R L Chord Progressions for Viola da Gamba   D tuned 6 string Bass Viol as reference, but applicable generally to any Gamba or Lute     This is the conclusion of our ”Once around the track with Cipher System” (Viola da Gamba and Lute edition) which began at the Music Theory Elements page. This large section of the web site presentation, which covered intervals, scales, chord construction, triads, and more, was meant to demonstrate that The Cipher System is  indeed capable of transmitting (quickly and painlessly) both the fundamentals of music theory and it’s application to the (any) fretboard — and without having to learn to read staff notation first, nor have to study the piano keyboard first. Furthermore, we only have to give minimal attention to letter spellings, focusing instead on numbers only and good numbers in particular. What’s most important is to understand the terminology (interval number-names specifically) and to understand what’s going on in any one scale or key or chord. You only have to know and understand one instance of a given pattern of music to know all incarnations (all keys or spellings) of that pattern. And you most certainly needn’t to be forced to learn to read music before being “permitted” to learn such things. Triads of Major and some basic progressions Here we’ll explore some elementary chord progressions for Viola da gamba or Lute. We’ll begin at the beginning with some basic terminology first, and then some root position triads in progression. We’ll combine everything we’ve learned so far: everything about the the, the Cipher formula and the Cipher System’s fretboard components, and everything about intervals, scales and root-position triads. With our knowledge of those elements we’ll be able to identify the greater pallet of triads that occur naturally on the scale degrees of the Major scale. Finally, from that greater pallet of natural triads of Major, we’ll isolate some simple chord progressions and play them on Viola da Gamba or Lute. Triads and seventh chords that occur naturally (i.e. in thirds) above the degrees of the Major and minor scales are the primary building blocks of composition. They’re the stock formula, the raw material, the pallets, and the jumping off point for artistic modification. Chord progressions are short strings of these naturally occurring chords.  Common chord progressions, then, are the next larger building blocks of composition. So this is where we really begin to see what Western music theory and composition is all about. Scale degree names and Roman numeral designates Formal scale degree names The seven tones or degrees of the Western scale are often referred to by their technical or formal names, e.g. Tonic and Supertonic for the first and second degrees of the scale. Figure 1 and Figure 2 list those formal scale degree names. [Note, these are the names of the Major scale’s degrees specifically. When you get to minor scales there will be a couple of name changes to account for the b6 and b7 degrees of minor.] Memory aids The following memory aids will help you remember the names of the scale degrees. See the patterns and relationships highlighted in Figure 1 and read the following. First, the prefixes super (meaning above) and sub (meaning below) are easy clues. The Supertonic lies just above the Tonic and the Subdominant is just below the Dominant. Mediant means middle. The Mediant is midway between the Tonic and  Dominant (moving from Tonic up a P-5th). Similarly the Sub-Medient is midway between the Tonic and Sub-Dominant (but moving from the Tonic down a P-5th.) So Sub-Medient means middle-below. The Dominant (the fifth or V) is the perfect-fifth interval of the scale. The fifth, in relation to the Tonic of the scale, is literally considered to be a dominant force in Western music. So the scale degree’s name has definite meaning. You’ll hear much about the Dominant degree, and the importance of the perfect-fifth interval generally, as you go. The Leading tone of Major, a Major-seventh interval [or 11°] above the tonic, can also be seen as residing one half-step or semitone below the tonic. Because it’s so close to the tonic it has a definite pull. It wants to resolve, move, or lead directly to the tonic, thereby relieving melodic tension. So the Leading tone leads to the tone(ic).     Figure 1           Roman numeral scale degree names Roman numerals are often used to refer to the seven scale degrees or/and their naturally occurring chords. You’ll find Roman numerals used in at least two different conventional (standard and acceptable) ways: First, as in the top op Figure 2, uniform upper case Roman numerals are used to name the scale degrees or/and the roots of chords — regardless of the particular chord, size or type, to be played. A second more descriptive method of using Roman numerals indicates exactly what chord to play on the given scale degree by using a combination of upper and lower case Roman numerals plus two extra symbols to indicate diminished and Augmented (° and + respectively). This method, see bottom of Figure 2, is commonly used to symbolize triads and seventh-chords in particular. Figure 2 (bottom) shows the method used to indicate triads only. When we get to seventh chords (in the book) we’ll cover their Roman numeral symbology as well — hint, just add an Arabic numeral seven, qualified as needed, to indicate the particular type of seventh interval above the triad; Major, minor or diminished, i.e. 7, b7, or °7 respectively.     