Micro Lesson 281: "B Minor" Add 2 Progression
Welcome to... "Micro-Lesson 281"
The use and application of the "Add2" style chords are great for producing a dreamy (almost spacey) musical sound. It can be heard in songs by the legendary 1980's band, "The Police," in songs such as; "Every Breath You Take," and "Message in a Bottle."
The chord changes in this Micro Lesson work in this 'dreamy' way through their addition of the second scale tone added upon an existing triad. The complete chord structure ends up structured as; "Root, third, fifth and second."
In measure one of our Micro Lesson progression we find the tonic chord of, "Bm add2." It is arpeggiated, and needs to ring out as best as possible. So, be careful with your chord grip, and allow the notes to clearly resonate. The fingering may be a challenger, since it is a fairly involved stretch, so take your time and allow your fretting-hand to become used to the stretch prior to playing the progression up to tempo.
Measure two, introduces the III-chord of the key, which is the "D add2." This chord sustains longer into the end of this measure, (which is fine due to the next position jump being quite a leap).
The third measure introduces the, "A sus" and, "A add2" chords in the open position. The picked pattern is busy, so be cautious when working out the arpeggio sequence. Finally, in the fourth measure we apply a turnaround phrase that ends up moving through a 3rd-inversion "A7" chord, as well as, a "G maj9." All of which remain within the open position.
In performing this progression, I am recommending finger-picking across each measure. However, I am sure that some players may want to use a flat-picking technique. So, you can be the judge of what technique works the best once you begin learning the chords in the piece. Enjoy!
Micro Lesson 281: "B Minor" Add 2 Progression
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