The Best Chords to Follow Chord III (in Major Keys) - Music Composition

Are you struggling to get started in writing a chord progression? If you want to use chord III what are the best options for chords to follow? This music composition lesson gives you plenty of options for chords that progress well from that starting point. This video shows you how the chord progressions work in major keys, and explores how root position chords might integrate well with occasional inversion chords. The more common progressions are included alongside some less often used progressions, which are nevertheless effective. Some progressions work well at the start of a phrase, others at the end of the phrase, while others would work best mid-phrase. If you’re a composer looking for ideal chord progressions this video is for you.
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🕘 Timestamps
0:00 - Introduction to the best chords to follow chord III in major keys
0:22 - How chords work
2:08 - What's the point of this video?
3:49 - Working through the example progressions
10:36 - Conclusion
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[@MusicMattersGB]

Learn Music Online - Check out our courses here! www.mmcourses.co.uk/courses

[@deplinenoise]

Love these videos. Part myth busting and part reasoning and learning. Excellent!

[@MusicMattersGB]

That’s most kind

[@realchrisma]

In most popular music I see the third chord as a minor chord (iii). I came upon a few songs with a major third chord (III), and I really liked it. Glad to see it works on so many levels. Thanks.

[@MusicMattersGB]

Excellent. Much more at www.mmcourses.co.uk

[@gregoryhaddock5395]

You are a wonderful teacher, Mr. Green. 🙏 Thank you for so many great lessons.

[@MusicMattersGB]

A pleasure. Much more at www.mmcourses.co.uk including details of our online courses and of our exciting Maestros programme. If you value this channel and would like to help us continue to share and develop the content please consider supporting us as a level 1 Maestro by clicking here kzbin.info/door/8yI8P7Zi3yYTsypera-IQgjoin Alternatively you can express your support for the channel by clicking on the Super Thanks button beneath any of our videos. Thank you.

[@TechnoRaabe]

Condensing all the knowledge that you hoarded over many years into these short lessons is really nice. Thank you!

[@MusicMattersGB]

A pleasure. Much more at www.mmcourses.co.uk including details of our online courses and of our exciting Maestros programme. If you value this channel and would like to help us continue to share and develop the content please consider supporting us as a level 1 Maestro by clicking here kzbin.info/door/8yI8P7Zi3yYTsypera-IQgjoin Alternatively you can express your support for the channel by clicking on the Super Thanks button beneath any of our videos. Thank you.

[@cstaeger]

Another excellent video! 😘 Often, I read the title, and I don't know how anyone could create a video on this (narrow) topic. And I am amazed every time! You are a talented educator. And I appreciate the British “twist” so much! 😇😘

[@MusicMattersGB]

That’s most kind

[@abdullahmohammed407]

Dear music has meaning, teacher, sweet British utter, the one when you listen to, look like you are the one who is asking and you also the one who is answering, a very close, I do really thank you, thank you for all the love, optimism and the happy shining side that reflects your pure soul, thank you Mr Gareth green, I really hope the words can help me to explain to you how much I am thankful, greatful to you, this all from my heart, may I have your excuse for my English, but believe it or not (you are using this phrase,sometimes) the language that I am using, is gained through self taught, thank goodness and thank you, as this is one of the other things you also sprinkle on us within your explanation in your lovely videos, I am Abdullah from a country still living in the 12 century, before bach era and that means your lessons is a future content, how about if told that may be almost 100 percent of the people here know nothing or have heard about bach or his legacy, thanks again and I wish also to say hi to everyone here.

[@MusicMattersGB]

That’s great. Thank you so much for writing.

[@NinjaSheepa]

thank you nice vid

[@MusicMattersGB]

A pleasure. Much more at www.mmcourses.co.uk including details of our online courses and of our exciting Maestros programme. If you value this channel and would like to help us continue to share and develop the content please consider supporting us as a level 1 Maestro by clicking here kzbin.info/door/8yI8P7Zi3yYTsypera-IQgjoin Alternatively you can express your support for the channel by clicking on the Super Thanks button beneath any of our videos. Thank you.

[@abagatelle]

I *used* to be one of those (intimidated by iii), but not anymore! Thanks a heap Gareth 👍

[@MusicMattersGB]

That’s great

[@annettesomers7463]

I just purchased a casio sa 76 ? Tomorrow I collect from the shop and I can't wait to play it whilst learning from your amazing tutorials! I do play guitar too.

[@MusicMattersGB]

That’s brilliant. Enjoy!

[@abdullahmohammed407]

Congratulations

[@MusicMattersGB]

😀

[@MiNDFREAK371379]

These are by far some of my favorite videos ever! Is there one for minor scales? If not, is it coming soon? 🙂

[@MusicMattersGB]

All on their way.

