28. I-IV-V-The Axis Of Tonal Music

(See 50 &51, Diatonic Harmony Review I and II if you are confused in any way)

The more familiar you are with the chord voicings, scales triads, etc and how they connect up and down the neck in any I-IV-V progression, the more equipped you are to maneuver through whatever changes come your way. Even if you are after complex and highly textured music, you will have a much more effective approach to everything if all aspects of handling I-IV-V changes are comfortable. It doesn’t matter if it’s in a blues context or straight major scale harmony. How do you know if you’re handy with I-IV-V? Ask yourself the following:

1. Can I play, readily, a simple I-IV-V progression in any key? (Especially the ‘guitarist’s favorite keys’ of C,A,G,E and D)

2. Can I play simple triads in any position on the neck as I-IV-V? (see I-IV-V Triads in C, in Appendix A, if necessary)

3. Am I just as comfortable working other combinations of I-IV-V (IV-V-I, V-IV-I etc)?

Make sure you have good working knowledge of I-IV-V !