Minor V chords can add an unmistakably powerful sound to a song, adding a moodier atmosphere. They are especially common in Classical, jazz and Latin music styles.
Ballads and songs that use an i-V-i progression also tend to use this pattern; you can hear examples like ’90s hit “The Way We Were”.
It’s a minor triad
The minor v chord is an integral component of minor scale music, consisting of notes 1, 3, and 5. Additionally, this chord can also be known as the minor triad; though there may be other symbols for it that imply this same meaning (e.g. A minor or C#m).
A minor triad has an emotional tone and can be played on any instrument. Its versatile use creates fascinating progressions with other chords; making this chord an excellent choice for jazz, R&B and rock music genres alike.
Practice chord progressions when playing in a minor key is essential to developing your sound and playing them nonstop. Choose four chords from within one minor key and write out their progression on paper; this will teach you to build them without stopping and keep moving through them without interruptions.
It’s a minor 7th chord
Minor 7th chords are four-note chords consisting of root, flat-3rd, fifth and flat-7th notes that derive from Aeolian mode by stacking minor-3rd, major-3rd and minor-7th intervals. Their distinctive sound makes them popular choices across genres of music.
Common in minor song, this chord progression can be heard in popular tracks by Simon & Garfunkel like “The Sound of Silence.” One important part of this progression is its use of bVII chord, with its bright sound providing contrast against the more subdued tones of i chord.
This chord has earned its nickname as the James Bond Chord due to its distinctive sound in spy movies. It can often be found leading back to the tonic chord or combined with other diatonic chords to form unique progressions. You could also try using vii diminished triad instead; it provides similar functionality but sounds more melancholic due to its flat third.
It’s a diminished chord
diminished chords can bring tension and depth to your songs, creating an effectful soundscape. They may not be easy to incorporate, but their use will provide powerful results. You could even use diminished chords as bridges between two other chords; a technique commonly seen in jazz, classical and Latin music genres.
Minor keys contain chords in which v to i is weaker, due to being one step below its tonic note. This causes it to sound less powerfully and may result in dissonant resolution; many composers, therefore, opt for major triad or dominant 7th chord as an alternative solution.
Diminished chords can make an excellent choice for V-to-i cadences. Their ascending or descending variants work equally well – though the ascending diminished chord may be easier for musicians to use than its descending equivalent; listeners must decide which option sounds best to them.
It’s a dominant chord
Dominant chords create a distinctive tension that needs to be released. Usually they’re followed by either the tonic chord, I chord, or both together in progressions – but does their use in minor keys have the same impact on harmony?
Change the minor V chord into a major triad or dominant 7th to create a more satisfying resolution, commonly seen in hymns and classical music. This technique is known as plagal cadence.
Change a minor chord into a major one by raising its third by one half-step, an easy process with the minor scale or using dominant scale modes such as dominant scale. These will allow you to explore various tensions such as chromaticism and altered chords while helping you understand how different tensions can create harmony in harmony-creation processes. Practice chord progressions using major and minor keys so you can become acquainted with all these modes.