Violin · Level 5 · Intermediate

The I–vi–ii–V turnaround in F major on Violin

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THE SHORT ANSWER

The turnaround circles through four chords, two beats each, to lead back to the start of a tune. It trains faster chord changes inside a bar.

Fmaj7

F major seventh

Notes: F · A · C · E

D 2A openA 2E openE 1
String and finger, first position

Dm7

D minor seventh

Notes: D · F · A · C

D openD 2A openA 2A 3
String and finger, first position

Gm7

G minor seventh

Notes: G · B♭ · D · F

G open♭G 2D openD 2D 3
String and finger, first position

C7

C dominant seventh

Notes: C · E · G · B♭

G 3D 1D 3♭A 1A 2
String and finger, first position
1
Fmaj7Dm7
2
Gm7C7
3
Fmaj7Dm7
4
Gm7C7

HOW TO PRACTISE IT

Six steps to a clean loop.

  1. Play each chord as an arpeggio, one note at a time: Fmaj7, Dm7, Gm7 and C7. Press play on the card, then match each note.
  2. Stay in first position: use the open string where you can and keep the fingers close to the string.
  3. Set the tempo to 60 BPM and play the progression with one chord per bar. Change on beats one and three; keep the hands moving on beat four.
  4. Play the chord tones one at a time, one note per beat, with a full, even bow on each.
  5. Raise the tempo to 80 BPM once you can play the loop three times without stopping.
  6. Record one take, listen back and check for two even chord changes per bar.

Listen for

Aim for two even chord changes per bar. A common mistake is letting the second chord in the bar arrive late.

Why it works

Each root falls a fifth (or rises a fourth) to the next — the circle of fifths in miniature.

F major has 1 flat; its relative minor key is D minor.

Questions

What are the chords in Imaj7–vi7–ii7–V7 in F major?

In F major the progression is Fmaj7 Dm7 | Gm7 C7 | Fmaj7 Dm7 | Gm7 C7.

What is the key signature of F major?

F major has 1 flat. Its relative minor is D minor.

Is this lesson right for my level?

This is a level 5 lesson (intermediate). If it feels too hard, start with “A descending bass line”.

Your hands learn faster than your eyes.

Reading a chord chart is step one. Play it to a metronome, record it, and hear yourself get better, all in one app.

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The same lesson in other keys

On another instrument

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