Uploaded December 2021 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
In this tutorial I take a detailed look at a complex 16-bar chord progression taken from a song I’m writing, and look at how I’ve put it together and how it works. The tutorial covers several important music theory concepts in a practical context, including diatonic and non-diatonic/chromatic chords, harmonic function (i.e., the jobs different chords do in a progression), simple vs complex chord progressions, turnarounds, walk-ups and walk-downs, chord substitution, cadences, slash chords, rubato and timing in general, rhythmic anticipation, passing chords and more.
DOWNLOAD THE PDF (INCLUDES CHORD CHART AND LEAD SHEET)
drive.google.com/file/d/1DQBv-xayGiWXEzgC3KLBYTRdlTp1rAUZ/view?usp=sharing
BILL’S BOOKS
How To Really Play The Piano: billspianopages.com/how-to-really
An Introduction to Cocktail Piano: billspianopages.com/cocktail
Seven Studies in Pop Piano: billspianopages.com/seven-studies
…OR BUY ALL THREE AS A BUNDLE FOR JUST £18.95 (30 PERCENT SAVING!): billspianopages.com/bundle
BILL’S PIANO PACKS
billspianopages.com/pianopacks
BILL’S SOCIAL MEDIA
Facebook: fb.me/billhiltonpiano
Twitter: twitter.com/billhilton
Instagram: instagram.com/billhilton
TikTok: tiktok.com/@billhiltonpiano?
00:00 Intro and playthrough of progression
01:42 Passing chords, beat division, timing and turnarounds
05:16 Building the progression, different types of chord
07:08 Harmonic function, cadences, slash chords
11:51 Musicality, expression, walk-ups and walk-downs
#piano #composition
In this tutorial I take a detailed look at a complex 16-bar chord progression taken from a song I’m writing, and look at how I’ve put it together and how it works. The tutorial covers several important music theory concepts in a practical context, including diatonic and non-diatonic/chromatic chords, harmonic function (i.e., the jobs different chords do in a progression), simple vs complex chord progressions, turnarounds, walk-ups and walk-downs, chord substitution, cadences, slash chords, rubato and timing in general, rhythmic anticipation, passing chords and more.
DOWNLOAD THE PDF (INCLUDES CHORD CHART AND LEAD SHEET)
drive.google.com/file/d/1DQBv-xayGiWXEzgC3KLBYTRdlTp1rAUZ/view?usp=sharing
BILL’S BOOKS
How To Really Play The Piano: billspianopages.com/how-to-really
An Introduction to Cocktail Piano: billspianopages.com/cocktail
Seven Studies in Pop Piano: billspianopages.com/seven-studies
…OR BUY ALL THREE AS A BUNDLE FOR JUST £18.95 (30 PERCENT SAVING!): billspianopages.com/bundle
BILL’S PIANO PACKS
billspianopages.com/pianopacks
BILL’S SOCIAL MEDIA
Facebook: fb.me/billhiltonpiano
Twitter: twitter.com/billhilton
Instagram: instagram.com/billhilton
TikTok: tiktok.com/@billhiltonpiano?
00:00 Intro and playthrough of progression
01:42 Passing chords, beat division, timing and turnarounds
05:16 Building the progression, different types of chord
07:08 Harmonic function, cadences, slash chords
11:51 Musicality, expression, walk-ups and walk-downs
#piano #composition
