1 Chord Progression, 5 Levels of Complexity

Watch part 2 of this video here: • 1 Chord Progression, 5...
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Today I'm taking the classic "Doo-wop changes" and running them through different levels of complexity, starting with just adding colour tones to the basic chords, and ending up with a super jazzy chord-packed progression.
And, an extra special thanks goes to Douglas Lind, Vidad Flowers, Ivan Pang, Waylon Fairbanks, Jon Dye, Austin Russell, Christopher Ryan, Toot & Paul Peijzel, the channel’s Patreon saints! 😇
0:00 Introduction
0:20 Level 1
0:43 Level 2
2:00 Level 3
4:50 Level 4
6:40 Level 5
8:57 Level 6
10:45 Patreon
SUPPORT ME ON PATREON: / davidbennettpiano 🎹

[@DavidBennettPiano]

Check out the part 2 of this video here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/r2PQlaZjgMp-isk 😊

[@b00ts4ndc4ts]

I thinks one of the worst things about learning music is not not having the knowledge or understanding and finding it very confusing. You totally destroy that feeling by explaining it in such away that you teach it on a level that so easy to take in. I come away feel more confident.

[@venusspacey9685]

​@@b00ts4ndc4tsyou should pay for lessons if youre serious about music, and appreciate everything that is free on youtube. He buys patreon accounts of black pianist lessons, and teaches the content he just learned himself to you. Its easy for him to teach this, because he paid a master to learn from.

[@ArjunAJ-nw7rl]

Hi David, I have a humble request. Can you do a detailed tutorial for the Beatles song 'The long and winding road' ? Preferably the 'naked version'.

[@Kyubiwan]

The "Anime Canon" chord progression C - [Bm7b5 - E7] - Am - [Gm7 - C7] - [F - G] - [Em - Am] - Dm7 - [C/G - G7]

[@prvtthd401]

Wait...what?

[@robcerasuolo9207]

​​@@prvtthd401 [Butthead voice] Uh... uh-huh-huh... chords, chords, chords...?!

[@spaceboi0713]

so: C, Bø7, E7, Am, Gm7, C7, F, G, Em, Am, Dm7, C/G, G7...

[@irishwristwatch4710]

I really like how the bonus 6th level is a combination of 2-5-1s and color tones, therefore it itself is a 2-5-1.

[@R.Akerman-oz1tf]

"All You Need is Love(of music theory).

[@DavidBennettPiano]

*chef’s kiss*

[@Fire_Axus]

no

[@wolframheldmaier727]

Wow. Impressive.

[@johnhill762]

Bonus level 6 is level 2 and level 5 put together. So yes. 2-5-1 (with color tones). But since level 5 is 2-5-1 without color tones, level 6 is not exactly level 5 after all.

[@BebroOfficial]

wow, i'm a musician for a years now, and that is the best explanation i've ever seen. Thanks so much for level 5 and 6. They've helped me a lot in understanding.

[@DavidBennettPiano]

Great 😊

[@archsys307]

just spamming 251s doesnt sound beautiful, but its good foundational stuff

[@user-ii5mh9li6l]

Okay, David Bennett is now the Prime Minister of explaining stuff.

[@christianzelaya6361]

YES!

[@harimathur2191]

Nah, let's be level headed. Prime Minister is exaggerating..... He is Pope John Paul II at explanininv😅

[@stanbrown4757]

I don't have anything that can beat the pope but if I did that would be it😂

[@superscatboy]

I'd vote for him

[@emilschneider9974]

Agreed. You can spend a life time looking for a teacher who knows how to teach!

[@mistaowickkuh6249]

This tutorial gently caressed my brain curves. It went over a massive curriculum in 10 minutes and provided something that can be practised!

[@DavidBennettPiano]

Great 😊

[@royhsieh4307]

it also curves space time in the sense that it shortens the learning process

[@mistaowickkuh6249]

@@royhsieh4307 honestly I was going through some difficult times (what a surprise, a music person!) and this tutorial still reverberates with the pick me up effect from a few days ago. Growing stronger isn't impossible my fellow musicians. Especially when masters like David shine a light on our path!

[@maroualus]

Your video is very beginner-friendly, it's very practical and visual, simplified with no unnecessary vocabulary. Thank you!

[@DavidBennettPiano]

Thank you!

