Bach Key Changes and Progressions

Ted Greene – 1974-01-20

Roman numeral with _ under it will indicate a major or dominant 7th chord that is actually the V (7) of a minor
key up a 4th;

= no preparation
= subdominant preparation only.

1st Lute Suite

1) i v iv IV, i, i, V, i, v, iv, i , i, viiº of v, V, i, V

V pedal

2) 3/4 | progression: V, i, iv, VII, III, VI(iv); iv VII III VI(iv) I V IV i IV VII, III(i) IV(ii) V(III) 
of V

VI(iv) i V i V iv V of iv iv VII III IV V V I IV(ii) V(with back cycle) I V I i IV VII III VI(iv) i V 
of III / // / //

V i V i, V i IV VII II(i) iv(ii) v V, i v i iv V I

of iv / / / / // /

3) i | i | V | V i ii V | i | iv VII | III(i) | VI | iiº III | iv 6 IV 6 v 6 V 6 | iv | V i V | i i 6 iv i6 4 | iv6 6 viiº V | I | 

/ / / / of v // / / / / //

| Descending 3rds in i melodic minor | V | V | i | IV VII | III iv I | V i iiº | i 6 i V | v V | I | iv | VII | III | V | i | 

with V soprano pedal // of v // / /

| iv ii | V | i iv V | I descending 3rds in iv melodic minor |

with I soprano pedal

4) 3/4 | i V | i iv VII | III VI | v VI ii± | V | i V | i | III vii I | IV | IV iii ii | I IV iii | IV V | I V |

// / // / // / / / / // // /
|----------------------------- of III -------------------------------|

| iv iiº i | viiº i V | VI V iv | V i | iv6 V | I ii | I | I | V III | VI i ii± | V | V i | vi6 V i | VI v iv | V i |

/ // // /
// /
| / // / or iv III iiº //
|------------------------------------------------ of v -----------------------| |- of III -| |---------- of i ----------| |---------- of iv -------------------------------

| V iv V | i V | iv | V I6 viiº 6 | VII I | IV ii V | I i | V | i III iv | V i | iv V v | V7 VI7 IV 6 |

// // / // / // /
-------- of iv ------| |-------- of VII ----------| |------- of III ---------|

| VII V 6 i | iv V | i iv V | I |
“Bach Key Changes and Progressions” — Ted Greene, 1974-01-20 page 2

5) i VI ii± V i V i | i VII III V i v VI (ii) V (VI V) | i V i VI IV viiº I IV V V i V i iv V I

|--- of v ----| |-------- of III --------| |--------- of v --------|

ii V i V7¨9 VI V i V i V i VI ii± V i V I |
|-- of iv --| |--- of i ---| |-- of v --|

6) 4/4| i iv V iv | i V i VII | III iv V | i V i | i iv V iv | i V i V | I IV V | I :|| V I V | I V i iv | V i V |

// // // // / / // /
|-------- of III --------| |-- of VI -| |--------- of iv -------|

| ii V | I Vof VI VI Vof iv | iv Vof VII VII Vof v | i iv V | i V | I IV | VII III | VI ii± | V I | iv VII III VI |
//
|---- of III ---| |----- of v -----| of i………

| ii V i iv | V iv i V | I or i |

7) 3/4| i | i V | i | iv | V | i | iv | iv | V | i Vof iv | iv Vof v | v V | i V | i | IV | VI |

// // / // / // / //

| V | I | V | I | I | IV | V | I | IV | V | I vi | ii V | I | iv | V | i |
|---- of VI ---| |--- of VII ---| |-------------------- of III ------------------------------------------------------| | --------- of i ---------|

| V | i I | iv | V | I | iv | iv | I :|| V | i v | VI | V I | V | I V | I V 6 | vi ii | V I |
// / // / / // // / // / // / // /
|---------------------------------- of v ----------------------------| |------------ of III -----------------------------------------------

| IV vii | III VI | II V | I | IV | I | IV ii V | Vof VI | VI | VofVII | VII | Vof i | VI 6 (i) v 6 |

// /

| III iv 6 III 6 | iv ¨II 6 i 6 | V | i IV | VII III | VI ¨II | V i | iv 6 | i 6 ii° | i v 6 | VI III 6 |

// / // // // //

| iv VI III | Vof iv | iv V | descending parallel 6ths [….?....]

