Chord progressions are the skeleton that give your songs their basic outline.
Choosing the chords you’ll use and arranging them into satisfying progressions is one the most important jobs when writing a song.
But creating new chord progressions is difficult if you don’t know a handful of basic ones to get your ideas flowing.
Change the chord order - Some of the most interesting and unique sounds come from 1 taking the chords in a common progression and switching them around. A tepid I-VImin- IImin-V has a totally different emotional quality when re-ordered to a IImin-VImin-I-V. Pick a common progression you thought you had exhausted and begin switching around the. Minor II V I VI Chord Progression 7. In the next progression, the Ab13 chord in bar one moves down by a half-step to a G7b9b5 chord in bar two. This then moves down to the Ebmaj7 chord being substituted over the Cm7 chord in bar three before that Ebmaj7 chord lowers its 7th from D to Db and fifth (Bb-A), to produce the Eb7#11 chord in bar four. However, an age progression artist will sometimes shrink the iris- revealing more whites of the eyes – to imply aging, says Ms Prince. In cases of vanished children, the child must usually have been missing for at least two years to warrant an age progression image, says Ms Prince.
So many songs are based on the same common chord progressions.
If you understand how the most common ones work, you’ll have a head start for creating your own—and you’ll know how to play a lot of songs!
In this article I’ll go through the most popular chord progressions to know in music.
In some places I’ll be writing the chords using Roman numerals instead of their letter names. If you need a refresher on how Roman numerals work in music you can check out our chord progressions starter guide to get up to speed.
1. I-V-vi-IV
So many songs are based on the same common chord progressions.
This progression is called “the most popular progression” for a reason.
It’s been used in just about every genre imaginable, from post-punk to country.
It sounds so satisfying because each new chord in the pattern feels like a fresh emotional statement.
Once you know how this one works you’ll start to hear it everywhere in pop music.
2. I, IV and V
I, IV and V are the basic building blocks for chord progressions in western music.
You’ll find these chords playing an important role in every single style of popular music.
The reason why has to do with functional harmony.
A Most Intriguing Progression Ever
I, IV and V are the simplest versions of the main chord categories in tonal music—tonic, pre-dominant and dominant.
Moving from one to the other and back again is how you create the sense of tension and release that gives chord progressions their forward momentum.
I, IV and V are the basic building blocks for chord progressions in western music.
There’s almost too many songs to count that include these chords in their progressions. But here’s a classic example to get it in your ears.
3. ii-V-I
Some chord progressions are closely associated with specific genres.
The ii-V-I progression is the backbone of almost all of the standard tunes in jazz.
It’s so important that it appears in different forms in the best jazz chord progressions.
Even if you’re not into jazz, these timeless harmonic patterns are important to know.
Many modern genres have a strong influence from jazz harmony. Whether it’s R&B, neo-soul or hip-hop, the ii-V-I is an essential sound.
Many modern genres have a strong influence from jazz harmony
Here’s a modern tune that’s based on the ii-V-I progression:
4. 12 Bar Blues
Speaking of genre progressions, the 12 bar blues is another essential chord sequence that comes from a distinct style.
It forms the basic sound of blues music but it appears in many different genres too.
Depending on how you use it, the 12 bar blues can even sound more “happy” than bluesy.
It’s a versatile progression that you need to add to your songwriter’s toolkit.
Here’s an example of an interesting usage of the 12 bar blues that shows how it can work in many different moods.
5. I-vi-IV-V
This common chord progression is associated with the classic love songs and do-wop tunes of the 50s, but it shows up all over music history.
It features smooth motion from the tonic to the sixth in the first half that provides a great blank canvas for vocal melodies.
Each chord after that adds to the compelling arc this progression makes as it cycles back to the tonic.
A Most Intriguing Progression Meaning
You can hear the way this progression tugs on the heartstrings in vintage ballads like The Righteous Brothers’ “Unchained Melody”
6. Canon
This chord pattern comes from one of the most enduring progressions in classical music.
