Ed Sheeran’s song “Perfect” features a strumming pattern in compound meter that makes an excellent way to practice counting eighth notes and familiarizing oneself with swing time signatures.
Perfect’s chords are formed through stacking perfect fifths, as discussed earlier this week. This method for creating minor chords provides a useful alternative to using major thirds as an approach for making minor chords.
1. C to D
The bVII chord is commonly used as a way of transitioning from one key to the next, since its harmonic relationships with its next-key tonic are far closer than with that of major seventh chords.
A bVII chord can serve as an excellent bridge to the tonic in another key if you are already in it, because its flat seventh note sounds similar to that of its counterpart key (D Mixolydian in this example).
Philip Tagg has described this form of modulation as direct modulation. Prior to the 18th century, most modulations was accomplished using keys with close key signatures – for instance if its dominant is five fifths higher than its respective tonic and its relative minor has no sharps or flats in its key signature – most modulations was done directly.
2. D to E
Sharps and flats are used when ascending or descending pitch; this may seem confusing at first but as soon as your melody begins, its context will make its use clear.
Interval numbers refer to the total number of encompassed staff positions or note names, not their endpoints. For instance, an interval such as D-E includes both notes D and E but excludes C since this note lies an octave higher.
Ed Sheeran’s “Perfect” features an instrumental link section featuring a D/F# chord, which is a standard D Major chord with F# voicing in the bass that gives it more jazziness and gives the song’s bass movement an inviting, flowing descent.
3. E to G
The E minor major chord is an excellent chord to master. It sounds similar to Cmaj7 due to all major chords being composed of intervals; however, due to this particular interval being one semitone higher it makes for a distinctive sounding chord when written in G major; its notes shift by half step instead of being written directly above each other.
This E chord voicing, commonly used in songs with bass G#, is known as a slash chord. To play this chord, place your index finger across all six strings at the fourth fret to create a barre. Strum this chord slowly and carefully while maintaining consistent rhythm while slowly strumming it again faster – this will help develop finger independence and precision.
4. G to A
Changing a song written in C to G can be challenging for novice players; all chords will need to be transposed either five notes up or down in order to accommodate.
Every major scale note possesses an interval quality. Since G is missing any F notes, all intervals in its key are either perfect or major intervals.
This means the major chord (G, B and D) and minor chords (A, C and E) will both contain G as its root tone and contain different components: this can be seen by looking at the table below; you can also take a look at a chord chart for further insight.
5. A to C
Beginners to guitar will find Ed Sheeran’s “Perfect” an accessible song to learn with its manageable tempo and open chord structure; those more advanced on their instrument may also appreciate its 12/8 guitar part.
Intervals, which measure the distances between notes, can be divided into major, minor, diminished and perfect intervals. A major interval has one more step than its perfect equivalent – for instance C to E is considered a major third (4 half steps).
Perfect fourths (five half steps) span from C to F or F to Bb; perfect fifths consist of seven half steps from C to G or D; major sixths require nine half steps between C and A; diminished intervals contain one less step than perfect intervals.