I have two GREAT OFFERS running right now: the first is a deal on my PDF/video Piano Packs - get all six for £16.95! More info here: www.billspianopages.com/pianopacks - then there's the bundle deal on the digital editions of my three current books, available here: www.billspianopages.com/bundle

Thanks Bill. I’m dealing with a lot of depression, and seem to have forgotten the years of music lessons I’ve had in the past 20 years. I’ve got your first book , which is great, but getting out of a depression makes playing music extremely difficult. I hope I can get there. I love the piano and music, and want to play it properly.

I was thinking the same thing. I agree with the person who said it’s functioning as a B9 (or a B7) I hear it as a V of V thing because it has the same tritone as a B7 would and is leading, effectively, to E.

Just some useful theory information if you are interested (I'll try to be as clear as possible): In the context of A major, D#m7b5/E is vii(halfdim)/V with the 5th degree of A major (E) in the bass. (this is secondary dominant in function) This is similarly followed by a V7(13) chord with a I in the bass (E7(13)/A). (Note the added 13 is the major 3rd of the key C#) Brahms uses this interesting technique of adding the root of the following chord in the bass to create more tension while still feeling grounded in the motion of the chords. We assume from this pattern of sustained petal tone bass notes that we would resolve to A major but we instead half cadence instead to the main theme. The oblique motion of the E bass being carried into the next chord helps us not to drift too far from our key of A major while visiting D#m7b5 Also a very common and melancholic way to resolve V to I is to include the 13 of your V chord (or that major 3rd note of the key) in the V7 chord.

I would add that the interval of F & B (played together) not only has a tendency to resolve chromatically 'outward' to E & C BUT has an equal tendency to resolve 'inward' to F# & A#. I call this the tritone theory and it's hugely important in understanding jazz chord substitutions.

Hey everyone! Somebody yesterday posted a comment suggesting this chord and the one that comes after it are functioning like a heavily modified ii-V (i.e., is it actually a dominant function chord, or predominant?). Unfortunately whoever it was changed their mind and deleted the comment before I got a chance to reply, which is a shame, because it seemed like an interesting thought to me. Thanks for all the interesting analyses, and please keep them coming. I think I might get a whole other video out of the multifarious ways that exist of analysing this chord...! 😂

wow, i was kinda worried this tutorial would've been for complete beginners the way you were using your language, but i was surprised to have learned something both new and very valuable. thank you so much for broadening my horizons as a musician, bill

I don't remember the last time i had a real rush to learn some music theory but you've made it real. Thank you!

Thank you Bill! What a great analysis of this enigmatic chord from Brahms' wonderful Intermezzo Op 118 No2. I immediately fell in love with this glorious piece after hearing it, for the first time, performed as an encore by Radu Lupu in Carnegie Hall, in 2010. The piece, written towards the end of Brahms' life, has haunted me ever since and I like to think it finally expresses, better than unspoken words ever could, his love for Clara, the wife of his close friend, the composer Robert Schumann. Typical of Brahms, this Intermezzo is deceptively difficult to play well!

this is an awesome example of context is the most important thing in music, thank you!

Quite a good video; as somebody essentially self-teaching my way through the intermediate level of music theory & songwriting & production & guitar, it gave me a lot to think about, so thanks!

Thanks Bill, I so enjoy your channel. I've been a classical pianist for over 50 years but I always find something interesting in your videos. I've been playing that Intermezzo for about 30 years i think, and I've never thought about that sction in this "chord centric" way; probably because i was trained to think in terms of melody and harmony rather than chord progressions. Great stuff, thank you for this perspective.

I like this progression that delays the I chord. Its a B9/E to E7 to A major (or a substitute for A major). The B9 does not have the B expressed, however the B is present as a overtone from the E bass note. Another way to express this chord is vii°7 of V / V bass. The B9/E is a substitute for F#m/E (aka vi/V bass), but instead of adding another third on top of the chord, we add another third below the chord. The D# is a minor third below the F#. Yes, this is a creative substitute. The next chord, E7, could be an E9 or E7 b9. As you say, it depends on the context as to which one sounds best in that situation. Cheers!

