Chord Changes & Chord Subs

Good morning. This is Duane. Today I’d like to take a look at the chord changes in that classic song “Here’s That Rainy Day.” We’re going to play it in the key of F I think. Let me just walk you through the chord changes and then we’ll talk about what you can do to make it sound a little more interesting.

It starts out on the F chord. Then it goes to the A flat chord. Then it goes to the D flat chord. Then it goes to G minor 7th suspensions, the G minor 7th chord like that except C’s on top. Then it goes to C 7th, then back to F. Then it kind of throws a curve ball and it goes to B flat minor 7th. Then it goes to E flat, E flat 7th. Then it goes to A flat, D flat, G minor 7th, C 7th, F. Then we probably need a turnaround chord. I think we’ll do that later. Turnaround is chord is just a chord that’s used to get into the next phrase. I’ll probably use a C 7th or a C 7th suspension.

Then the second part of the song is similar to the first part but not exactly. I’ll start on the F chord. Then you go to A flat 7th and then D flat, and then that G minor 7th with the C on top, then C 7th, F. Then it goes to B flat. First time was B flat minor. Remember that? Now this goes to B flat major. Now that’s kind of a subtle change there. That’s the C 7th chord, but B flat’s on the bottom. A minor, D 7th, then G minor 7th suspension, C 7th, and it ends on F.

Now that’s kind of blah, kind of boring, isn’t it? Let’s see if we can fill that up a little bit by just adding a few color tones and maybe a couple chord substitutions. I think I’m going to start out with F 9th I think I’ll use. I’ll call it a 2nd because there’s no 7th in it. Then when you move to A flat 7th I would voice it like this probably: C, B flat, G flat and F. Then D flat major 7th. I would put a 9th in. I think that chord is a D flat 6/9 chord. You see it’s in 1st inversion. There’s a 3rd, 5th, 6th and 9th. Then I go to that chord G minor with suspension with the C. Then C7th, except I think a put a flat 9th in it. Watch me do that. C 7th with a flat 9th. There’s a flat 9th. There I not only flat the 9th but I flat the 5th. Then I go to F but I put a major 7th in it.

Then I think I’d do a half-step slide into B flat by playing the B 7th chord: B, A, C sharp, D sharp and A. Then B flat major 7th, that C 7th, B flat major 7th, and then that C 7th, a minor. There on the D 7th I think I’d put a flat 9th. Now in the G minor 7th chord that we’ve played several times with the suspension, I’m going to put a 9th in that. In other words, I’m going to harmonize the suspension with a 9th. Then C 9th again. Then go into F, but I think I’d go into D flat instead. In other words, D flat and then do a half-step slide on G flat minor 7th, and then down to F.

Now let me play it through by using all those chord changes I talked about, the chord changes and the substitutions. You’re just running that chord up. We started with the run, the same chord we used as the 6/9 chord. Then we use that A flat chord with the 9th and the 6th in it. Notice in my right hand you may want to do that. I’m playing octaves but I’m offsetting them, bottom note, top note. In the right hand notice I’ve got an octave with chords filled in. My left hand I have that 6/9 chord. In the right hand the melody goes like this. I harmonize it with a 3rd under it. Let me do it here so you …

Now I’ve got the whole E flat chord, don’t I? It’s over the D flat 7th chord, D flat 9th chord. What I’m going to do is I’m going to straddle down the E flat chord. Let me back up. Take that chord and run it up. That’s kind of a block chord thing. Now I think after I get there I think I’ll do a little filler here. I’m taking a group of 4ths, C with G under it and D under that. They’re all a 4th apart, interval of 4th. Then I’m going to C minor 7th. Then I’m going to B 7th, but I’m going to put a D flat chord over it. Then that B flat minor 7th. When you get to E flat 7th you could do this. Just an idea for a filler. Ooh, that was terrible. E flat, D flat. You can run it up if you want. That’s G minor 7th with a 9th in it, suspension too. There’s just a turnaround chord. I’m using 7th suspension.

B flat major 7th, C 7th with the B flat on the bottom, 7th on the bottom. That’s a D 7th. I’m putting in a flat 9th. There’s a 7th. I’m putting in a 6th, too. These are just some suggested voicings. If you don’t like it, you certainly don’t have to use it, just an idea. That’s G minor 7th with a suspension and a 9th. Then the end, instead of to F I would go to D flat major 7th and then G flat 7th, say. Then end with an F chord, something like that. On the last chord, on the F chord, I used 3rds, like the G chord over the F chord. I wouldn’t end on that but like this. Let me do that, something like that.

There’s some ideas for “Here’s That Rainy Day,” a beautiful tune. Just some idea starters to get you going. If you enjoyed this, come on over to PlayPiano and sign up for our whole series. You’ll gain a lot. Thank you. See you tomorrow. Bye bye

***For lots more good stuff on piano playing come on over to my website at https://www.playpiano.com and sign up for our free piano tips – “Exciting Piano Chords & Sizzling Chord Progressions!”

Here’s a great little book on chords and chord progressions on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Piano-Chords-Chord-Progressions-Exciting-ebook/dp/B0076OUGDE/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1404158669&sr=1-1&keywords=piano+chords+duane+shinn

Here is the video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=quJxabC336s&feature=youtu.be

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