Transposing –

Can you imagine listen to Mack Knife being played/sung without transposing, it would be a bore. The song starts in a low singing range and as it modulates to the higher keys more excitement is added to the band and the singer ends in his strongest key range.

I am, open or correction on this one.

Quote, “C to Eb. Well, you can go C, to Fmin, to Bb7, into Eb, just following the circle of fourths”.

F to Bb is a forth, and Bb to Eb is a fourth but since we are traveling to the I chord Eb then we should not be speaking in terms of distance. F to Bb is a fourth.

Key Eb Eb Fm Gm Ab Bb Cm D half dim. Eb
I IIm IIIm IV V VI VII half dim. VIII

So Bb in the key which we are traveling to, Eb is now called V to I.
The reason I used these terms is because we are talking about a sequence in chords of a selected key. Hence, although we are, in distance, a 4th away Bb should be referred to as the V chord.

There are many who use the cycle of 4ths and 5ths, it’s a good toll but I find it conflicting when talking about chord progressions. When I am teaching or talking about chord progressions the terminology I use will all be connected to the subject I am teaching.

Hey, this does not mean anyone is wrong, it’s just my way of trying to help people understand. I have students that have become confused trying to use the cycle of 4ths and 5ths and the steps of the scale. The books use V going to I. (Scale terms)

IMHO, John C.