Conference napalm::guitar

    
    Well, The D F C G progression is like G Mixo to me.  Assuming all the
    chords are majors, its would be like the progression used in Bon Jovi's
    Dead or Alive, whereas the f major is superimposed from another key,
    and provides a leading tone from the root to the third of the D major
    chord.
    
    I'd analyze the 2nd one as Db major as well.
    
    If the song didn't "sound" right, may it was the harmonic rhythm that
    was off?? 
    
    Buck

    I guess what's confusing me is the presence of all those majors.  As I
    mentioned, my theoretical knowledge stops at stacking thirds, which
    doesn't 'allow' for this kind of progression (does it?).  I'll have to
    sit down and try to work this out tonight.

    looks as if he is changing keys sort of... First section is in G/Em.
    ie G Am Bm C D Em F. The bridge, however, introduces the F#and the
    G# this seems incongruous unless he means to change keys in which
    case the F becomes Fm and the Bm becomes Cm. This assumes a half
    step key shift up. Adjust acordingly if he wants to go a half step
    down.
    

    Thanks, I'll investigate that angle, as well.  In this scenario, then,
    I assume that the Bb is resident only in the 'second' key, right?  My
    get feeling was that if you're going to have a key change, then there
    should be some point common to both the new and the old keys, which is
    why I tended to favor an interpretation that would have the Bb common
    to both.  BTW, I don't believe a key change was either intended or not
    intended.  The author just came up with some chords he liked & write
    some lyrics.  Since I'm the most musically literate of the bunch (sad
    case, huh?), I was asked to try and make some sense of it.

    Key changes do not need a common chord. A clasic example is the
    song " In the year 2525" which changes keys with every verse.
    One does not usually, however, return to the original key much
    less bounce back and forth. This does not mean that it won't work
    out very well! Sometimes... if it sounds good don't try to explain
    it. Your ears and mind can usually tell you if what you're doing
    is "correct" (remembering that there are varying degrees of
    correctness and things that shouldn't work do). You seemed to be
    struggling with the "There is something wrong here... but I don't
    know what" syndrome. This is your ear/mind alerting you that something
    doesn't fit... thats when you try to  analyze it.
    
    Jim
    

    
    Re: .5
    
    What happens in "2525" is a simple modulation (going up in key by
    half or whole steps).  This is also common in many country western
    songs.  Modulating down usually sounds stupid, the idea of modulating
    up is used primarily to sustain interest in an otherwise harmonically
    repetitive piece.  
    
    As far as going back to the original key...."Orange Blossom Special"
    is an example of this.  It is a polka where there are two sections;
    the second section is up a fourth from the first, and the two section
    alternate throughout the song, with it ending on the first section.

    First, it's been pointed out to me that I made a sloppy error in the
    base note:
    > which then bridge to Bm-Ab-Gb-F 
    	should have read:
    which then bridge to Bbm-Ab-Gb-F.
    
    	In any case, I guess it's not so much a matter of my ear raising a
    flag, so much as my trying to improve my grasp of applied theory by
    figuring what's going on, and why.  Also, I've always been primarily an
    improvisational guitarist.  At this stage of the game, I'm trying to
    both move toward more well thought out solos, while, at the same time,
    expanding my improvising tools.  To this end, I'm trying to apply this
    kind of analysis to all of the harmonic settings in which I play, and
    design more interesting (to me) leads around that.
    
    							joe