[@MiNDFREAK371379]

@@MusicMattersGB not the hero we deserve, but the hero we very much need! 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾

[@MusicMattersGB]

😀

[@Ziel23987]

This is one of those things that completely baffle me. It seems that there are two school of thought about chord progressions. Some people say that anything goes, and if it sounds good, it probably makes sense. The other insists on strictly following V-I, or maybe II-V-I. If there is a VI, it's only used to progress a fifth down. And if there are any other chords, you are probably tonicizing via secondary dominants. It's very restrictive, but I have no clue how to connect those two methods. I'd love to see more on this topic

[@MusicMattersGB]

Basically if it sounds good do it! There’s not really a prescriptive method insisting on V-I or anything else but there are things that work well in certain situations if you want to use them.

[@TomBelknapRoc]

These videos where you play through chord progressions are just hugely helpful because instead of randomly poking around, I'm able to walk through it more deliberately with a huge number of notes along the way about voice leading! I'm looking forward to hopefully seeing minor keys as well? Which begs a question: how do you know you're playing, say, iii-vi-I in major and not vi-i-iii in the minor key, harmonically speaking? This question came up when I realized that picking through chord progressions I liked in various modes, I realized I'd actually just found I-IV-V in the major key!

[@BinaryBard64]

It's mainly about context. In terms of a Cadence, you'd probably consider it iii - vi - I, because the final chord is usually your tonic. VI - i - III would be an odd Cadence, since those chords all have a tonic function, but it could be a cool progression in the right context!

[@MusicMattersGB]

😀Minor key videos on their way.

[@Algoritmarte]

An important role is playef by how the "high" part of the progression moves (and how inversions are used) ... I bet everything could sound good in the right context and with a careful choice of the inversions/movement. And probably it's because when you start chaining chords without a melody/context the mind starts building/imagining a "melody* and also the expectation/surprise process begins

[@MusicMattersGB]

Some things work better than others but sure the art is in working out all those details of positions/ inversions/ voice leading.

[@amusicveteran]

Strangely enough this gives me the permission to try any progressions without feeling guilty of transgressing musical rules! There are some sequences I like but don’t use because it’s not the prescribed and traditional ones. Context I suppose. Thanks again for opening my musical mind.

[@MusicMattersGB]

That’s great.

[@javierh.d.9626]

Un día mejora mi economía, compro un piano y me inscribo. Saludos desde NL Mexico

[@MusicMattersGB]

Greetings to you too!

[@ephjaymusic]

I always start with chord III but then repeat it as the dominant 7th of the relative minor key...😝 Aha!!! Cheap modulation unlocked lol!

[@MusicMattersGB]

Good thought

[@martinbennett2228]

Do you add a ♯ in the 7th chord e.g. (in C) G natural to G♯ plus an added D?

[@ephjaymusic]

@@martinbennett2228 Yes you can if you want... E G# B D = E7 My cheeky comment was about playing Em, E7, Am then whatever else you fancy... You can even slip in the E7 when playing a chord progression in C major. It brings an interesting flavour to sometimes exchange certain triads for their minor/major counterparts. Especially if you play the 7th chord of those counterparts. Eg: C - A7 - Dm - F - C - Fm6 - C 🙂 Pay attention to voicings!

[@MusicMattersGB]

😀

[@the_eternal_student]

I saw you move by hidden fifths at least once in the iii I progressions, is there anything to say about this? Is it one of those cases of things being resolved by implied outer-inner voice crossing ( the b has an implied movement up to c from sopr. to alto in the motion from iii up to I)?

[@MusicMattersGB]

If you were writing the harmony you could easily do this without 5ths

[@jeremiahlyleseditor437]

Great Job Is there a reason you posted the same video twice?

[@MusicMattersGB]

It’s a different video as part of a series covering every diatonic chord in both major and minor keys

[@SquidKing]

Do these all work for Bach chorales? My teacher said never to end with plagal cadences

[@MusicMattersGB]

These often work in Bach Chorales but it all depends on the context. Plagal cadences are indeed rare in Bach Chorales.

[@ahknown2755]

Does this same sequence of chords work the same for different modes?

[@MusicMattersGB]

Some do. Some don’t. Work with what sounds good

[@Trash-Beats]

Young man pls when will you do minor chords btw thanks for this one watching from Zimbabwe

[@MusicMattersGB]

All on the way…

[@Trash-Beats]

@@MusicMattersGB thanks 🙏

[@MusicMattersGB]

😀

[@stephenbashforth8257]

Hi Gareth, you didn't mention chord vii - would a iii - vii7b - IV work? (SATB notes E G B E/ F A B D / F A C F?

[@MusicMattersGB]

iii viib I might be better

[@josephinebrown6631]

1 is the chord progression in “All of Me.”