[@patemblen3644]

That one was a light bulb moment for me. You explained the chord progressions I see when playing from sax charts. Thank you very much David.

[@DavidBennettPiano]

😊😊

[@marshwetland3808]

Yeah, I'm just learning this stuff and i look at the sheets for a song I can easily sing and... 2-4 chords per bar? Fdim? Oh, it's a passing chord, like literally a note passing between the other root notes.

[@florianju5638]

@@marshwetland3808 Holy shit, exactly the same "issue" I had. I am a guitar player, and I actually DO understand all this stuff, BUT, almost never activley use )if I do, I dont do it "on purpose", it just sounds okay for the mishap it was ;) ) And there it was, right SQUARE in the middle of the forhead of the Elephant in the room: Yes, silly, this is/those are the notes that usually getting sung in your kind of music. Wow. Okay.... So Pianos are good for a thing after all ^^

[@vyskocity]

This is the lesson on chord progressions I've been searching for. Unlocked everything with the simplicity of the explanation in a way no one has for me before. Thank you David!

[@DavidBennettPiano]

Great!!

[@tomturton]

What a valuable insight this is, for those of us who are stuck repeating the same old diatonic chords. Thank you, David.

[@originalname7176]

7:40 I love how you said "pull" there, it was honestly preaty silly and cute . and thanks for the chords!

[@ryan-heath]

I was looking for this comment 😂

[@Shadow-hw3kn]

pretty*

[@oravlaful]

and "level" too, right before

[@Fire_Axus]

your feelings are irrational

[@leahgodson2319]

Ha: “leveLL” and “puLL” -I noticed too!

[@VladimirCheTV]

3 is like This train don't stop there anymore

[@AnomalyB31]

This is the best piano tutorial I’ve seen on KZbin. So easy to understand!

[@tylerwastripped1590]

Melody also dictates your tone colors, and the voiceleading/inversions that you use. I think that was best illustrated in example six, as the moving color-tones acted as a 'psuedo' melody to guide and add context. Id love to see more on inversions, melody, and tonal gravity.

[@Fire_Axus]

your feelings would be irrational

[@RockOn78]

Would love to see this too 👍. This vid was legit.

[@WarpRulez]

Funny thing about that "50's chord progression" that I noticed recently. "Otherside" by Red Hot Chili Peppers uses the famous "Axis chord progression" of Am F C G. However, the melody also fits perfectly the "50's chord progression" of C Am F G, and its quality changes completely, from a slightly moody song to a much more upbeat song. Just try it.

[@douglaspantz]

Most pop songs that are built around simple chord progressions like this can be substituted with another chord progression to recontextualize it, an example of a song doing this in song would be Bad Day by Daniel Powter (I-IV-ii-V, then vi-Imaj7-IV-I)

[@madmac66]

That’s the beauty of the diatonic system. Those chords are all sharing the same 7 notes pulled from the C Major scale

[@batya7]

David! Thanks to you, I am finally having deeper understanding of things I hear AND getting a vocabulary to describe them! I always wondered why the "color" of certain chord progressions tickled my moods. I'm starting to be able to put my finger on what is going on. Although I've had this info for a while, it never quite gelled. Keep on doing what you're doing. I am grateful.

[@wwjjss33]

Ditto! 👍

[@auldthymer]

This video made me suddenly understand some of the rich harmonies that I've loved but didn't know how to achieve.

[@oliverkreuzahler6444]

Brilliant useful lecture. Thank you very much. 👍

[@SuperGeorgeGlass]

I really enjoyed level 4. As a singer/guitarist (I play by ear) I found it very instructive. The extra chords added a richness to my playing. Thanks a lot.

[@i.setyawan]

I think this is one of the most enjoyable (and for me personally, useful) videos you've released lately. I think the most developed "level 6" sounds the most pleasing, but I can see mixing and matching the other levels, too... that is, combining the all the tricks so that we don't always use passing chords or 2-5-1 progressions each time we change chords.

[@itstobitan]

Very good video. It opens up a whole new level of understanding for the different chord degrees and how to connect and read them together. Really a very good video. 🙏

[@ShaharHarshuv]

It's amazing how rich and emotional the last version sounds despite th fact you followed very simple rules

[@lpa9974]

Perfect! I know it’s a bit cliché, but this is just what I’ve been waiting for. You explain everything so well that it comes together and makes sense.