The secret of this progression is how it visits so many different chords in the key before moving gracefully back to the tonic.
It has a dignified yet affecting sound that’s popular for formal occasions like weddings and commencements. Think of Vitamin C’s emotional hit “Graduation”
But surprisingly, it works in many other contexts. Here’s a nice example in Belle and Sebastian’s cheerful tune “Get Me Away from Here I’m Dying”
7. I-bVII-I
This is less of a chord progression and more of a harmonic technique that’s often found in rock and pop songs.
Sometimes it doesn’t take much to create enough harmonic action to propel a song.
Sometimes it doesn’t take much to create enough harmonic action to propel a song.
One easy way to keep a song centered but still moving forward is to simplify the harmony, like in this “progression” that moves from the tonic to bVII and back again.
bVII is a borrowed chord from the natural minor scale, but it feels familiar because it’s only a whole step away from the tonic.
bVII adds satisfying color to a progression because of its association with the Mixolydian mode.
Mixolydian is a very common sound in rock music—once you hear it you’ll know what I mean!
A Most Intriguing Progression Examples
Chord chemistry
Chord progressions are one of the most important concepts to learn in music theory.
Like anything skill you learn as you go, starting with the basics is the best way forward.
Now that you know some of the most common chord progressions in music, get back to your DAW and keep crafting your songs.
In this small Questions & Answers series we are going to ask 11 guitar experts three questions related to the guitar learning process.
Getting inspiration from different points of view is one of the best ways to get insights and fuel our inspiration, so take advantage of these very interesting answers and try to incorporate them into your practice.
Let's start with the first question. Chord progressions are the foundation of music: we all know the popular rock-blues progression I IV V , or the four-chords sequence used in the most of pop-rock songs ( I V vi IV ), but now we'd like to learn some new and unusual progressions. So we asked our guitar teachers:
Question 'What is your favorite unusual chords progression?'
52 Chord Progressions | Learn How To Connect Chords and Create Great Songs
Do you know some chords, maybe many, but you're not sure how to play them together?
This ebook will show you 52 chord progressions, that are the foundation of many genres and styles of Western Music. Why 52?
The idea is to use this ebook for 1 year, studying thoroughly a chord progression each week, in all keys and chord voicings.
Before you know it you will be picking out progressions from songs on the radio!
There's a turnaround I've been using in 'Fly Me To The Moon' to get between the C and Dm7 when you tag, ' Please be true... ', and here's the turnaround: Cmaj6/9 - G2/B - Bb13 - A7 .
Then you go on to the Dm7 and G ' In other words, I love you '.
If you play it at the 8th fret, and keep your pinky on the B string (8th fret), it feels like an unusually tight and smooth piece of voice-leading.
Jesse Paliotto - theguitarjournal.com
So many to choose from, so I'll go with what's been on my playlist recently. The opening section of Dave Brubeck's Strange Meadow Lark always leaves me motionless and wide-mouthed with awe, as does anything from Bill Evans. But that's jazz.
More down the mainstream, Killer Queen by Queen is an underrated (if only because of the hype of Bohemian Rhapsody) masterpiece of almost unfathomably meandering modulation.
And I must add It's Not Me by Supergrass (yes, the band that brought us that crudely pop-tastic 'Alright') for its unpredictable, albeit structured changes that still sound as fresh today as they did when I was studying for my GCSE's. Incidentally and unashamedly, Supergrass remains one of my favourite rock bands of all time.
Mike Beatham - fretjam.com
E5 - E5/D# - C#5 - B5
E5/D# = X69XXX
There is nothing especially spectacular with that progression, but the use of power chords with a changed bass note is pretty uncommon, even that they are easy to play, and by small means delivers a fresh sound to an otherwise very recognized area of progressions.
Oscar Steen - guitar-chord.org
The variation on the 'Round Midnight chord progression by Miles Davis on the album Round About Midnight.
