Introducing a column about chord progressions, modes, and pentatonic scales
By Jerry Rockwell
Editor’s Note: This is a new column by long-time DPN supporter and contributor Jerry Rockwell. His goal is to provide approachable exercises that introduce music theory concepts so subtly that you don’t even know you are learning them. If you want to learn more, visit jerryrockwell.com or join his Patreon community at patreon.com/jcrockwell_dulcimer_teaching.
In the past ten years or so, I have been diving deeper and deeper into the more restful and meditative styles of playing the dulcimer. I have always been drawn to some of the slow airs, waltzes, and marches from the Celtic lands, but more recently I have been working with short chord progressions that have a circular, hypnotic vibe. They kind of act as “mantras” in that they are very circular: the last chord in these progressions is always a gentle reminder to return to the top.
These progressions are often four chords in length, and they are known by many instrumentalists and songwriters as “4 Chord Loops.” Perhaps the best known of these short loops is what I call the “Axis Chords.” Butch Ross turned me on to the “Axis of Awesome” Aussie comedy band around 2008. They do a whole bunch of pop songs using this progression in one performance!
There are many ways to approach this kind of meditative playing, but I always tell my students to just let the chords flow gently along and focus on letting all the notes of each chord ring out for their full length – even overlapping some notes where appropriate.
In the “Block Chords and Arpeggios” exercise below, I have just one measure on each chord, but feel free to do two or more measures.
Try it in 3/4 time! Two measures on each chord in 3/4 time works out great for me. Also, instead of quarter-note arpeggios like I have here, try eighth-note arpeggios, and feel free to mix quarters and eighths.
I play these mostly with a flat-pick, but they work great in fingerpicking style too.
Try using different versions of each chord too – I love to start up in the 7th to 11th fret area, and descend gracefully through the progression.
Block chords and arpeggios exercise
Arranged by Jerry Rockwell