Figure 2           Triad progression materials; The greater pallet of triads for the Major scale (on Guitar) Here we can finally put everything together. In the next chart the triads of the Major scale degrees, being the triad progression materials of the Major scale, are illustrated on the Viola da Gamba fretboard. There are two versions of this chart: a small view encompassing the entire sequence, and a two page large view dividing the sequence into two halves (slightly larger than half) ”I through V” and “ IV through I”. Again, these are the triads that occur naturally in thirds above the respective scale degrees. This sequence of chords constitutes the greater pallet of triads of Major. This scale/triad pallet then is considered to be the most important stock formula and raw material of Western music composition. Of course, eventually you will enlarge the Major pallet to include the larger natural chord constructions of Major, the seventh chords in particular and the Dominant seventh chord (on the Fifth degree of Major) most important of all. The triads of Major are nevertheless where you begin. Note, when you add the minor scales and their natural triads you essentially complete the picture (the pallets and flavors) and have available the resources of what is called the Major/minor system, or the grand pallet. Also note, the natural minor scale can be shown to be contained within the Major scale itself — starting from the sixth degree of Major and moving up through seven tones of otherwise Major scale degrees. [We saw this earlier when we reviewed relative Major and Minor scales and spellings.] Among other things this is often seen as being proof, support, or validation of the existence or the Major/minor system. It also means that if you learn the Major scale’s materials, inside and out, you’ll almost automatically know the minor scale materials as well. Play those triads Three things before you play the triads Before you attempt to play this entire sequence of triads of C Major, first make yourself very familiar with the C Major scale fingering we saw earlier. I mean pick up your instrument (gamba or gamba-tuned guitar) and play it slowly a bunch of times really paying attention to the locations of every note. Play it ascending and descending. I’ve isolated, enlarged, and reproduced it here so you can focus on it now in preparation for playing the C Major triads (built on each tone of this Major scale).         One last thing before you play all the C Major triads. Get yourself a piece of masking tape or some kind of removable paper label sticker and mark the bass side of your instrument’s neck with it between the 4th and 5th frets for the 5th fret C note on your second lowest pitched string (G on a 6 string D tuned Bass Viol). This is to help you keep track of where the tonic of the C Major scale is while your hand is moving all around the local area grabbing the triads. Also make note of the location of the higher octave note C, the last note of the C Major scale. Notice that the octave C is on the 8th fret. Period Lutes and Viola da Gambas were only fretted to the 7th fret, but of course neither ours nor their fretboards actually end there ;’). If by chance you are using a period style gut fretted instrument you’ll find a way, or just jump back to the lower octave version of the C triad (the one we’re starting on).         Make sure to muffle (or do not sound, pluck or bow) any strings but those three in use for each triad. Strings not to be played are marked with X’s at the nut. Now play the triads in this chart scales-wise, exactly as they’re shown, tonic triad through tonic triad. You can either pluck them with your fingers, stroke your thumb across them, or bow them. Once you get comfortable with playing it in the ascending direction, play the whole sequence in the descending direction, that is, from the last triad to the first (the higher pitched C Major triad to the lower pitched C Major triad.) These triads are constructed or rooted on the degrees of the C Major scale. Meaning, if you play just the root tones (the first or lowest tones) of the triads shown for C Major you’ll be playing an C Major scale. The triad fingerings (shapes or voicings) used here are the simplest and most basic forms that occur naturally on the Gamba and Lute fretboard. They are all in root-position (meaning stock order, lowest pitched tone up to highest pitched tone) with no doubled tones or inversions. When studying four-part harmony, triads are often played using inverted voicings (where the third or fifth of the chord is lowest or in the bass, rather than the root) and with one of their tones doubled, e.g. an additional (or doubled) root will be played an octave higher than the original root, giving you a total of four tones (facilitating four-part vocal harmony). The Viola da Gamba fretboard scale-fingering patterns and triad fingerings used here are the same used in the preceding pages under Gamba Scales and Gamba Triads. We’re just putting everything together here. It’s really quite amazing to hear how beautiful this chord sequence sounds simply when played scale-wise. As discussed briefly on a previous page titled chord construction fundamentals, this sequence of chords (indeed all stock harmonies including those of the minor scales as well) is obtained in a very mechanical almost random way — by methodically stacking naturally occurring successive third intervals of a given scale, in turn, upon each degree of the scale. For reference, see the Data page for C Major natural triads.         