Minor Scale - Chromatic-minor System

Chromatic-minor System

Also found outside of traditional Western classical music, the chromatic-minor "system" is a natural minor scale with major triads built on every step, though the first may be major or minor (the tonic to Eric Clapton's cover of JJ Cale's "After Midnight" is major on Eric Clapton and minor on Crossroads) and occasionally the second may be lowered (a Neapolitan chord). "Whereas the construction of the natural-minor system involves the consistent use of a scale at the expense of variety in triad qualities, the chromatic-minor system involves consistent use of a particular triad type—the major triad—at the expense of purity of scale." Thus variants of the third, fourth, sixth, and seventh are found. Seventh chords are usually dominant sevenths, involving further chromaticism. II and VI are generally not used together, "perhaps because the tritone between their roots leaves the chords too distant." Due to the unusual nature of this system, rather than V/V the major triad built on the second step is notated II.

Examples of its use:

• Featuring major tonic include: The Rolling Stones' "Brown Sugar" (without II), The Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" (without VI), Eddie Floyd's "Knock On Wood", The Beatles' "Here Comes The Sun", The Who's "Pinball Wizard", The Bangles' "Walk Like An Egyptian", Bachman-Turner Overdrive's "Roll On Down The Highway", Eric Clapton's "Cocaine", Grand Funk's "We're An American Band", Devo's "Whip It", and Harry Chapin's "Cat's In The Cradle". Also Madonna's "Give Me All Your Luvin'", Florence + the Machine's "What the Water Gave Me", Britney Spears' "Piece of Me", Nine Inch Nails' "We're in This Together", Massive Attack's "Teardrop", and Prince's "Darling Nikki".
• Featuring minor tonic include: R.E.O Speedwagon's "Ridin' The Storm Out", The Rolling Stones' "Paint It, Black", The Clovers' "Love Potion No. 9", The Animals' "House Of The Rising Sun", Jefferson Airplane's "Somebody To Love", Tom Petty's "Refugee", The Who's "I Can See For Miles", and The Partridge Family's "I Woke Up In Love This Morning". Also Nirvana's "Come as You Are".
• Featuring variable tonic include: The Turtles' "Happy Together" and Nirvana's "Heart-Shaped Box".
• Featuring open fifth as tonic include: Booker T. and the MGs' "Green Onions".
• Featuring N include: Joni Mitchell's "Help Me", The Mama and the Papas' "Monday, Monday", Kansas's "Carry On Wayward Son", and The Moody Blues' "Nights In White Satin".
• Featuring VI (dom7) include: Linda Ronstadt's "You're No Good", and Aerosmith's "Toys In The Attic".
• Featuring VI and II without V: The Go-Gos' "We Got The Beat".

It may be seen that it is not an anomaly and that it may be used for, "a wide variety of expressive purposes." The chromatic-minor system can be compared with the blues scale, which harmonizes the common degrees of the three minor modes with major chords, which can also be elongated into seventh chords, especially major-minor seventh chords.

Examples of chord progressions in the chromatic-minor system:

I – ♭III – IV – I

I – ♭III – ♭VII – IV

I (or i) – ♭VI – IV

I – ♭VII – ♭VI