Nathaniel School of Music

Build Cinematic Piano Chord Progressions Using Intervals and the Circle of Fifths

You can create cinematic piano progressions by moving major or minor triads by a fixed interval: perfect fifths and fourths around the Circle of Fifths give strong cadences, while repeated minor thirds (diminished seventh roots) or major thirds (augmented triad roots) give mysterious, movie-like chord changes.

Video lesson by Jason Zac · Intermediate · 20 min

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Key points

This lesson from Jason Zac at Nathaniel School of Music is a combined workout for chords and intervals. You train your theory, your ear and your playing at the same time by moving major and minor triads by one interval at a time. It suits anyone who can already play major and minor triads, even if you do not yet know every inversion. The lesson works on guitar, bass or banjo too, and it helps to keep a notebook and pencil nearby.

There are no set melodies here. The idea is open-ended: play the chord movements, then improvise over them.

Step 1: Perfect fifths and fourths with the Circle of Fifths

The Circle of Fifths places the 12 notes a perfect fifth apart, like the 12 hours on a clock. Moving clockwise gives you fifths: C, G, D, A, E, B, F#, Db, Ab, Eb, Bb, F and back to C. Moving anticlockwise gives you perfect fourths: C, F, Bb, Eb, Ab, Db (C#), Gb (F#), B, E, A, D, G, C.

Clockwise: plagal movement

Start with C major and play a major triad on each note going clockwise. Because C is the fourth of G, each move sounds like a plagal cadence (IV to I), the familiar sound at the end of a hymn.

Anticlockwise: perfect cadences

Going anticlockwise, each chord acts as the V of the next, so every move is a perfect cadence (V to I). C leads to F, F (as a dominant seventh) leads to Bb, Bb to Eb, and so on round to G and back to C.

Tips for this round

Step 2: Moving by minor thirds

A minor third is three semitones. Play C minor, then move up a minor third to Eb minor, then F# minor, then A minor. The next minor third brings you back to C, so the cycle repeats. This gives a dark, Hollywood-style sound.

The four roots C, Eb, F# (Gb) and A spell a diminished seventh chord: root, minor third, diminished fifth and diminished seventh (which sounds like a major sixth). Now keep the same roots but play major triads: C, Eb, F# and A major. All-major chords give a hopeful yet uncertain, exploratory feel, while the minor version sounds gloomy and desolate.

The other two diminished seventh families

Because the diminished seventh chord is symmetrical, there are only three families to learn:

Run minor triads and then major triads on the roots of each family.

Step 3: Moving by major thirds

A major third up from C is E, and a major third up from E is G#. The next major third returns to C. These roots form a C augmented triad (C E G#). Play C minor, E minor and G# minor, then swap to major chords: C, E and Ab major. The Lydian mode works well for improvising over this major movement.

There are four augmented families: those on C, Db, D and Eb. Starting on E would simply repeat the C family.

How to practise

  1. Go all the way round the Circle of Fifths with major chords, then minor, clockwise and anticlockwise.
  2. Work through all three diminished seventh families with minor, then major triads.
  3. Work through all four augmented families the same way.
  4. Sing roots as you go, and improvise a simple tune over each movement.

These chords do not come from a single scale; they grow out of a symmetrical interval. Mastering them makes ordinary pop songs feel much easier afterwards.

Questions about this lesson

How do I make piano chords sound like a movie soundtrack?

Move a major or minor triad repeatedly by the same interval, such as a minor third (C minor, Eb minor, F# minor, A minor) or a major third (C, E, Ab). These symmetrical moves do not come from one key, which gives a mysterious cinematic sound.

Which direction of the Circle of Fifths gives perfect cadences?

Moving anticlockwise (C, F, Bb, Eb and so on) makes each chord the V of the next, giving perfect V–I cadences. Moving clockwise gives plagal IV–I movement.

Why are there only three diminished seventh families?

A diminished seventh chord is built entirely from minor thirds, so it repeats every four notes. The families on C, D and E cover all 12 notes between them.

What scale can I improvise with over major chords moving by major thirds?

The Lydian mode works well over major chords moving by major thirds, such as C, E and Ab major.

Practise it

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