Its also a bit like a ‘5 of 5’ chord. B9( without the root) resolving to E7 and back to a tonic chord. Or alternatively it could be thought of as a heavily suspended E dominant chord with a D# tendency tone thrown in for good measure. Just my take. Sounds very beautiful however we interpret it theoretically

I see it more as a #IV approach, D# in the key of A, you can approach the V chord E with the #IV of A, in this case D#, why? Because D# is VII of E and E is V of A, both D#m7b5 and D#dim7 work well, D#m7b5 is VII in E and D#dim7 is VII in Em (D#dim7 borrowing from the parallel minor key Em), Chopin and Liszt use this concept a lot but if I'm not wrong it was Schubert who started it in the classical period, but obviously this approach was widely used and possibly invented by J.S. Bach in the baroque period, in jazz it's called #IV substitution, it's a secondary dominant (VII of V) but with a more dramatic colour. The bass notes E over the D#m7b5 and the A over the E7 chord that follows on the score are simply delayed bass notes, the D# resolves to the E in the next beat and I guess the A bass with the E7 at the top will eventually become an A chord, it's kind of a pedal effect.

it's B7 (with an appoggiatura to the root) over E. Common II V I device where the II is dominant and suspended over the root of the V.

sounds like a chord from claude debussy's 'claire de lune' anyway i'm terrible at music theory, i only got a few patterns to get back to the root IV - V - I IV - iv (minor 4th) - I IV - iib5add7 (minor 2nd flat 5 add 7) or ivadd6 (minor 4th add 6) - I i heard the minor 2nd flat 5 add 7 is the same chord as the minor 4th add 6 , i really like this chord before going back to the root

You have coalesced in this one video ideas that have taken me years to arrive at.

nice vid.growing up in 50s music teachers taught “the authentic cadence’ or 5 to 1 as “The Amen cadence”

Thanks for explaining. I have seen this chord pop up in some great pieces of music and now I am ready to compose with it myself. I think Elton John used it a lot on his songs

Your explanation of tritone substitution is sort of right. It’s usually the root that changes. Not Db7/G but G7/Db (Db7-5-9). Important note about the beginning: it’s not just Dmaj at the beginning but D/A. More on this in a second I see Brahms doing a 2,5,1. Instead of Bm7, E7, A it’s (in my opinion) upper structure B9 (secondary dominant) followed by E13. In his genius, he uses the melody c#,b,d (that finally resolves to c#, b, a). The B9/E followed with E13/A is typical V7/I stuff seen all over classical music. Ultimately it results in a deceptive cadence: II, V7, IV

wow! I recognized the right hand as a Half Diminished chord, but this is the first time I've seen the left hand split like that. Its almost like a 251 with a left hand inversion / left hand playing early. I'm happy you explained the relation to Diminished chords at 12:40. Thanks for the lesson!

Exelent lesson!

The infographics and emojis really helped understand what you were saying 👍

This video really pulls together many strands, great job Bill. Thanks! :)

From the perspective of classical music theory all 4 of the notes over E are appoggiaturas, neighbouring dissonant notes of the harmony notes of chord E that resolve with a step.

Your Right! Brahms did make that progression and my ear could not understand it! None the less, I LOVE IT!!! Thanks for allowing me to understand Brahms a "little bit better." (Very Interesting Cord!)

Actually it functions as a V of V B7/E omitting the root B, secondary dominant for E with the E already in the bass, followed by E (V) to I (I guess it goes to A).

Take a _ii > V > I,_ change the _ii_ to major, so that it functions as a secondary dominant onto the _V,_ extend the chords for some extra flavour so you end up with _II9 > V7 > I_ and now take the root away from the _II9_ chord (you don't need it) and voila! Then bring the bass notes in one chord too soon because Brahms and you're sorted.

Excellent that you give classical examples. Thanks.

KInda roughly knew about the theory behind this lesson, but it's very helpful to hear it explained and confirmed by a pro like yourself. Now I know for sure. This deepens my understanding ! Great lesson ! Thanks !

I have been a fan of classical music since childhood. However I can clearly recall I didn't "get" Johannes Brahms at all until I hit my mid 30s. Now that I am looking at the commencement of my declining years, I can't imagine life without the consoling genius of Brahms. Not to say I can play classical myself worth a hoot, and have never tried intermezzos, but this particular chord has always stood out to me while listening to this piece. Thanks for the explanation.