[@leonardodorta1863]

Amazing, great content 🎉❤

[@daviddegratie9189]

This video clears a lot of subjects I didn’t really had a grasp on. Now it makes perfect sense !! Thank you so much 🙏🏻

[@shamielsoeker9374]

Love this this !! Most simplest way of understanding how spice or adding more color to the most chords you start of learning and you made so to follow and understand

[@batmanuk1810]

I CAN FINALLY UNDERSTAND JAZZ CHORD PROGRESSIONS NOW

[@HeyBulldog-Beatles-Tribute]

Just perfect demonstration how Pop music can be more rich , passionate David, THANKS A LOT! Beatles forever from France! Michael

[@LaPainMusic]

This is an excellent video! Nice explanations all the way through! Well done! Love the jazzy part at the end! 🔥🎹🎶👏🏼🙌🏼

[@rarRoarrar]

In Italy we call it "Giro di do", and it's the base of many 60's italian songs, and has also been used later. One example is "Il cielo in una stanza", from the early 60's, and the chorus of "Centro di Gravità Permanente", another incredibly famous italian song from 1981.

[@AnitaLife27]

Thank you! This is so clear and accessible! ❤

[@mikescofield]

Fantastic! What an array of options, clearly explained in a short period of time. Hard to say my favorite. Thanks.

[@RonaldFigura]

Great stuff! I like #5 & #6 best.

[@LDigggs]

Thank you for stepping us through these progressions. I can't wait to apply it.

[@ademariojunior]

What a lesson in harmonization! I kind of understand now the difference in chord progressions that I played for years! Thank you very much! I think the different harmonizations give distinct atmospheres that can be employed at will. They are not necessarily better but rather more appropriate to convey the intended feeling.

[@pfalcon626]

Thank you for explaining secondary dominants so simply and uncomplicated! It’s amazing how much fluff other tutors add to their explanations…🤯

[@user-kf9ou4ht6l]

Such a beautiful video. Thank you

[@johncarlson7661]

Thanks and well done David. This is the best chords progression explanation I’ve ever seen. Thank you so much David 👏🏾👌🏾

[@emilschneider9974]

Thank you I really enjoyed that tutorial!

[@maxdowns9207]

Wonderfully instructed, clear and concise communication of the material, and it really go my imagination going as to all the possibility of different progressions I could build for practice, so I sincerely thank you for taking the time and effort to make this video

[@beehtovenheadass5610]

Thank you for dropping this gem

[@luisaguilar9585]

Thanks for these very colourful progresions

[@cadenhenderson4322]

this video is incredible. thanks for breaking it down i have been wanting to learn how to add more depth to my chord progressions and this is such a great reference point with great explanations

[@TheFY-cb6eb]

Thank you

[@xandervideo1]

Fantastic!

[@joereynolds4602]

I love this!! Your videos are always fascinating but this felt like it pulled back the curtain for me - a really approachable and demystifying explanation!

[@pianomanenproceso]

Thank you, David! Been looking for a explanation that helped me in this kind of topics, clear as water and great video as always

[@materialistadialectico4884]

Very accessible explanation. Excellent lesson.

[@ArtemAleksashkin]

thanks man! awesome! going to learn this!

[@nikbivation]

love this, so helpful!

[@crazydougthewolf]

Brilliant, thank you!

[@Jots123]

Beautiful

[@madaxe79]

Gosh, wonderful lesson. I learned level 5 about 20 years ago, and forgot it, and as soon as you un-blurred it, I instantly remembered an exercise I used to do where I would take a circle of fifths and Ii-V-I every change, then solo over the changes... brings back some awesome memories.

[@Pwecko]

Superb video. Very well explained.

[@Doro4u]

Amazing video, the level 6 caught me by surprise thank you for that... Also, big congrats in advance for reaching 1 million subscribers! U deserve every single one of them and more! My regards

[@mr.nobody2244]

Gosh, I just love Jazz. Beautifully played David.

[@BryBry767]

Thank you so much

[@kobbynyce]

U are such a good teacher. Not overbearing with information, straight to the point yet still engaging 👍🏾

[@peterhoglund9603]

Thanks David

[@nemanjavukcevic5445]

Thank you for so much needed simplicity!

[@jaysar]

Amazing brother! Saved this video and will refer back to it and share it for sure! Very well put together!

