Add instant soul to any progression
Hey music makers! Ever feel stuck with the same seven chords in a major key? You're not alone - that limitation can make your progressions feel predictable and boxed in.
Today we're exploring how borrowed chords give you strategic access to all 12 chords, transforming Louis Armstrong's "What a Wonderful World" from ordinary to extraordinary with just one "outside" chord.
Gem’s From Around the Web
⚡ Quick Wins: Seven bite-sized theory exercises that break you out of creative ruts - from chord extensions to time signature experiments that spark fresh songwriting ideas. (Landr Blog)
🗝️ Vault Pick
What a Wonderful World Progression - Hear the borrowed chord in context and see visual breakdowns of borrowed chord options with screenshots. (Check it Out)
🔍 Saved You a Scroll
This week's standout releases from Sabrina Carpenter, Ed Sheeran, and Mariah Carey. (Official Charts Article)
⏪ ICYMI
🧠 C-G-D-A-E ISN'T A PROGRESSION (Music Maker's Journal)
Real Song. Real Progression.
F - Am - Bb - Am - Gm7 - F - A7 - Dm - Db - Gm7 - C7 - F 💿 "What a Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong
Break it down:
Key: F Major
Roman numerals: I - iii - IV - iii - ii7 - I - V/vi - vi - ♭VI - ii7 - V7 - I
What it sounds like: Warm, hopeful, with sophisticated jazz colors that feel both familiar and surprising
The magic moments: A7 (secondary dominant) leading to Dm, and that beautiful Db chord (♭VI borrowed from F minor)
Why it works: This progression shows borrowed chords in action - staying mostly in F major but borrowing that Db chord from F minor for extra emotional depth. The A7 is a secondary dominant that temporarily tonicizes Dm, creating a mini key center before the progression continues.
That Db chord (♭VI) comes from F minor, not F major. It adds a touch of melancholy sweetness that staying in one key simply can't achieve.
Try this: Play the progression using Dm instead of Db, then switch to the borrowed Db. Feel how one chord from outside the key transforms the entire emotional color.
This progression is featured in this week's Vault Pick - check it out to hear the progression and explore different borrowed chord combinations.
🧠 Term of the Week: Borrowed Chords
What it sounds like: Music with richer colors and deeper emotional shades - like adding new paint colors to your palette.
What it is: Borrowed chords come from parallel keys (same starting note, different mode). Instead of being limited to seven diatonic chords, you strategically borrow from the parallel minor, Lydian, or other modes for emotional impact.
Why it works: Your ear expects diatonic harmony, so introducing a chord from outside the key creates beautiful tension and color. It's familiar enough to sound musical, but different enough to be captivating.
Two main approaches:
1. Borrowed Type - Keep the same root, change the chord quality:
In C major: Change Am (iii) to A major, or F (IV) to Fm
This is the most common and accessible approach
2. Borrowed Root - Use entirely different roots from parallel modes:
From C minor: ♭III (Eb), ♭VI (Ab), ♭VII (Bb)
From other modes: ♭II (Db) from Phrygian, #IV (F#) from Lydian
Most common source: The parallel minor key provides the richest borrowed chord options:
iv (Fm in C major) - adds gentle melancholy
♭VI (Ab) - creates dreamy, nostalgic feeling
♭VII (Bb) - provides modal, open sound
Related technique: Secondary dominants temporarily tonicize diatonic chords (like A7 leading to Dm in C major), creating "mini key centers."
The result: One strategically placed borrowed chord transforms ordinary progressions into something memorable and emotionally rich - accessing feelings that pure diatonic harmony simply can't reach.
🎯 This Week's Challenge
Problem/Solution Methodology
Step 1: Start with a simple I-vi-IV-V progression (or any progression you know that feels "stuck in diatonic land" - fine but predictable).
Step 2: Build the parallel minor scale of your key and identify its chords. Try the "What a Wonderful World" approach - replace one diatonic chord with a borrowed chord from that parallel minor (♭VI, ♭VII, or iv work great).
Step 3: Play both versions back-to-back, then experiment with placing that borrowed chord in different positions within the progression. Notice how one borrowed chord transforms the emotional color and how placement changes the impact.
Once you understand your seven diatonic chords and how they work together, borrowed chords are the perfect next step to expand your harmonic palette. Borrowed chords show us something powerful: the best musical surprises often come from stepping outside your key's seven-chord limit. They do break diatonic rules - but think of them as level 3 harmony, where you strategically use chords from outside your key for maximum emotional impact.
✉️ That's a wrap
Had you heard of borrowed chords before today's newsletter? I'm always interested in learning more about my readers - some of you might be harmony veterans while others are just starting to explore beyond basic progressions. Hit reply and let me know where you're at!
See you next week. Melvin ✌🏾
P.S. The Harmony Vault is designed for moments when you need fresh ideas fast - searchable by major/minor, tagged by emotion, with favorites you can bookmark. It's like having every useful progression organized in one place.
Check it out 👉🏾 The Harmony Vault
