Harmonic Circles

Chromatic or Perfect Circle:

Chromatic or Perfect Circle is a chord progression whose bass line goes by perfect fourths, through all 12 chromatic sounds. C, F, Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, F#, B, E, A, D, G, C. Practice this exercise over perfect circle in seventh chords progression. Notice that here first and second voices descend by semitones.

& .. b ? .. b
I7

3 VOICES

V7 progression

IV 7

bVII 7 bIII 7

b b b

bVI 7 bII 7

b b b

#IV 7

# n # #

VII 7

# n
III 7

VI 7

# n
II 7

V7

I M7

w w w

.. ..

Other exercise with II V progression: Here first voice descends by tone, and second voice by semitone.

& b ? b

3 VOICES II V progression

I m7

IV 7

bVII m7 bIII 7

b b b

bVI m7 bII 7

b b b

#IV m7

# #

VII 7

III m7 VI 7

II m7

V7

I M7

w w w

Advanced exercises:
When you have mastered perfect circles, practice these advanced exercises, for a more jazzy sound. Left hand works in shells, 1 and 7 or 3. Right plays 3 or 7 and adds 13 or 9. Interior voices descend chromatically.

Harmonic Circles

& b ? b
I7

4 VOICES V7 progression

IV 7

bVII 7 bIII 7

b b

b b b

bVI 7 bII 7

b b

# # n
#IV 7

b b b

# #

VII 7

# n
III 7

VI 7

# n
II 7

V7

I M7

w w w w

& b ? b
I 13

4 VOICES 13th & 9th progression

IV 9

bVII 13 bIII 9

b b b

bVI 13 bII 9

bb

## n#
#IV 13

b b b

# #

VII 9

## n #

III 13 VI 9

II 13

# n

V9

I 13

w w

bw w

Now practice a nice exercise in 5 voices with a very rich sound. In this exercise right hand descends by semitones in three paralel voices. Left works with harmonic shells. You have 4 voices descending chromatically, and bass progressing by perfect circle. It sounds jazzy.

Harmonic Circles

& .. ? .. b
I 13

b#
IV 7alt

bVII 13

b# b

b b

bIII 7alt

bVI 13

b b b

bII 7alt

bbb b b

bV 13

VII 7alt

& # # ?

III 13

nnb #

VI 7alt

II 13

#nb

V 7alt

I 13

w w w

.. ..

bw w

Good luck and enjoy Harmonic Circles.