Chord Blending

It can be difficult to know which chord extensions and alterations will work well together.

There's no simple answer to that, but here's a pretty reliable method for generating more interesting progressions.

Let's take a look at C-F-G-C, a progression we've probably already played a number of times by now.

I'm using a slight variation of the G we typically use.

Here's my take using this method. I borrowed from G to build a Cadd9 chord, and then held that note over to F as well.

Since that note was already in G, I swapped it out for a note from C.

I've included the chord names, but this concept still works even if you have no idea what those mean!

Just use your ears, and listen for what sounds good.

You may have noticed I focused on the top end of the chords while modifying - it's not a rule that you need to do that, but it's a good starting point. The lower notes of the chords are often a little less flexible.

Let's look at another example. We'll use a Bm-A-E progression (the chords from Wicked Game!).

This time, I've tabbed it out for a full demonstration. Notice how the high notes of the Bm and A chords borrow from each other. Then I apply 3 different modifications to the E, borrowing various notes from the other two chords.

And that's the idea behind chord blending. It's a quick and intuitive way to add some colour into your chord progression that doesn't require any special theory knowledge.

When you're jamming this is especially helpful, as you need to be careful not to introduce any surprising tones on the rhythm side of things, and sticking to the chord tones is a good way to keep everything feeling cohesive while still having room to play around.