Borrowed Chords Examples

Borrowed Chords: Enhance Your Songwriting and Solos

What are Borrowed Chords?

Borrowed chords are chords temporarily borrowed from another key or scale and incorporated into a different key's chord progression. This technique adds harmonic depth, interest, and emotional impact to your music.

Examples of Borrowed Chords

In the following example, the bVI chord (Abmaj) is borrowed from the C minor key and added to the C major chord progression:

Cmaj - Fmaj - Gmaj - Abmaj - Cmaj

By borrowing the Abmaj chord, we create a sense of harmonic ambiguity and tension that resolves when it returns to Cmaj.

Benefits of Using Borrowed Chords

Borrowed chords offer several benefits for songwriters and musicians:

• Harmonic Variety: They break away from traditional chord progressions, adding unexpected twists.
• Emotional Impact: Borrowed chords can evoke specific emotions, such as sadness, longing, or excitement.
• Improvisational Versatility: They provide additional options for soloing and improvisation.

How to Use Borrowed Chords

To use borrowed chords effectively, consider the following tips:

• Choose Appropriate Chords: Select chords that fit the tonal context and complement the overall mood of the piece.
• Use Sparingly: Borrowed chords should be used judiciously to avoid overwhelming the listener.
• Resolve Properly: Ensure that borrowed chords resolve back to chords within the original key to maintain harmonic coherence.

By following these guidelines, you can expand your songwriting vocabulary and create more engaging and expressive music with borrowed chords.