Where do I go from this progression start?

I'm at work so I can't help without a guitar in my hand, but it's funny you posted this. Last night I had a killer kind of heavy blues progression going on in my head and I had lyrics and everything would have been a great start to a song but I didn't have my guitar in front of me then either and I didn't write anything down.

I might be able to recall some of it but the moment has passed me now. I don't really try to work on stuff like that but it just came to me. I was probably subconsiously ripping someone else's music off anyway Ha :D

I do have an intro to a song I do remember and get a little farther in but I don't have any lyrics or not sure where to take it either.

I've got another one kind of like what you describe. I sort of got close to a little bit of a riff of a previously popular song and quicly got there, but can't remember the song. It'll pop into my head soon enough. :D

Typically, your progression could thought of as being either be in the key of A or E, depending on where you're hearing your tonal center. If you're leaning more towards A, then going to D is a strong choice. If you want to make it a little more interesting you could go with Dmaj7 (xx0222) or D6 (xx0202). Bm or Bm7 would also be traditionally strong choices.

If you're thinking the tonal center is E, then establishing that key with a B or B7 chord would work.

C#m or C#m7 work for both keys but both chords share three notes with Amaj7 so it's not going to be that dramatic a change.

There are, obviously, a lot more choices than these, but this is where many songwriters would tend to start.

Hope this helps.

Peace

Thanks, David. I'll give these a whirl and see what happens. Er, I mean, hear what happens. :D

So David, If I wanted to arm myself with the basics for that bit of theory, which chapter(s) or sections in your books would I be best served by re-reading? (and subsequently forget again, but some things stick each tme through....) I've got your bass, rock and the all around guitar books.

As you change chords, do you hear A up to E, or A down to E? Consider whatever you add as a transition. Are you changing the strumming at the chord change? Is the E early (anticipation)? So maybe:
Amaj7 - - Bm7 E - - -

I don't like the D, but maybe the Dmaj7 would be interesting (I don't play all those notes!).

If you've got each chord for one full measure, consider creating a stretched bridge thingy, maybe Amaj7 --- Bm7--- C#m--- (or Dmaj7) E---, each chord for one full measure, thus bringing you back to the original timing.

As noted by cnev, hard to answer without my guitarist here (she's out at the moment :wink: ), but these are the things I would try.

Roy, you may find this article helpful:

https://www.guitarnoise.com/lesson/a-before-e/

The books, for the most part, deal with forming chords. The bass book gets into the basics of progressions, but I think you'll find more useful information in this old Guitar Column from ages ago.

Hope it helps and, as always, feel free to ask any questions either here or email me directly.

Peace

Thanks for the tips and suggestions, Laz. 8) 8)
As you change chords, do you hear A up to E, or A down to E?
Down.
Are you changing the strumming at the chord change?
There's slightly different pattern, but it's basically the same otherwise. The Amaj7 to E sometimes has a mini strum and sometimes doesn't. I leave the index finger on the G string. If I do a strum between either, it's approx around the D-G-B strings. maybe the A-D-G or maybe even just two of them, probably D-G. I do mix it up just to add some interest to the bit.

I didn't like the D when I was chord searching, but some of that was lack of confidence showing through. I'f I'm not sure I'm playing the right thing, my playing dives down to a whole new level of awfulness. I tried the D as well as the others. The D7 seemed a bit odd, but I didn't play it twice. (basic jazz rule, as the old joke goes) The Bm7 & Bm and C#m7 & C#m all sounded decent in various contexts. I play one really obscure 'stnes tune that has the C#m7 -> Bm7 - A progression for a bridge, but I couldn't feel it with the Amaj7.

If I start on Amaj7, do I need to end there, or can I resolve to anything with the root of A? (I know.....no exacting laws and such)
Roy, you may find this article helpful:
https://www.guitarnoise.com/lessons/a-before-e/
David, thanks for the link. I read the first few paragraphs and it looks like a winner. I'll read it all tomorrow when I'm more awake. :D

Parker...every reply is so freakin' over complicated, matey. Amaj7 and E...LISTEN to the Amaj 7. Feel where it goes...listen to the intervals in each chord. Same for the E...that goes somehere, too. There's only twelve possibilities. Feel all of 'em...and forget the book. You've been playing long enough to give in to your instincts. Certainly, a progression is for the mind and not just a chord. Works for me...

Cat

I just messed around with it and found a couple of chords that sound good with it. The first, I think would be an A/D or Aadd4. It's xx0220 (D A C# E). Then follow that with a Dm (xx0231).

It's xx0220 (D A C# E).
ding ding ding ding ding!!!!! We have a winner folks. It was close to what I had in my head, but could not articulate musically. thanks, Jeff! :D :D Throwing that in there gave me a nice path sonically speaking to the C#m7, which brings me back down to the Bm or Bm7 and back into the Amaj7 - E thing I was doing.

Thanks everyone for the great suggestions.

@Cat - That will come with time. I know this to be true with other hobbies and interests that I have developed the skill for. someday I'll be able to paste this al together, too. Articles like the one David pointed me to (and some that were linked to in that article) will help provide that tool set.

In the interim, please refrain from referring to other folks' efforts here in such a negative fashion. Disagree all you want, and diverse opinions are fantastic, but you'll get a lot further with something like "an alternative to that approach is....." than something like, "every reply is so freakin' over complicated.....". I'm sure you didn't mean for it to come off like an insult to others. You're normally much better than that. 8) 8)

So, now the process is to re-read david's article, yet again, and some of the articles it linked to within the article, along with Jeff's, Laz's and David's chord suggestions together. I'll reverse engineer, apply readings to the results and get the knowledge behind the feel and ear thing to be able to do exactly as you say.

Of COURSE I DIDN''T MEAN TO SLIGHT ANYONE...I see that you Roy, knew that but maybe others didn't. SORRY folks! But to reiterate, hopefully in a more amenable way...with all friendly concern and advice:

I have a 40 year old Mel Bay "Chord Cycles"...and have turned those many pages for decades...so I'm hep to what you guys are talkin' about. But you were, after all, talking about CREATION if I have that right???

Learn to connect with your heart.

"Feel what you play...play what you feel" has been at the bottom of my posts for donks...

This will take you to where you want to go with this marvelous instrument. Easy? Nope...

Again...tendering my apologies for seeming rather brusque...

Cat

We're all good, Cat. 8) 8)

Roy, you may find this article helpful:

https://www.guitarnoise.com/lessons/a-before-e/
RE: the Progressions in C Major or G Major Charts
David, as part of my reverse engineering efforts to learn what's happening behind the scenes, I was going to make charts for A though G# using your formula two charts that you've created already as reference. To that end, I have a question. the third column over towards the right labeled "Sometimes" has a minor chord as an option for the Am row on the G chart and a major chord for the C chart. How did you derive or decide that one could use a minor chord and the other one could not? (It's totally fair to point me towards another article if the answer lays in there....)

Thanks again. :D :D