Simple chord progressions From the greater pallets of triads (that are natural to the Major or minor scales) smaller chord progression sequences are isolated, e.g. the ubiquitous I-VI-V, and ii-V-I, progressions. Also see the root movement patterns for these two progressions. Keep in mind that when you play these chords (which are in lute  or gamba tuning, being one and the same thing) you’ll be playing the exact chords, and the exact music that a medieval Lute player might have played in the 1200s and before, that is 800 years ago! And this my freinds is the supposedly non-existantant or somehow mysterious (?) roots and origin of polyphony in European music. It was the guitars ;’). While the monks were chanting (monophony) everyone else was playing chords and chord progressions, and on guitar (lute accompanied songs). And the harmony wasn’t confined just to triads by any means! See any of the open position chords for lute or gamba tuning I’ve drawn up and give them a whirl. Trust me, any musical person then as now, would have found those same chords (and more) by experimentation, with or without having formal names for them, and used them. Most lute ducumentation claims that lutes were plucked only and with just thumb and indexed finger. But a simple thumbed down stroke across any or all strings is all you need to produce all manner of chords, harmonies and progressions on lute (just like you can on your guitar). Church shmurch and keyboard shmeeboard. And I’m not meaning to be disrepectfull here, but this is all the proof I need to see or hear. If you can play it here and now in 6 string lute tuning (which again is so close to guitar tuning it’s rediculous), they could, and were! We insult them to think otherwise. Bye the way, 6 string or 6 course fretted lute did exist in 1250 Spain according to Alfonso X’s [see Cantigas] other well known commissioned work, The Book of Games and it’s illuminations. So the idea of people playing similar fingerings and fragments of music, then and now, is not sol far fetched. If you need, you can take it back to four or five course machines and their fingerings and inherent music (melody and harmony). It doesn't matter, it's all the same stuff: same machine, same engine, same musical potential, same players and instrument, whether 4, 5, 6, or 7 strings or courses.         (returning to our regularly scheduled program) From here we could go on  in many different directions (not that we’ve exhausted the Major scale triads and they’re progressions by any means). The next logical things to explore are the minor scale triad pallets, larger voicings, triad barre-chords, inverted triad voicings, seventh chords, seventh chords in progression, inverted seventh chords and beyond. And that’s indeed what I’ve done in the book (manuscript in progress). The point is, it doesn’t get any harder than this. We’ll just take it methodically step by step, and without any frustration or intimidation. There needn’t be any loathing or pain associated with learning about music. It’s all fundamentally simple stuff — if you can remove it from staff notation and music reading generally, use numbers that communicate well, and include lots of illustrations (picture drawings). And there’s really no skimping here either. You’ll gain a thorough and solid foundation but in an easy to comprehend fashion. You’ll be familiarized with all of the vocabulary and common formula of Western music theory. And, not least of all, you’ll also be accumulating a thorough working knowledge of the (any) fretboard. You’ll know precisely how your fretboard works (in and of itself), and you’ll also know how to apply your knowledge of music theory’s elements and fundamentals to it. For people who can’t read music, it really doesn’t get any better than The Cipher.     Index of The Cipher for fretted Viola da Gamba: Front page of The Cipher for Viols and Lute 3 Minute Introduction for Viola da Gamba Commonsense String Numbers, Viola da Gamba Five Degree Calculation Line for Viola da Gamba Demonstrations for Viola da Gamba Number formula translation tables: intervals, scales, and chords Pattern of Unisons and Octaves for Viola da Gamba Beginners open position chords for Viola da Gamba Triads on Viola da Gamba fretboard (two pages) Scales, Major and minor, parallel, Viola da Gamba or Lute fretboard, by string set Chord Progressions for Viola da Gamba and Lute (Triads of Major) Notes of Viola da Gamba and Lute fretboard spelled Free PDFs, Blank 6 and 7 string fretboard grid paper       Up to Top of page