Review
What chord makes the most sense in this context?
- IV
- V
- vi
- I
In this chapter we will continue our study of some of the basic chord types that make up popular music. The harmony you learn in this chapter will greatly expand the number of songs that we can understand and opens doors to much more creativity in your songwriting.
The first new chord we will talk about is the iii chord. iii has a sound that feels futher away from home base compared to the other basic chords we’ve studied and isn’t used as often. iii also doesn’t have the flexibility of the chords we have learned so far; you will need to use it with care. This is especially true in songs with shorter chord progressions. We will see that the iii has significantly more utility in songs that use longer progressions where there is more time to play around harmonically.
First, let’s listen to an example of a song that uses iii so you can hear how it sounds.
iii is less common than the other basic chords so when it appears directly after a I chord like this, it definitely gets the listener’s attention.
Here are two common ways that the iii chord is used in a four-chord progression.
Notice that in “If We Hold On Together” by Diana Ross, the progression goes I → iii → IV, and in “So What” by P!nk, the progression goes I → iii → vi. In general, when you use a iii chord, it should nearly always be followed with a IV or a vi. It is uncommon to follow the iii with any other chord.
To illustrate this point, we’ve examined every song in our TheoryTab catalog and looked at what chord came after a iii whenever it occurred. The data reinforces the idea that either IV or vi follow the iii in most cases in real songs.
In practical terms this means that, for songs with short repeating chord progressions, there is not much room for harmonic creativity when using the iii chord. The reason for this is that a four-chord progression starting on I has only two chords before it before it cadences with a IV or a V (iii is not a cadence chord and does not usually work well at the end of a progression). Since the iii needs to be followed by a IV or a vi, the progression essentially must look like: I → iii → (IV or vi) → (V or IV). This constraint is rather limiting, however it’s worth mentioning that tons of Billboard hits use chord progressions of this form with great success. “Because of You” by Kelly Clarkson (above) is a good example. “The One That Got Away” by Katy Perry (I → iii → vi → IV) is another, shown below.
In songs with longer chord progressions, iii has more flexibility. vi or IV will still come after the iii, but you can also take your time both getting to the iii and maneuvering toward your cadence. The verse of “Night Minds” by Missy Higgins gives a good example of a iii used in a longer progression.
The first half of this example uses a standard I → V → IV, but the second half uses iii to change the pattern of the progression. After iii goes to IV the first time, we expect the progression to end with a V. Instead the song prolongs the progression by going back to the iii again before building to the strong IV → V to end the progression. Part of the reason that the final V sounds so nice here is that the songwriter has built up anticipation for it. Now that you know more chords, it’s easier incorporate tricks like this into a larger more interesting progression.
Review
What chord makes the most sense in this context?
Another common function of iii is to link IV and vi as is done in “Basketcase” by Green Day
You may recognize this progression as the progression of the famous classical piece, “Canon in D” by Pachelbel, which has been used countless times in many genres of popular music:
Review
In which of the following places below would a iii chord be appropriate?
Challenge Question
Using your knowledge of how each chord functions in a chord progression (and with the notes in the melody), try to figure out which chords belong in the question marks below. The I chord at the end is the beginning of a new musical phrase.
