Introduction
What is a chord progression?
In a musical composition, a chord progression or harmonic progression is a succession of chords. Chord progressions are the foundation of harmony in Western musical tradition from 1600s music to the 21st century. Chord progressions are the foundation of popular music styles (e.g., pop music, rock music), traditional music, as well as genres such as blues and jazz.
Understanding chord progressions is the key to understanding your favorite songs, and writing your own tunes. Since it’s very unusual for an artist or a band to write music only in major or minor keys, we need to have a good understanding of both.
In this article, we’ll have a look at progressions using 2 chords, 3 chords, 4 chords (with song examples for each one of them), and a few more complicated progressions. We will also discuss how to create chord progressions.
(If you are new to the concept of scale degrees, click here)
Basic Major Key Chord Progressions
A. I-IV-V
This progression is a very common one in rock and roll, blues, and country music. It also can be found in many other genres such as pop, funk, and folk music.
Here are a few examples of songs that use the I-IV-V chord progression:
Like a Rolling Stone - Bob Dylan
I Love Rock And Roll - Joan Jett (Chorus)
Here I Go Again - Whitesnake (Chorus)
Twist and Shout - Phil Medley and Bert Berns
My Guitar Wants To Kill Your Mama - Frank Zappa
(With a twist during the I chord, instead of holding the G chord for 8 bars he alternates between G and F. )
Always With You Always With Me - Joe Satriani
(A very clever disguise that gives a new life to a chord progression that has been used countless times ).
B. I - V - IV - V
One more progression that uses the I IV and V chords. It's a good starting point to write a song with a happy feeling.
Here are a few examples of songs that use the I-V-IV-V chord progression:
Your Body Is A Wonderland - John Mayer
Tangerine - Led Zeppelin
All The Small Things - Blink 182
C. I-V-vi-IV (also known as the "Pop-Punk progression")
This chord progression is commonly found in pop and rock music and has been used in many hit songs throughout the years.
Here are a few examples of songs that use the I-V-vi-IV chord progression:
So Lonely - The Police
No Woman No Cry - Bob Marley
With Or Without You - U2
D. ii-V-I (found in jazz music)
This progression is a very common one in jazz music and is often used as a basis for improvisation by jazz musicians.
Here are a few examples of songs that use the ii-V-I chord progression, which is commonly found in jazz music:
Take the A Train - Duke Ellington
Misty - Erroll Garner
Round Midnight - Thelonious Monk
Stella by Starlight - Victor Young
E. I-vi-IV-V (also known as the "50s Progression")
This chord progression is also known as the "Heart and Soul" chords or the doo-wop progression. It was used in many songs in the 50s, especially in ballads.
Here are a few examples of songs that use the I-IV-IV-V chord progression:
Stand By Me - Ben E. King
Earth Angel - The Penguins
Advanced Major Key Chord Progressions
A. vi - IV - I - V (found in pop music)
This progression is commonly found in pop music and is often used to create a catchy and memorable melody. It's a variation of the I-V-vi-IV progression.
Here are a few examples of songs that use the I-vi-iii-vi chord progression:
Numb -Linkin Park
Africa -Toto
Complicated - Avril Lavigne
Creating Your Own Major Key Chord Progressions
Although you can use a chord progression to build a song or combine 2 or more for different parts of your song, you can also experiment and change a progression to your liking.
How To Change A Chord Progression
A. Chords Substitution
The concept of chord substitution can vary greatly from very simple to quite complex. You can change a chord by using another chord from the same chord family or borrow a chord from a different key (modal interchange) or use secondary dominants, just to name a few.
Here are some examples:
1. Same Chord Family
In this example the original progression is C-G-F-G. We will substitute the 3rd chord of the progression F with the Dm chord. It works well since both of them belong to the subdominant family.
(For more information about Chord Families click here)
Original Progression Audio
Modified Progression Audio
2. Borrowed Chords
The same progression ( C-G-F-G ) is used in this example. We will substitute the F chord again, but this time we will borrow a chord from the parallel minor scale.
I - II - bIII - IV - V - bVI - bVII
Cm Dm Eb Fm Gm Ab Bb
The F chord is built on the 4th degree and the substitute chord is the Fm which is the 4th-degree chord of the Cm scale.
Original Progression Audio
Modified Progression Audio
3. Secondary Dominants
Another example that uses the I-V-IV-V progression. This time we use the secondary dominant of the G chord to embellish our chord progression
Original Progression Audio
Modified Progression Audio
B. Inversions
The use of Inversions is an interesting way to change the sound of a given progression.
Here are some examples:
Original Progression Audio
Modified Progression Audio
C. Other
1. Upper extensions will change the sound and will have an impact on the sound of your chord progression. Here is an example:
Every Breath You Take
This is an excellent example of how you can transform a chord progression, ( The 50's Progression) that has been played a million times, with upper extensions.
2. Start the sequence from a different chord.
The 6th progression (vi - IV - I - V) presented in this article is an example of this technique.
Its origin is the I-V-vi-IV progression.
Starting from the 3rd chord of the original progression we maintain the original order until we get back to the 1st chord of our new progression.
I-V-vi-IV
vi-IV-I-V
You can use this technique for any chord progression, and although there is a ton of theory
that explains and justifies the choices, for starters use your ears to guide you.
3. Choosing an unusual meter or rhythm can be very effective too.
How to Incorporate Major Key Chord Progressions into Your Songwriting
When it comes to the usage of chord progressions in a song, your imagination is the limit. You can use a progression as it is, or use any of the techniques mentioned in the previous chapter (or combine more).
One good exercise is to Rewrite The Hits. Choose a song that you like and follow these steps.
1. Keep the original melody and try to change the chords of the song. After that, you will have a different harmonic background.
2. Then compose a melody for your new chord progression.
Chances are that your first experiment won't match your favorite songs, but you will gain a much better understanding of how these 2 components work together. Every time you repeat this process you will discover something new and eventually, you will become a much better songwriter.
You must not forget that the chords are only one part of the sound. You have to combine them with an effective rhythm and a strong melody.
Conclusion
The importance of understanding how chord progressions work should be obvious by now to any aspiring songwriter or performer. There is so much to say about this huge topic that we have only scratched the surface in this article
The benefits of learning chord progressions are many. One of them is that it makes learning songs easier, and another one is that it's a good starting point for songwriting, just to name a few.
Additionally, you should read some good music theory books to expand your musical knowledge and gain a broader perspective on chord progressions.
Recommend reading
Berklee Music Theory Book 1
Berklee Music Theory Book 2
The Songwriter's Workshop: Harmony
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