[@MusicMattersGB]

😀

[@JoelLaviolette]

As a jazz fan, I’m surprised to not see what I consider the two most common uses: a turnaround iii iv ii V and descending chromatically iii biii dim ii

[@MusicMattersGB]

It’s good to hear additions from jazzers.

[@martinbennett2228]

Why have you left out VII? Is it because you are not using second inversions? I think IIIb - VIIb - Ib makes a strong cadence with a V IV III base line.

[@MusicMattersGB]

That’s a fair point

[@robinmartini7968]

That was a lot fun! But funny how whenever a 3 chord sequence starts with a III and ends with a II or IV it needs completion. I’m sure you could explain this.

[@MusicMattersGB]

Hi. The reason for this is that II and IV are not moments of repose in the way that I and V are. I and V are the closing chords of cadences and therefore feel like chords of completion.

[@robinmartini7968]

@@MusicMattersGB thanks for your reply, I thought as much but it’s nice to have it confirmed 😃

[@jcayeux]

Hello Gareth, I would like to help you doing more music video, but I don t like subscribing or monthly payment (I end up with too much of those without noticing or using them). Do you have a option for one time donation? I can t find it!

[@MusicMattersGB]

That’s most kind. You can express your support for the channel by clicking on the Super Thanks button beneath any of our videos. Thank you.

[@the_eternal_student]

Are you basically using iii as a tonic substitute? You seem to be alluding to it at 5:34. If so, are you ever using it as a V substitute?

[@MusicMattersGB]

In the sense that two notes of iii belong to I and that two notes of iii belong to V, yes. Any chord a 3rd below or a 3rd above can substitute in this way so it’s a useful way to think about it.

[@the_eternal_student]

@@MusicMattersGB Is there anything to say about the modal mixture of bIII and the chromatic use of III (major triad), except that it happens? Can we assume that it was a common feature since Baroque times, if not the Renaissance?

[@MusicMattersGB]

III major followed by vi obviously functions as a secondary dominant. BIII is less common, particularly in relation to earlier music.

[@the_eternal_student]

@@MusicMattersGB Does a chromatic major III coming from major I and going to V and chromatic major VI from I and going to IV function as a tonic, predominant, or both? Is it neot essential to the development of music that there be a publication or piece of software that lists the melodies of all of a major composer's works, from solo instrumental to dramatic vocal music, categorized by the accompanying chord progresssions such as these? Is there already such resources?, because I do not have time to create them myself.

[@MusicMattersGB]

Those chord progressions are all possible. I’m not aware of such a resource.

[@rockychieng88]

In jazz chord 3 is basically chord 1 with added 7th.

[@MusicMattersGB]

III is I7 without the root.

[@rockychieng88]

@@MusicMattersGB my apologies

[@MusicMattersGB]

No reason to apologise. What’s interesting is that the two chords have three notes in common so they’re very close and interchangeable.

[@rockychieng88]

@@MusicMattersGB 3 and 4, 3 and 5 chord sounds awesome. For jazzy, Ab dominant 7 or Ab Diminished sounds ok to chord 3. A lot of possibilities

[@MusicMattersGB]

Absolutely

[@FernieCanto]

I believe the main reason why there's this "terrorism" against the iii chords is because of this dreaded obsession with classical music. In traditional classical music, the iii chord is pretty much never used in major keys, mainly because it features the leading tone, and the leading tone implies dominant function. So, the only chord that's built on the third degree of the scale is I6. And then, because some teachers think that *all* music has to behave like classical, they expand this "lesson" into every style of music out there, despite the fact that iii is *quite* common and ordinary in popular music. Yeah, it's not one of the most common chords, but it's super easy to find it out there in the wild. And when we're talking about popular music, then this concern about parallel octaves and fifths ceases to be a concern at all, because popular music _does not care_ about parallels. So, planing down from iii to ii, for example, is fair game in most popular music. Those 15 examples are pretty good for debunking the "fear" of iii, but, when we get into more chromatic examples, things become even better. iii can lead very nicely into III, or III7, working as a secondary dominant of vi, or for actually modulating to the relative minor. And then, there's that classic passing diminished chord to make a nice iii - biii° - ii motion, which can sound really lovely. And you can also throw in some modal mixture by going iii - bIII - bVII, for example. There just so much to do with that chord. However, thanks to the tyrants of classical, you get this idea that the chord is "rare" or "forbidden". Imagine being unfamiliar with Adele's Someone Like You, whose *second* chord is an inverted iii?

[@MusicMattersGB]

I don’t want to be partisan and support the anti-Classical argument but I’m certainly with you in campaigning for the liberation of iii.

[@FernieCanto]

@@MusicMattersGB Oh, by all means, it's not about being anti-classical! In fact, studying classical theory is one important way of understanding how pop harmony turned into its own thing, and what are its own differences.

[@MusicMattersGB]

😀