Workshop 3 mini-test

1. What is I–vi–ii–V in C?

2. What broad functions does it represent?

3. Why is Cmaj7→Am7 so smooth?

4. What is the common jazz substitution for Am7 in this turnaround?

5. What chromatic note does A7 introduce?

6. What does that note resolve to?

7. What is the dominant-chain version in C?

8. What is the tritone substitute for G7?

9. Why can C major scale work over the basic diatonic loop?

10. What is the larger lesson of this workshop?

Answers

1. Cmaj7 → Am7 → Dm7 → G7
2. Tonic → tonic substitute → predominant → dominant.
3. The seventh chords share three notes: C, E, and G.
4. A7
5. C♯
6. C♯ → D
7. Cmaj7 → A7 → D7 → G7 → C
8. D♭7
9. All four basic chords are diatonic to C major; the important difference is which chord tones you target.
10. A simple four-chord loop can support enormous harmonic, melodic, rhythmic, and stylistic variety when you understand its functions rather than merely memorizing the chord names.

The key lesson of Workshop 3 is:

Sophistication does not require a complicated progression. It can come from what you do to a simple progression over time.

A strong next workshop would be “Fly Me to the Moon”, because it extends this idea into a longer Circle-of-Fifths sequence and forces you to move fluidly between major and minor functions while keeping a very recognizable melody above the harmony.