Ragtime progression

thumb|350px|Ragtime progression's origin in [[voice leading: II itself is the product of a 5–6 replacement over IV in IV–V–I. "Such a replacement originates purely in voice-leading, but" the chord above IV (in C, FAD) is a first-inversion II chord. ]]

The ragtime progression is a chord progression characterized by a chain of secondary dominants following the circle of fifths, named for its popularity in the ragtime genre, despite being much older. Also typical of parlour music, its use originated in classical music and later spread to American folk music. Growing, "by a process of gradual accretion. First the dominant chord acquired its own dominant...This then acquired its dominant, which in turn acquired yet another dominant, giving":

It can be represented in Roman numeral analysis as<!-- The cited texts all describe "a dominant of a dominant of a dominant of a dominant", the corresponding Roman numeral spelling is as follows: -->

:{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:350px;"

|width=20%| (V⁷/V/V/V)

|width=20%| V⁷/V/V

|width=20%| V⁷/V

|width=20%| V⁷

|width=20%| I

|}

or

:{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:350px;"

|width=20%| (III⁷)

|width=20%| VI⁷

|width=20%| II⁷

|width=20%| V⁷

|width=20%| I

|}

In C major this is

:{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:350px;"

|width=20%| (E⁷)

|width=20%| A⁷

|width=20%| D⁷

|width=20%| G⁷

|width=20%| C

|}

Most commonly found in its four-chord version (including the chord in parentheses). This may be perceived as a, "harder, bouncier sounding progression," than the diatonic vi–ii–V⁷–I (in C: Am–Dm–G⁷–C). The three-chord version (II–V–I) is "related to the cadential progression IV–V–I...in which the V is tonicized and stabilized by means of II with a raised third."

Variations include the addition of minor seventh chords before the dominant seventh chords, creating overlapping temporary ii–V–I relationships through ii–V–I substitution:

:{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:400px;"

|width=20%| Bm⁷E⁷

|width=20%| Em⁷A⁷

|width=20%| Am⁷D⁷

|width=20%| Dm⁷G⁷

|width=20%| C

|}

since Bm⁷–E⁷–A is a ii–V–I progression, as is Em⁷–A⁷–D and so on.

Examples of the use of the ragtime progression include the chorus of Howard & Emerson's "Hello! Ma Baby" (1899), the traditional "Keep On Truckin' Mama," Robert Johnson's "They're Red Hot" (1936), Arlo Guthrie's "Alice's Restaurant" (1967), Bruce Channel's "Hey! Baby" (1962), Gus Cannon' "Walk Right In" (1929), James P. Johnson's "Charleston" (1923), Ray Henderson's "Five Foot Two, Eyes of Blue" (1925), Bernie and Pinkard's "Sweet Georgia Brown" (1925), the "Cujus animam" (mm.9-18) in Rossini's Stabat Mater, the beginning of Liszt's Liebesträume (1850), and Sonny Rollins's "Doxy" (1954).

See also

• Diatonic function
• Extended dominant
• Rhythm changes

Sources

Further reading

• Averill, Gage (2003). Four Parts, No Waiting, p.&nbsp;32. .