Tonic Pedal

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“Bach Key Changes and Progressions” — Ted Greene, 1974-01-20 page 3

2nd Lute Suite

1) 4/4| i | i (v) | VI | VI (V) | iv | iv (i 6 ) | iv | V | i | VI i | V | V | I V | I V | I |

|---------- of III -------------------------|

| V | i | V i | V | V | i | V | i | V | i VI iv V | iv V | i v | §vio V | i iv V |
/ /// //
|--- of i -----| |---------------------- of v -----------------------------------------------------| |---- of i ----| |---------- of v ---------------

| VI 7 II 7 | V | i VI ii V | V | to 1st 10 bars in key of V to | VI V | ii± V | i | VI i |

----------- of v --------------------------------------| |------------------ of i ---------------------|

| VI V | ii± V | i V | i V | i | iv | VII | III | VI | ii± | V | V | i | V | i |

----------- of v ---------------------------------- with bass back-cycle---

| VI V | i or VI | ¨II V | i V | i | i | v | v | VI | V | i V | i V | i | iv | VII | III | VI |

|----------- iv of iv ---------| |--------------------------- of iv -------------------------|

| II | V | V | I | I | IV | IV | VII | VII | III | III | VI iv | V | V |

i II | V | i II | V | i VI ii V | i V | VI v | V i | i | V | i ¨II V | i V | II7¨9 | II7¨9 | V | i |

/// / /// / / /// // / /
|-------- of iv -------|

| V | i VI ii V ||

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2) 6/8 | i | iv IV | VII V | i V | i v | Vsus V | i | iv IV | VII V | i VI ii± V | i IV | V i VI ii± v ii |

|--------------------------- of v -----------------------------------------------| | of iv--

| V VI ii i | IV VII i iv VI | ii v i iv VII | III ii V | etc.

-- of iv------------|

| I vi ii V III VI ii V to descending bass contrary run); seq.; v 7 i 7 IV9 VII 7 III7+ VI7 II7 V7 I7
|----- of III-------| |------- of i -------|

iv 7 to iv 6 i6 4 iv 6 i 6 iv V i; VI 6 ii±96 5 down to V.
sequence

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“Bach Key Changes and Progressions” — Ted Greene, 1974-01-20 page 4

Easter Oratorio – 2nd movement

Bm Em6 | Em6 F#76 5 B7 2 (E/96 5 ) E#œ 6 F#...... Bm D/Em7 A7 D7 G7 C#± (Em)

F#7 Bm C#7 2 F#m 6 Bm v C# F#m Bm6 v C#

[?m] C# to F#m same pattern: F#m Bm64 3 | Bm64 3 C#76 5 F#7 2 (B/96 5 ) B#œ 6 C#.....

F#m Bm7 E7 A7 D7 G7 C#œ F#7 Bm Em7 A7 D7 G7 C#±7 F#7 Bm Em F#7

[G7 ?] B74 3 Em Am7 or C D7 G C#± or C#œ7 Em6 4 F#7¨96 5 Bm Em v F#7 Bm |

Bm Em64 3 | Em64 3 F#76 5 Bm (F#m 6 ) G7 C#± F#.....

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Bach’s Modulation – One method was to introduce melodically first the tones which destroy the
old key feeling and create the new:

Example  to go from i to iv, introduce ¨2nd, ª3, ¨7 | to v: #4, ª6, ¨7

(degrees of scale)

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Universal Facts or Progs:

1) Use chains of VI, v, VI or VI in minor

2) Suspensions between any chord
3) Precede, follow, or replace any triad with one a 3rd lower (more rarely, higher)
4) Bass Back-Cycling: like to go from F to B¨: F - C 6 - Dm - Am 6 - B¨
5) In Am: E7 lines, A7 lines, D D7 2 B6 4 Dm6 4 E7¨9 A
6) In Dm: Dm F6 4 Dm6 5 , Am 6 Em6 4 C7¨9 B¨
7) In F#m circle of 4ths…… bass (from v) C# A F# G# down…
8) Hit Intervals, then add [ ? ] (like 10ths)
9) In Am: E7 F7 A74 3 Dm to cad [cadence ?] in Am.