Ragtime progression

The ragtime progression^[3] 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.^[4] Also typical of parlour music, its use originated in classical music and later spread to American folk music.^[5] 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":^[6]

The ragtime progression (E⁷-A⁷-D⁷-G⁷-C) often appears in the bridge of jazz standards.^[1] The III⁷-VI⁷-II⁷-V⁷ (or V⁷/V/V/V–V⁷/V/V–V⁷/V–V⁷) leads back to C major (I) but is itself indefinite in key.

It can be represented in Roman numeral analysis as^[7][8]

(V7/V/V/V)

V7/V/V

V7/V

V7

I

or^[9][10]

(III7)

VI7

II7

V7

I

In C major this is

(E7)

A7

D7

G7

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).^{[11][12] ⓘ} 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."^[2]

The progression is an example of centripetal harmony, harmony which leads to the tonic and an example of the circle progression, a progression along the circle of fourths. Though creating or featuring chromaticism, the bass (if the roots of the chords), and often the melody, are pentatonic.^[6] (major pentatonic on C: C, D, E, G, A) Contrastingly, Averill argues that the progression was used because of the potential it offered for chromatic pitch areas.^[13]

Variations include the addition of minor seventh chords before the dominant seventh chords, creating overlapping temporary ii–V–I relationships^[14] through ii–V–I substitution:

Bm7 E7

Em7 A7

Am7 D7

Dm7 G7

C

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

Liebestraum No. 3 in A♭ major

Composer Franz Liszt. Performed by Martha Goldstein on an 1851 Erard piano

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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),^[15] 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),^[12] Rev. Gary Davis's "Salty Dog,"^[16] 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),^[6] Bob Carleton's "Ja-Da" (1918),^[17] and Sonny Rollins's "Doxy" (1954).^[18]