[@rubenbest1]

Thank you for this. I really never thought of 2 - 5 - 1ing into the 5 chord (From F to G in this case)

[@rskirk22]

This was extremely useful. I definitely will be looking using this in my future arrangements.

[@AR-qn9mq]

Brilliant. Loved it Dave.

[@DavidBennettPiano]

Thanks!

[@nooffencebut8175]

I’m literally only a couple minutes in but I already feel the need to thank you, your information has been really helpful already and I am trying to work on my compositional skills. I appreciate this so much, thank you.

[@joannajoshua4589]

loved it!

[@merlin4505]

Excellent video, knowledge is precious in here!

[@jairoramirez7486]

Stunning tones and also I found very pleasant melodies that made pure joy to my ears....thank you

[@EduardoBorchardt]

What an awesome video! So didactic!

[@manuelochoa5065]

Love it thank you

[@Klongix]

This video (especially the 5th level) really helped me wrap my head around the relationships of some tricky chord progressions. Thanks man! This will help me a lot with the guitar and piano/keyboard (still learning piano/keyboard).

[@joegrint6280]

Excellent!

[@DavidBennettPiano]

Thanks!

[@user-bu2ib5zu1x]

Thanks You So much

[@Krail1]

Thank you! I've been trying to absorb a bunch of music theory that I never learned back when I was taking piano lessons, and I think this video really helped fill in a specific hole in my knowledge about how songs are constructed!

[@madmac66]

There was a time not too long ago that none of this made any sense, but thanks to channels like yours every bit of this I understood perfectly, could even predict where you were going next. Cheers! Excellent work

[@DavidBennettPiano]

Thank you 😊😊😊😊

[@jackjackson7537]

Awesome video. Can't wait to check out part two. This was super helpful for adding more flavor to my songwriting tbh. Would love to see more content like this, or involving chord changes in general. I have a decent understanding of basic chord functions (tonic, dominant, subdominant) but I would love to do a deeper dive on things like extended chords, or some of these more advanced techniques. Anyhoo, great stuff as always, and thank you for all of your lessons over the years, David. You rock.

[@michaeldelucia7352]

Great!

[@jazzfdy]

So beautiful ！！！

[@modhiab]

Really beautiful and extremely useful video. Thank you

[@Jammonster11]

Really helpful, thank you!

[@thisisdjprana]

Amazing 😻

[@seanclark2531]

#4 is nostalgic and pleasing to my ears..it has a bit of a gospel or hymn like air..

[@andrecastilhomassareli8597]

It remembers me of the amazing digital circus theme

[@TripTilt]

excellent jazz on the way to the million!!!

[@zozikfreeman9403]

Thank you, David. Your videos are amazing, so informative and I learn so much, thanks. God bless you 💙

[@tommyfreudenthal8084]

Love those

[@quatroD]

David, IMO your videos are the best in terms of didactic quality and visuals. I can watch your videos without any instrument nearby and still can catch the information when get home. Recommended this video for my gf because she is beginning on piano and believe your videos will help. Greets from Brazil. 🇧🇷

[@DavidBennettPiano]

😊😊😊😊

[@carlosfernandez3565]

Always useful.

[@PHPRunnerTipsAndTricks]

That was super helpful. Thank you very much,

[@fernandocerritos7786]

Wow! Thank you thank you!

[@EriccsonGuitarBassMan]

amazing explication! thanks!

[@swankfactory909]

This has done so much for me, thank you so much

[@user-yh5fy7de6t]

Thank you for making it so easy to understand

[@musicproductionstreams8021]

This video is so easy to learn and i immediately apply it successfully into my song practice. I hope you will make more "Complexity Video" like this one in the future. Thanks!

[@NelsonClick]

This is my favorite chord progression. It's perfect. Works perfectly in 4/4 and feels so good. "Be My Baby". I geek out on that song just like Brian Wilson did.

[@jimrogers7425]

Brilliant!

[@MarinaAlbert]

Wow wonderful lesson and precise too...Thank you

[@_tobetterdayz]

This is amazing man. Thank you.

[@monty5066]

Awesome lesson, THANK YOU!

[@jennyhammond9261]

Thanks! I never thought of adding the 5th of the 5th in spots besides heading to 5 and back to 1.

[@leahgodson2319]

Excellent lesson David, thank you. I need to practice levels 3 and 4.

[@johnrider2108]

Very nice changes