Wow😍 this is very nice lovely ambience music and video. Nice sharing my friend!👏

Super clear explanation. very helpful for chord prog design. Many thanks.

thank you for sharing your knowledge ! keep up the great work! cheers from Portugal !

Great video!! However, I was waiting for you to use that pencil the whole video 🤣 why were you holding it?? Lmao

This video was absolutely great even to someone with very minimal music theory knowledge.

Awesome!!! Thanks for sharing!!!

Great lesson! Including the English lesson, since your pronunciation is absolutely clear to a non native like me. Thanks!

very illustrative tutorial. Thanks a lot Bill

Brilliant. Very enlightening.

Thank you for posting this video!!

Wonderfully rich and descriptive language for describing the chords and sounds. :-)

the reason you can find this chord in Brahms and not in the boring classical music is because Brahms isn't classical but romantic. i'm not saying that classical is boring ofc, but there's a valid reason why people in general consider it boring - it adheres to a strict set of rules. romanticism was a break from that and that's why music from that period is considered more interesting.

Way above my knowledge level this... but so much made sense. Will try a few more of your clips. 30+ years of being a musician... only 2 years ago did I try and read a score ;)

This has sparked a fire in me to sit behind my piano and explore new territory. I feel like Christopher Columbus looking,, searching for land undiscovered full of wonderful new treats treasures

Hmm it’s kind of like the bass notes are doing a ii-V-I in D while the rest of the notes are doing a vii of V and a V7 in A. Like the upper harmonies are doing a fake out like it’s going to the I, but the bass is telling you the truth. Neat!

Great upload !, thanks.

There and Back Again: A chord progression’s journey

It feels much more like some sort of suspended B/E, since the C# has tension that would resolve first down to B, and then the whole thing like V-I to E major (although it's left hanging in the Brahms)

It sounds a lot like the beginning of one of my favorite songs "Oh Lori"

Wow that was a very well done video! I will subscribe.

Awesome video!

This was so cool! At first I was thinking who plays an E bass with an E flat or D sharp Min 7 flat 5???? Lol

Wow, great video! You're very good at explaining these concepts.

Great video!

Brilliantly formatted lesson!

I might call this a sus chord because it resolves like one. 4 falling down to 3. It has an additional element though that is nice and spicy: the Major 7th falling down to the Minor 7th. So there’s a parallel tritone that doesn’t sound as dissonant the first time because there are other clashing notes. The second time the tritone exposed and not obscured as being part of a triad and so sounds harsher. Overall it’s building in dissonance to get a super satisfying resolution to get back to the theme.

Great tutorial, i'll be sure to check out some more. Thanks.

It’s a nice flat 9 sounding chord with the flat 9th in the bass.

Hey Bill, Your videos have been such an inspiration to me. I know this doesn't have anything to do with the video, but I've just recently gotten back to playing the piano. I've always wanted to improvise, and your videos have been a great help, but I'm stuck at the moment. I don't know if there might be some music theory that I'm missing that will help. I just really need to get out of this rut that I'm in. :)

Great stuff!

Subscribed. Thanks!

Excellent lesson... Thanks!

Hey Bill, what is the software you are using to show the digital piano highlighting the notes you are playing? I have been searching for something like this for my virtual students and have been struggling to find something.

First play of the chord made me think Jamiroquai Virtual Insanity

Thanks Bill, well done

Thank you

it is a simple F#m7/E or ii7/I. This is a part of ii-V-! chord progression

thank you

Thank you!

Maybe A13(#11)/E resolving eventually to D? My ear initially heard it as E13 type chord. Emaj13(add4)? I guess I don’t know the piece well enough to say for sure. I would be reluctant to call it a D#m7b5/E. Rootless B9/E as others have mentioned as alternate?

I am wondering the names of classical cadences "vii half diminished" is used. if you wiki cadence you get a history of how cadences progressed though out the years with great composers , they try to do something different to get a distinct sound, the Baroque Era had one sound, Classical Era another , romantic used a lot of diminished principal " Beethovan" Modern Era got away from functional harmony" circle of fifths walk downs" and refused to resolve " Modal harmony" the other basic knowledge " tri tone sub" and Tonic sub Tonic, half cadence" could have easily been for another video linked in the description for those who don't know.

