BookatlasPiano Rabbit Hole: Improvisation Theory & Practice
194 / 18210 · Module 6 — Cadences, Phrase Structure, Harmonic Rhythm, and Hearing Musical “Punctuation”← prev⊞ allnext →

6.31Circle-of-fifths phrase motion

This progression:

Em → Am → Dm → G7 → C

Em → Am → Dm → G7 → C

has roots:

E → A → D → G → C

E → A → D → G → C

Each moves down a fifth / up a fourth.

This produces strong forward motion.

You do not need to hear every chord instantly.

If you hear the bass moving this way, recognize:

We may be traveling through a fifths sequence toward C.