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]
It can be represented in Roman numeral analysis as [7] [8]
(V7/V/V/V) | V7/V/V | V7/V | V7 | I |
(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. ⓘ
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]