

The pop punk progression ( I-V-vi-IV or vi-I-IV-V): also nicknamed the “sensitive female” progression, this CP is one of the most widespread in Western pop music.If the lowercase numeral also has a degree sign (ex: vii˚), then this signifies a diminished triad. If the Roman numeral is lowercase (ex: vii), this means that you need to play a minor triad instead of a major triad (ex: VII). This tells you that you should play the 1st, 4th, 5th, then 1st chord in the G major scale (G-C-D-G).Īn example of a iii-IV-V progression in the key of C Let’s say you have a I-IV-V-I progression in the key of G. In a CP, chords are usually written as Roman numerals, based on their position in the parent scale. If we built 7 triads based on each of these tonics, using only notes from the G major scale, we would get the following: G, Am, Bm, C, D, Em, and Fdim. In the G major scale, you have 7 notes: G, A, B, C, D, E, and F♯. This means that the tonics all belong to the same parent scale. Progressions are usually built on chords in the same key. It can form part of a song, like a verse or chorus.

It can be a one-off sequence or a repeating riff. What is a chord progression?Ī chord progression (CP), also called a harmonic progression, is a sequence of chords. Some other popular chord variations include 7th (dominant, major or minor), suspended (sus2 or sus4), augmented and power. However, these triads tend to be more rare in other genres. If you’re playing jazz or soul, you may also come across diminished triads (1, ♭3, ♭5). The open voicing (fingering) for a G major, with the tonic on the low E (6th) stringĪs a beginner guitarist, you’ll most likely concentrate on two of the three main types of triads (three-note chords) –– major (with the 1, 3, and 5 notes from the tonic’s major scale) and minor (the 1,♭3, 5 notes). If you played the same notes, but in the order B D G, this makes a B minor flat 6 (written as Bm♭6). For example, if you play the notes G B D, with the G as the tonic, this is a G major (written as G).

What is a chord?Ī chord consists of two or more notes played either: But having a bit of theory in your back pocket will help put things into perspective once you start experimenting with different generators. 1.4 Why use a chord progression generator?īefore we dive into CPGs specifically, let’s start with a bit of music theory.1.3 What is a chord progression generator?.
