Are Your Chord Progressions Boring? Try These Tricks! @QJamTracks

Uploaded May 2025 | Updated September 2026, 35 minutes ago

Struggling with chord progressions? This video will show you how to use simple **music theory** to create more interesting progressions for your songs. Break out of repetitive patterns with practical examples and visual diagrams, while improving your **songwriting**. Learn how to take your **chord exploration** to the next level and enhance your **composition** skills using **stepwise chord movement**, **secondary dominants**, **borrow chords from another key** and make use of "chord functions**.

Level 6 (of 6)

Tablature, diagrams, examples and backing tracks will be available on my Patreon page:
patreon.com/QJamTracks

*Chapters:*
0:00 Introduction
0:41 Chords in the major scale
2:53 Chord Functions
4:35 Chord functions in the minor key
5:40 Why use Chord Functions
6:29 Power of the dominant
7:36 Typical basic progressions
11:39 Secondary dominants
13:33 Stepwise chord and bass movement
15:49 Borrowed chords
18:05 Final thoughts

*Crystal Clear E-BOOKS with audio files:*
qjamtracks.shopify.com

*Tabs and tracks at PATREON:*
patreon.com/Qjamtracks
*Social Media/contact: *
https:// facebook.com/QJamTracks
https:// instagram.com/QJamTracks
https:// youtube.com/QJamTracks
*Strandberg Guitars*
strandbergguitars.com
*Fractal Audio (FM9)*
fractalaudio.com
Neural DSP
neuraldsp.com
(c)2025 Rob van Hal, Netherlands

$Are Your Chord Progressions Boring? Try These Tricks! Struggling with chord progressions? This video will show you how to use simple **music theory** to create more interesting progressions for your songs. Break out of repetitive patterns with practical examples and visual diagrams, while improving your **songwriting**. Learn how to take your **chord exploration** to the next level and enhance your **composition** skills using **stepwise chord movement**, **secondary dominants**, **borrow chords from another key** and make use of chord functions**. Level 6 (of 6) Tablature, diagrams, examples and backing tracks will be available on my Patreon page: https://patreon.com/QJamTracks *Chapters:* 0:00 Introduction 0:41 Chords in the major scale 2:53 Chord Functions 4:35 Chord functions in the minor key 5:40 Why use Chord Functions 6:29 Power of the dominant 7:36 Typical basic progressions 11:39 Secondary dominants 13:33 Stepwise chord and bass movement 15:49 Borrowed chords 18:05 Final thoughts *Crystal Clear E-BOOKS with audio files:* https://qjamtracks.shopify.com *Tabs and tracks at PATREON:* http://www.patreon.com/Qjamtracks *Social Media/contact: * https:// facebook.com/QJamTracks https:// instagram.com/QJamTracks https:// youtube.com/QJamTracks *Strandberg Guitars* https://strandbergguitars.com *Fractal Audio (FM9)* https://www.fractalaudio.com Neural DSP https://neuraldsp.com/ (c)2025 Rob van Hal, Netherlands$