... the typical progression is:
[bar 5] | Bm7 E7 Bbm7 Eb7 |
but this is plain silly and boring. So Miles recorded:
[bar 5] | F7 / Emaj7 / |
With the guitar, you get that bottom open E chord, and if I may share one of my fetish:
Emaj9 = 0X4140 or even 024140
Marc-Andre Seguin - jazzguitarlessons.net
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Chords Domination: Play Any Chord You Want Across All The Fretboard
This ebook is for those players who want a deeper understanding of the chords they are playing. You'll find more than 800 chord voicings all along the fretboard that will help you learn how to move freely on the neck and play any chord you want in any position.
The book is packed-full with color-coded diagrams that show chord tones, note names, and finger positions, a handy visual chord formula table, and the tones fretboard maps of 44 different chord types.
I like unusual turnarounds - so for example instead of say G - E7 - Am - D7
I might play Gmaj7 - Bb13 - Ebmaj9 - Ab13 .
Or perhaps Bm7 - Bb13 - Am7 - Ab13
Tim Robinson - timrobinsonguitar.com
Original Star Trek theme . Alexander Courage rocks!
Very much an orchestrated piece with horns and lots of depth. Lots of jazz influence in a style that was prevalent in many of the TV shows during the mid 60's.
Key of Bb at 154 bpm.
My best recollection of the essential chords progression would go something like this:
Of course there's a lot of nuance in the original, but the above transcript gives you the basic idea. The Cmaj7 modulation is nicely dissonant, and the last phrase has a very cool progression built over staggered V's that lead to the penultimate II IV I finale.
Steve Blundon - guitarniche.com
I like chords that move in 3rds , as opposed to 4ths in traditional harmony. So chord progressions like Amaj7-Cmaj7-Emaj7 etc. They push me to think outside the normal harmonic norms and explore other options beyond my normal bag of tricks when comping and soloing.
Matt Warnock - mattwarnockguitar.com
My favorite unusual chord progression uses a lot of open strings to create tension. The progression is:
Emadd9 - Cmaj7 #11(no 3rd) - D6 add4 - B add#5/D#
John Gorbe - elmore-music.com
I'm a sucker for short four-chord progressions that stray from the chords strictly inside a key. Songs like Sublime's ' Santeria ' and Radiohead's 'Creep' hit you with a secondary dominant immediately after the tonic chord. Lately, I'm enjoying Otis Redding's ' Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay ': G B7 C A7 . It's in the key of G, so B7 is the III or the V of vi. And C is the IV. And A is the II or the V of V. Really subtle and tasty.
Joe Walker - deftdigits.com
Stevie Wonder's version of For Once In My Life is one of the greatest songs ever. The chord progression is as intricate as most of what you'll find in prog rock or fusion, but the song itself is a snappy pop tune that'll still pack a wedding dance floor fifty years after it came out.
(And just as a bonus, you get to hear James Jamerson thrown down one of the most iconic baselines of all time—an improvised romp over that progression that never once repeats itself.)
Can you believe Berry Gordy initially vetoed its release and had to be coerced into letting it see the light of day?
Joshua Skaja - fretboardanatomy.com
I love progressions that use the 'spy chord' like E minor Major 9 . This is usually based on melodic minor scale harmony. I like to arpeggiate it after playing the I chord. Here is an example. Play a ii-V-I then play the I minor Major 9 . Fm7-B7-Emaj7-EmM9 . Play around with different variations. It gives a fun spy feeling.
Patrick MacFarlane - guitarlessonworld.com
My favorite is one I came up with on accident for a song I wrote called, 'Got To End.' It goes from a G#min11 to a G7(#11) and then back to the Bminor. I still can't explain why it works but it sounds great to me and was a great accident.
Griff Hamlin - bluesguitarunleashed.com/
Conclusions and More Resources
Hope you found these answers interesting. You should now have new cool chord sequences to experiment with. And of course, please share your favorite unusual chords progressions in the comments below!
The other Questions & Answer of this series:
- 2) In your guitar learning path, what is your greatest 'aha' moment?
- 3) How do you manage the fretboard? (CAGED? note name memorization? shapes?)
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A Most Intriguing Progression Definition
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