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Gymnopédie No. 1
Two major seventh chords, a slow waltz and a lot of empty space. Satie's Gymnopédie No. 1 rocks between Gmaj7 and Dmaj7 with F# held on top like a thread, never finding a clear home, so the music simply floats. Play it, see why it works, then write a floating loop of your own.
In this lesson you'll
- Play the accompaniment of Gymnopédie No. 1: Gmaj7 and Dmaj7, one per bar in 3/4, bass on beat 1 and the chord on beat 2.
- Understand why it never reaches home: chords IV and I of D, each with an unresolved major seventh, and no dominant.
- Sort the melody into chord tones and colour notes, and write your own floating loop with two major seventh chords.
Music in this lesson
- Gymnopédie No. 1Erik Satie · 1888
Remember
Two major seventh chords rock one per bar; F# stays on top in both, the seventh of G and the third of D.
No five chord and two sevenths that never resolve: no clear home, so the music floats.
Bass on one, chord on two, space on three: a slow waltz with no drive, and a melody of chord tones and colour notes.