How to Use MinMaj7 Chords in Your Compositions

$Extended Guitar Chords Demystified | Crystal Clear Chord Theory Lesson Are you an intermediate guitarist looking to expand your chord vocabulary and deepen your understanding of music theory? In this lesson, we’ll break down extended chords—from 9ths and 11ths to lush 13ths—so you can confidently add color and sophistication to your playing. With crystal-clear explanations and clean, easy-to-follow graphics, this video makes complex chord theory accessible to every guitarist. You’ll not only learn the theory behind extended chords but also how to apply them directly on the fretboard to enhance your rhythm and songwriting. Level 4 (of 6) ✅ What you’ll learn in this lesson: • What extended chords are and why they matter • How 7th chords evolve into 9ths, 11ths, and 13ths • Practical shapes and voicings for the guitar • Tips for using extended chords in real musical contexts If you’ve been searching for a straightforward guitar lesson that connects chord theory to your actual playing, this is the one! #ExtendedChords #ChordTheory #GuitarLesson Tablature, diagrams, examples and backing tracks will be available on my Patreon page: https://patreon.com/QJamTracks *Chapters:* 0:00 Introduction 0:30 7th chords recap 01:50 What you should know about extended chords 04:00 Naming extended chords 06:12 Technical limitations on guitar 07:08 Major extended chords 09:24 Dominant extended chords 11:46 Altered extended chords 13:52 Minor extended chords 16:09 Diminished extended chords 16:45 Triad with extensions 17:49 Summary 19:34 Final thoughts *Crystal Clear E-BOOKS with audio files:* https://qjamtracks.shopify.com *Social Media/contact: * https:// facebook.com/QJamTracks https:// instagram.com/QJamTracks https:// youtube.com/QJamTracks *Strandberg Guitars* https://strandbergguitars.com *Fractal AxeFx II* https://www.fractalaudio.com Neural DSP Plini X Plugin https://neuraldsp.com/ (c)2025 Rob van Hal, Netherlands$ $How Does Classical Counterpoint Enhance Modern Music? Want to take your guitar playing and songwriting to the next level? In this advanced guitar tutorial, we dive deep into counterpoint and how it can enhance modern music. Whether youre an experienced guitarist, a serious musician, or a songwriter looking to expand your knowledge of advanced music theory, this lesson will provide practical insights to elevate your compositions. Learn how to apply counterpoint techniques directly to your guitar playing, creating richer harmonies, independent melodic lines, and more sophisticated musical textures. Well break down key concepts like contrapuntal motion, voice leading, and how classical counterpoint integrates seamlessly with modern genres like rock, jazz, and progressive music. In this tutorial, you’ll discover: What counterpoint is and why it matters for advanced guitarists How to incorporate counterpoint techniques into your guitar solos and riffs Practical exercises to strengthen your understanding of polyphony Examples of counterpoint in modern guitar music If youre passionate about improving your guitar skills and want to master the advanced music theory that shapes professional compositions, this video is for you. Subscribe for more advanced guitar tutorials, and don’t forget to like and comment if you found this lesson valuable. Let’s push your musical boundaries together!🎵 Tablature, diagrams, examples and backing tracks will be available on my Patreon page: https://patreon.com/QJamTracks Xvive G1 Butterfly guitar stand: https://shop.warwick.de/de/search?sSearch=xvive *Chapters:* 0:00 Introduction 1:31 What is counterpoint 4:32 Counterpoint in the major scale 7:05 XVive G1 Butterfly Guitar stand 8:12 Cantus Firmus 9:18 All the Things You Are in counterpoint 11:35 For The Love God – Steve Vai – in counterpoint 13:49 Harmonic counterpoint 15:04 Autumn Leaves in counterpoint 17:52 Conclusion *Crystal Clear E-BOOKS with audio files:* https://qjamtracks.shopify.com *Tabs and tracks at PATREON:* http://www.patreon.com/Qjamtracks *Social Media/contact: * https:// facebook.com/QJamTracks https:// instagram.com/QJamTracks https:// youtube.com/QJamTracks *Strandberg Guitars* https://strandbergguitars.com *Fractal Audio (FM9)* https://www.fractalaudio.com Neural DSP https://neuraldsp.com/ (c)2024 Rob van Hal, Netherlands$

DOMINANT PENTATONIC scale over Dominant (dom7) & Altered (Alt) Chords

$E PHRYGIAN DOMINANT Guitar Backing Track An educational and enhanced guitar backing track video in the E Phrygian Dominant Mode which is very suitable for Metal and Neo Classical Rock. For guitarists who want to improvise in different keys and modes like the Phrygian Dominant Mode. This beautiful exotic, moody & Phrygian dominant backing track let ‘s you play with modes and arpeggios that are visualized onscreen. Excellent for improvising, learning modes, scales, chords, licks and arpeggios. This Q JAM TRACKS jam track provides a visual representation of the chords and scales in diagrams as they appear in the music. Extra theoretical information is shown in the video. It is a high quality backing track and handy tutorial (lesson) at the same time. Tip: Watch the QJamTracks tutorial about the Phrygian Dominant Mode: https://youtu.be/m27D1p7qfQk Artwork: Rob van Hal Photo thanks to (CCO License): https://pixabay.com/pl/users/darksouls1-2189876/ (Darksouls1) https://pixabay.com/pl/photos/kobieta-kobiet-pi%C4%99kno-m%C5%82ody-2996292/ Used: Ibanez JEM 7v (www.Ibanez.com) Ibanez SD GR Bass (www.Ibanez.com) Takamine GD930 (www.takamine.com) Castilla Classical Guitars Samson Concert Wireless Microphone system CR99 Axe FX II (www.fractalaudio.com) Social Media/contact: www.patreon.com/QJamTracks www.facebook.com/QJamTracks www.instagram.com/QJamTracks www.youtube.com/QJamTracks (c)2019 Rob van Hal, Netherlands$

