Parallel Major Chords: A powerful technique for composing rich, emotional music

Have you ever wondered how some of your favorite songs create such emotionally rich and unexpected chord progressions? Many composers and songwriters use a powerful technique that involves borrowing chords from different scales or modes. Today, we’ll explore a specific approach called “parallel majors” that can immediately add new colors to your compositions.

What Are Parallel Majors?

Before diving into parallel majors, let’s establish some foundational concepts.

Understanding Modes

A mode is essentially a scale that starts on a different note of a parent major scale. For example, if we take the C major scale (C, D, E, F, G, A, B) but start on D instead, we get D Dorian mode (D, E, F, G, A, B, C).

The seven modes of the major scale are:

1. Ionian (major)
2. Dorian
3. Phrygian
4. Lydian
5. Mixolydian
6. Aeolian (natural minor)
7. Locrian

When all these modes share the same starting note or tonic (like C Ionian, C Dorian, C Phrygian, etc.), we call them “parallel modes.”

The Concept of Parallel Majors

The “parallel majors” concept takes each of these modes and identifies its parent major scale. For example:

• C Ionian is simply the C major scale
• C Dorian contains the same notes as B♭ major, but starting on C
• C Aeolian (C minor) contains the same notes as E♭ major, but starting on C

This gives us access to a whole new palette of chords to work with in our compositions, while still maintaining C as our tonal center.

The Parallel Majors Chart

Here’s a chart showing each C mode, its parallel major scale, and the chords that appear in those parallel major keys:

C Mode	Parallel Major	I	II	III	IV	V	VI	VII
C Ionian	C Major	C	Dm	Em	F	G	Am	Bdim
C Dorian	B♭ Major	B♭	Cm	Dm	E♭	F	Gm	Adim
C Phrygian	A♭ Major	A♭	B♭m	Cm	D♭	E♭	Fm	Gdim
C Lydian	G Major	G	Am	Bm	C	D	Em	F♯dim
C Mixolydian	F Major	F	Gm	Am	B♭	C	Dm	Edim
C Aeolian	E♭ Major	E♭	Fm	Gm	A♭	B♭	Cm	Ddim
C Locrian	D♭ Major	D♭	E♭m	Fm	G♭	A♭	B♭m	Cdim

How to Use Parallel Majors in Your Compositions

Now for the fun part—putting this knowledge to practical use! Here’s a step-by-step approach:

1. Start with a Simple Progression in a Major Key

Let’s begin with a common chord progression in C major:

C - Am - F - G

This is a I - vi - IV - V progression, one of the most used progressions in pop music.

2. Identify Opportunities for Chord Borrowing

Each chord in your progression is a potential candidate for “borrowing” from a parallel major. Look for places where an emotional shift would enhance your music.

3. Select Alternative Chords from Parallel Majors

Let’s try replacing some chords in our progression by borrowing from parallel majors:

Example 1: Replace the vi chord (Am) with the parallel major version from C Aeolian

• Original: C - Am - F - G
• Parallel major of C Aeolian is E♭ major
• The vi chord in E♭ major is Cm
• New progression: C - Cm - F - G

This small change adds a beautiful, melancholic twist to an otherwise standard progression.

Example 2: Replace the IV chord (F) with the parallel major version from C Phrygian

• Original: C - Am - F - G
• Parallel major of C Phrygian is A♭ major
• The IV chord in A♭ major is D♭
• New progression: C - Am - D♭ - G

This creates a more dramatic, unexpected shift that can work wonderfully for song bridges or pre-choruses.

4. Experiment with Different Combinations

Don’t stop at just one borrowed chord! Try various combinations:

Example 3: Borrow multiple chords

• Original: C - Am - F - G
• Replace Am with Cm (from C Aeolian’s parallel major)
• Replace G with C (from C Mixolydian’s parallel major)
• New progression: C - Cm - F - C

Practical Applications

In Popular Music

This technique of borrowing from parallel majors (often called “modal interchange” or “modal mixture”) is used extensively in popular music:

• The Beatles used this technique in songs like “Penny Lane” and “In My Life”
• Radiohead’s complex harmonies often involve modal interchange
• Jazz standards frequently borrow chords from parallel modes

Tips for Songwriters

1. Start simple: Begin by borrowing just one chord in your progression
2. Trust your ears: If it sounds good, it is good
3. Create contrast: Borrowed chords work best when they create emotional contrast with surrounding chords
4. Consider melody: Make sure your melody notes work with your borrowed chords
5. Think functionally: Borrowed chords can serve similar harmonic functions to the chords they replace

Common Borrowed Chord Combinations

Some borrowed chord combinations work particularly well:

• The Minor IV: Borrowing the iv chord from the parallel minor (using Fm in a C major progression)
• The Flat VII: Using the ♭VII chord from Mixolydian (B♭ in the key of C)
• The Flat VI: Using the ♭VI chord from Aeolian (A♭ in the key of C)

Conclusion

Understanding and using parallel majors doesn’t require advanced music theory knowledge—just a willingness to experiment. By borrowing chords from these parallel major scales, you can add emotional depth and harmonic interest to even the simplest progressions.

Next time you’re writing a song and feel like a chord progression needs something special, try borrowing a chord from one of these parallel major scales. Your ears (and your listeners) will thank you!

Practice Exercise

Take a simple chord progression in a key you’re comfortable with and try replacing one chord with a borrowed chord from a parallel major. Notice how it changes the emotional quality of your progression. There’s no wrong answer here—if it sounds good to you, you’re doing it right!

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Want to learn more about music theory concepts that can enhance your compositions? Check out our other articles on brylie.online.