and B notes), we shift from the A natural minor scale (Aeolian mode:  A B C D E F G A) to the somewhat more dramatic A harmonic minor scale (A B C D E F G# A).



I rerecorded the four chords with some more guitars, as well as bass and drums that kick in around 4:44; this recording is Backtrack 104k (5:41; see show notes):



As for using Am-F-C-E (or equivalent in another key) in a song, I've tried.  I've placed it in so many arrangements that it's bound to stick sooner or later.  We'll be back with another Jam Session Rewind next week, but we'll have lots of Chord du Jour between now and then.

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Am Chord (Piano) + Backtrack 104k

The Chord of the Day is A minor for piano:

Chords for Backtrack 104k:  Am F C E



Jam Session Notes:  This is a repeat of Backtrack 104k, with the original Backtrack notes here and related Jam Session 104k notes here.

Guitar

     Am                    F                    C

E  |-0-------------------|-1------------------|-0-------------------|
B  |-1-------------------|-1------------------|-1-------------------|
G  |-2-------------------|-2------------------|-0-------------------|
D  |-2-------------------|-3------------------|-2-------------------|
A  |-0-------------------|-3------------------|-3-------------------|
E  |---------------------|--------------------|---------------------|

     E
E  |-0-------------------|--------------------|---------------------|
B  |-0-------------------|--------------------|---------------------|
G  |-1-------------------|--------------------|---------------------|
D  |-2-------------------|--------------------|---------------------|
A  |-2-------------------|--------------------|---------------------|
E  |-0-------------------|--------------------|---------------------| 

Bass

     Am                    F                    C

G  |---------------------|--------------------|---------------------|
D  |---------------------|--------------------|---------------------|
A  |---------------------|--------------------|-3-------------------|
E  |-5-------------------|-1------------------|---------------------|

     E
G  |---------------------|--------------------|---------------------|
D  |---------------------|--------------------|---------------------|
A  |---------------------|--------------------|---------------------|
E  |-0-------------------|--------------------|---------------------| 

Jam Session Serving Suggestions:

At the last minute of the Backtrack, some Ebowed guitar kicks in.  We use the EBow from time to time, and it truly is a nifty effect.



Tweet to us @DeRamosMusic!

Podcast Subscribers: If these jam session notes look jumbled, please visit http://www.chorddujour.com - Thanks!

G Chord (Piano) + Jam Session 104j

The Chord of the Day is G major for piano/keyboard:

Chords for Jam Session 104j:  A G D A; C D A



Jam Session Notes:  Re-run of an earlier Jam Session (see original show notes for piano chords here).

Guitar

     A                     G                    D
E  |-0-------------------|-3------------------|-2-------------------|
B  |-2-------------------|-3------------------|-3-------------------|
G  |-2-------------------|-0------------------|-2-------------------|
D  |-2-------------------|-0------------------|-0-------------------|
A  |-0-------------------|-2------------------|---------------------|
E  |---------------------|-3------------------|---------------------|

     A
E  |-0-------------------|--------------------|---------------------|
B  |-2-------------------|--------------------|---------------------|
G  |-2-------------------|--------------------|---------------------|
D  |-2-------------------|--------------------|---------------------|
A  |-0-------------------|--------------------|---------------------|
E  |---------------------|--------------------|---------------------|

     C                     D                    A
E  |-0-------------------|-2------------------|-0-------------------|
B  |-1-------------------|-3------------------|-2-------------------|
G  |-0-------------------|-2------------------|-2-------------------|
D  |-2-------------------|-0------------------|-2-------------------|
A  |-3-------------------|--------------------|-0-------------------|
E  |---------------------|--------------------|---------------------|

     
E  |-0-------------------|--------------------|---------------------|
B  |-2-------------------|--------------------|---------------------|
G  |-2-------------------|--------------------|---------------------|
D  |-2-------------------|--------------------|---------------------|
A  |-0-------------------|--------------------|---------------------|
E  |---------------------|--------------------|---------------------|

Jam Session Serving Suggestions:

The above Jam Session has some Mixolydian parts, as well as some blues parts, which makes things kind of spacey.  This Cheat Shirt (Space Rocker for right-handed guitars) tries to accomplish the same.

Tweet to us @DeRamosMusic!

Podcast Subscribers: If these jam session notes look jumbled, please visit http://www.chorddujour.com - Thanks!

C Chord (Piano) + Jam Session 104k

The Chord of the Day is the C major chord for piano/keyboard:

Chords for Jam Session 104k:  Am F C E



Jam Session Notes:  This is a rerun from our fourth week, still trying to figure this Jam Session podcast out a bit (read the show notes here).  In any case, we haven't visited the piano/keyboard in a while, and we use the C chord in the jam session.