Merry Christmas to all subscribers! - A Christmas Carol 2019

Thanks and best wishes for you all!! - Aradhels tale

$THE Awesome! MELODIC MINOR scale (ROCK-FUSION-JAZZ) - CRYSTAL CLEAR Download PDF: all scales, arpeggios and chords shown in this video (plus Modes overview): https://www.patreon.com/posts/55369722 One of the most used scales in Jazz and Fusion is the Melodic Minor scale. But for other styles this scale can be an awesome asset too for improvising and creating some colourful riffs and licks. In this 30 minute QJamTracks guitar tutorial video you’ll see and hear plenty of examples with tablature. You will learn what the essence of this scale is and, learn how to use in it in different situations, for instance in a two chord Vamp, a pop chord progression, fusion progressions and a II V I in a minor key. You will also learn about the modes of this remarkable melodic minor scale. The whole tutorial is drenched in graphics and animation so it all becomes crystal Clear! 0:00 Introduction 1:58 Three minor scales 4:56 Melodic minor scale in depth 6:58 Modern vs classical 8:50 Practice the scale 11:17 Chords in the scale 14:12 Arpeggios 16:09 Putting it all together 19:25 Modes of the melodic minor scale 21:37 Using the modes (II V I) 23:51 Well known songs 25:10 Conclusion You can support me on my patreon page (also for tabs of the licks played in this video): www.patreon.com/QJamTracks Artwork: (c) 2021) Rob van Hal Used: Ibanez JEM 7vb (www.Ibanez.com) Ibanez RT Ibanez SD GR Bass (www.Ibanez.com) Schecter Banshee GT FR (www.schecterguitars.com/) Takamine GD930 (www.takamine.com) Castilla Classical Guitars Samson Concert 99 Wireless system Rode Microphone Axe FX II (www.fractalaudio.com) BIAS FX (www.positivegrid.com) Social Media/contact: www.patreon.com/QJamTracks www.facebook.com/QJamTracks www.instagram.com/QJamTracks www.youtube.com/QJamTracks (c)2021 Rob van Hal, Netherlands Subjects in this video: Melodic minor scale, Jazz scale, Modes of the melodic minor scale, Minor scale, Melodic minor scale for guitar, How to play the melodic minor scale, How to use the melodic minor scale, What is the melodic minor scale, When play the melodic minor scale, Film Noir music, Outside licks, Music theory lesson guitar, Music theory, Guitar tutorial, Guitar lesson, Rob van Hal, QJamTracks, Q Jem tracks, Q jam tracks$ $Smooth Enhanced Guitar Backing Track in A harmonic minor An educational smooth guitar backing track in A harmonic minor for guitarists who want to improvise with the harmonic minor scale and diminished arpeggios. You can also play the minor pentatonic scale and natural minor scale over this guitar Jam track. Excellent for improvising, learning modes, scales, chords, licks and arpeggios in A minor. This Q JAM TRACKS jam track in provides a visual representation of the chords and scales in diagrams as they appear in the music. Extra theoretical information is shown in the video. It is a high quality backing track and handy tutorial (lesson) at the same time. Also interesting - view the crystal clear QJamTracks Tutorials: All about the diminished scale: https://youtu.be/Unv1Ri5EKUQ One shape for all arpeggios: https://youtu.be/vcaZDOLvvNU The Dorian Pentatonic Concept: https://youtu.be/_kCh-ah6tDk Steve Vai Magic Chords (The Lydian Mode with One Chord Shape) https://youtu.be/SRyfU6DOLIM Photos: Pexels.com (CCO license) Used: Ibanez JEM 7v (www.Ibanez.com) Ibanez SD GR Bass (www.Ibanez.com) Takamine GD930 (www.takamine.com) Castilla Classical Guitars Rode Microphone Axe FX II (www.fractalaudio.com) Social Media/contact: www.facebook.com/QJamTracks www.instagram.com/QJamTracks www.youtube.com/QJamTracks (c)2018 Rob van Hal, Netherlands$

EASY String skipping scale patterns that will IMPROVE your GUITAR SOUND!

$Quartal Chords & Quartal Harmony – Crystal Clear Tutorial Guitar! Quartal chords is a indispensable asset for creating modern, open and ambiguous sounds for Jazz, Fusion and Rock. These are chords that are build with fourth intervals instead of third intervals like in tertian harmony. In this tutorial we going to explore all the possibilities and we going to see that there are some famous quartal chords like the Tristan chord created by Wagner, the so what chord used by Miles Davis and Bill Evans, and the Mystic chord created by the Russian composer Scriabin. 0:00 1. Introduction 00:59 2. The concept 2:37 3. Reincarnation of the 4th interval 5:27 4. Famous Quartal Chords 6:05 5. Quartal inversions 7:42 6. Tonal incorporation 9:30 7. Ambiguity 10:57 8. II – V - I 14:17 9. A-tonal and passing chords 18:18 10. Conclusion You can support me on my patreon page (also for tabs of the licks played in this video): www.patreon.com/QJamTracks Artwork: (c) 2021) Rob van Hal Photo Chick Corea Ice Boy Tell, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Photo Frank Zappa Jean-Luc, CC BY-SA 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons Photo Herbie Hancock Werner Nieke, CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons Photo MCCoy Tyner Eddie Janssens, CC BY 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0, via Wikimedia Commons Photo Robert Fripp Sean Coon from Greensboro, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons Used: Ibanez JEM 7vb (www.Ibanez.com) Ibanez RT Ibanez SD GR Bass (www.Ibanez.com) Schecter Banshee GT FR (www.schecterguitars.com/) Takamine GD930 (www.takamine.com) Castilla Classical Guitars Samson Concert 99 Wireless system Rode Microphone Axe FX II (www.fractalaudio.com) BIAS FX (www.positivegrid.com) Social Media/contact: www.patreon.com/QJamTracks www.facebook.com/QJamTracks www.instagram.com/QJamTracks www.youtube.com/QJamTracks (c)2021 Rob van Hal, Netherlands Subjects in this video: Quartal chords, Quintal chords, Quartal harmony, Quintal harmony, So What chord, Tristan chord, Mystic chord, Jazz chords, Ambiguous chords, a-tonal, modern jazz sound, modern chords, typical Jazz, Music theory lesson guitar, Music theory, Guitar tutorial, Guitar lesson, Rob van Hal, QJamTracks, Q Jem tracks, Q jam tracks$