Thought this was a hello foe video with Adam Neely text because of the thumbnail

Thanks

Sir, can you please recommend a video from your channel on how to make your own jazz chord progressions with jazz chord formulas? Am looking for free jazz piano tutorials and those which teach to make your own chord progressions and improvisation.

Hi Bill, I am for the first time here. I am not a musician, either (just trying to better understand music by playing…). However I am interested in the theoretical aspects, especially harmonic minor (sick and tired of western school starting everything from C :-)))). Sorry, while everything about tensions seems to be legit, E does not seem to formally belong to D#m7b5 (in order to be shown as /E like an inversion) -???:-) - sorry for being silly but something looks like I am not getting here… (however, don’t you think that it might be one of the reasons classic composers do not need to indicate chords (harmony) explicitly? Perhaps, they are just that good to create tensions by ear, without thinking how to properly make a stack of the triads?..)

Beautiful music, and interesting harmony. I thank you for that. For me personally, there was too much time spent explaining basic cadences. 8 minutes? The video would have been better with a brief explanation of dominant and plagal cadences, and then the concept of a secondary dominant - B9/E to E13/A !!!

Unfortunately, I think you mislabeled this chord and your analysis was quite off, even if your main point about tension and release is correct. That is NOT a d-sharp min 7 flat5/E in the Brahms. As you say, context is important. The E in the bass is actually a dominant pedal tone that resolves to a Tonic pedal. And the C# in the melody is not a harmonic tone, it is a non-harmonic tone known as an appoggiatura, this tone is actually resolved to the harmonic tone B, and in the right hand you have a simple B7 which is the V7/V. Honestly have an expert check your analysis first. This is a V7/V in first inversion over a dominant pedal resolving to V7 in third inversion over a tonic pedal.

Thanks! It's great to at last find a channel on music theory with the presenter not sounding almost hysterical and with 'background music' at the same volume level as the presenter's voice. Subscribing.

Speaking of a chord that has the tonic within itself as an unstable chord that resolves nicely is to combine the tonic with a subdominant minor. For example, F Ab D on the bottom, G C E on the top, an F minor major chord, resolves nicely to C major. These same notes will sound nice and resolve nicely in many different orders. For example, with the G in the bass, it’s a sus b9 chord, making a nice V/I resolution, especially with the beautiful Ab. The comment about the tension chord having the tonic within it made me think of this as another example. A IVmn -> I is such a pretty resolution, it’s pretty cool that you can combine the two into one chord, and get a nice resolution that way too.

A minor b5 is also called a diminished chord

i hear more poeple call Jazz just playing random notes than people saying classical is boring.

Really? you can get a copyright infringement strike from playing a classical piece from the 1890s? Isnt that in the public domain by now??

This is a Lydian6 chord and your voicing it like a Phrygian minor 7, which it is also

This chord is on Jerry Was A Racecar Driver... I think.

Merci beaucoup for this. I'm too much of a beginner to understand most of this, but I like your explanations. I'll check in again when I have earned my chops. (Do I get points for almost sounding like a musician?)

You could also call it a lydian chord, or A#11/E, and it's a lot less confusing lol. But you explained it fantastically. I learned a lot!

Are you using a piano or a keyboard Bill?

I'm kind of scared that this Brahms piece is the first thing I thought of (before he mentioned it).

Awesome video, but I think the volume of your piano is quite low compared to your voiceover.

I am missing an explanation on how it resolves. obviously going straight back to the tonic would be highly unsatisfactory. I guess there is some detour over a five?

Thats Locrian or Phrygian at best. The bass an inversion is a minor 2nd so you can play those scales. quite dim

Hey man. So Thats actually just a B7/E then an E7 over E to A. it's a 2 5 1 dude. That C# is just a suspension, he resolves it right after...

I clicked on this video wondering how long Tristan and Isolde would take to appear lol

Why isn't it called D# half dim/E? Edit: nvm you mentioned it in the video

If you give it a b it’s just a B9

Why is g7 played with an F and not and F sharp???

also called Emaj13..

Thanks a lot for this eye- (or ear-?) opening video! Creates a lot of new ideas and approaches to finding chords :-)