Jam Session Serving Suggestions:

Wear a Chord du Jour Piano Jam Shirt, and uh, jam with yourself (in your head, because the shirt doesn't make sounds)...?

Tweet to us @DeRamosMusic!

Podcast Subscribers: If these jam session notes look jumbled, please visit http://www.chorddujour.com - Thanks!

Backtrack 104k in A

This week's giveaway is a re-recording of Jam Session 104k, without your Jam Session hosts talking over the music. Along with the piano and guitar, we've also added drums, bass, and Ebowed guitar to the mix. The full band comes in during the last minute of the backtrack.



Like Jam Session 104k, the chords of this Backtrack are Am F C E:  Tickle the ivories, strum along, groove accordingly, create melodies (and/or solo licks) over the chords, and learn more by playing more!

Tweet to us @DeRamosMusic!

Podcast subscribers: If these jam session notes look jumbled, please visit http://www.chorddujour.com and look up Backtrack 104k - Thanks!

Jam Session 104l with Am G D (Piano, Guitar)

Here are some show/lesson/jam session notes for Jam Session 104l:

• A lot of the (electric-)acoustic sounds from these jam sessions are from an electric guitar going through an acoustic simulator effect.  This is sort of effect can be found in standalone stompboxes, multi-effects pedals, and software plug-ins.
• The chord progression is Am G D.

  

Those chords work well underneath melodies, lead-lines, and other improvisations in the G major scale:

Read more »

Jam Session 104k with Am F C E (Piano, Guitar)

Here are some show/lesson/jam session notes for Jam Session 104k:

• We are playing in the key of A minor.
• We are using familiar chords in C because A minor is the relative minor of C major.
  
• C Major:  C D E F G A B C (the white keys on a piano).
• A Minor:  A B C D E F G A (same keys).
• At one point in the jam session, Jon plays with an EBow, instead of a guitar pick, to magnetically 'bow' the guitar string he's playing.  It's a nifty effect.
  
• The chord progression is Am F C E.  The E major (E G# B) technically comes from the use of the A harmonic minor scale (A B C D E F G# A), but it just sounds good, in any case.
  

   

Read more »

Jam Session 104j with A G D A; C D A (Piano, Guitar)

Here are some show/lesson/jam session notes for Jam Session 104j:

• This is another guitar and piano/keyboard/MIDI controller combo.
• In Pro Tools, we use the Grand Piano (or was it Xpand?) plug-in.  In any case, it comes with the program.
  
• There are other piano plug-ins available commercially for RTAS workstations (like Pro Tools), as well as AU (Apple Logic), and VSTi (other).
• On the Web, there are several VSTi plugins for free.
• If you want to use VSTi plug-ins in RTAS or AU software, use a wrapper like FXpansion's plug-in wrapper.
  

For much of the jam session, here are the piano chords used:

   

At one point, a C chord is introduced in the jam session:

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Jam Session 104i, 12-Bar Blues in A (Piano, Guitar)

Here are some show/lesson/jam session notes for Jam Session 104i:

We're playing the 12-bar blues in A, a simplified version of it, so that we're playing -

• Four bars of A
• Two bars of D
• Two bars of A
• One bar of E
• One bar of D
• Two bars of A
• Start over again!

I like to have a blues-swing mentality, 12/8 while playing the 12-bar blues:  "One and a two and a three and a four and a..." but a straight 4/4 count:  "One two three four..." or "One and two and three and four and..." could work just fine.

At one point in the jam session, the piano player does some embellishments on his right hand so that the major chords turn into 7th chords:

 

 

The guitar player solos/improvises in A blues, which is a minor scale, but it works over the major chords in the 12-bar blues in A.  Maybe we're culturally wired to appreciate the bluesy dissonance caused by clashing major and minor thirds (C# and C, respectively) in A.

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Jam Session 104h with A D A E (Piano, Guitar)

Here are some show/lesson/jam session notes for Jam Session 104h:

• Jon plays guitar; Ryan plays the piano.
• Okay, it's actually a keyboard.
• And by keyboard, we really mean MIDI controller, connected to a personal computer with a USB cable, using a piano virtual instrument in our digital audio workstation.
  

Piano/keyboard chords:

Guitar chords, tabbed:

Read more »

Sneak Peek Sunday: A

This week, Jon and Ryan jam in A (major, minor, modes, whatever), with guitar and piano-sounding keyboard (really a MIDI controller), for another week of Chord du Jour Jam Sessions!  Be sure to subscribe with your favorite podcatcher for this mp3 podcast!

Also, if you subscribe to our newsletter, you'll get early access to Saturday's Backtrack!

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