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The Chord Guide: Pt I Chord Progressions | END OF THE GAME

Friday, February 17 2012, 5:20 PM

This guide is a tribute to The Beatles: the masters of the chord progression. Their music contains just about everything there is to know about the relationship between chords and melody.

This handy little guide will help all musicians create their own catchy chord progressions on the y! Included are two chord charts (one for major and one for minor) and a list of common progressions that you can make, referring to the charts to help you.

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Major Chord Chart

Above is a chord chart for the 7 most used keys. To create a progression, simply follow a chord progression formula (I is always the key of the progression). For example, a very popular chord progression formula is I-IV-V, in the key of C, the chord progression would be C/F/G, in the key of D the progression would be D/G/A. Another extremely popular chord progression, arguably the most popular (used in hundreds of songs), is the I/V/vi/IV (one-vesix-four). In C the chords would be C/G/Am/F and in G it would be G/D/Em/C. While most chord progressions start with the key of the song (I), this is not always the case, for example the very popular jazz chord progression ii-V-I in the key of C would be Dm/G/C or Dm7/G7/Cmaj7. Even though the progression doesnt start on the C major chord, it is still in the key of C.

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Minor Chord Chart

Above is the same chord chart as before, except this one is for use with minor chord progressions instead of major progressions. You can substitute the chords in the charts for different chord types, for example to play a chord progression using 7th chords you can substitute all of the minor chords for minor7 chords, substitute the major chords (I/IV) for major7 chords and substitute the V chord for a dominant 7th chord. If you dont know these chords, or just need a quick reminder, heres a list of all of the common open chords, and here is one for the barre chords. Now for what you have been waiting for: a list of common chord progression formulas which you can use to start writing songs straight away! You can even make up your own chord progressions, or you can substitute major minor chords for 7ths of 9ths, so feel free to experiment!

Progressions With 2 Chords

I/IV I/V

Progressions With 3 Chords

I/IV/V I/ii/IV I/IV/V7 Ib/vii/IV Ib/iii/IV ii/V/I

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Progressions With 4 Chords

I/IV/I/V I/IV/I/V7 I/IV/V/IV I/vi/IV/V I/vi/ii/V I/V/vi/IV I/V/IV/V I/vi/ii/V I/vi/IV/V IV/I/IV/V I//IV/V/I vi/IV/I/V

Progressions With Flattened (b) Chords

I/iiib/IV I/iiib/IV/vib I/iiib/IV/vib/viib I/iiib/viib/IV I/iiib/viib/vib I/IV/iiib/viib I/vib/iiib/viib I/vib/viib I/vib/IV I/viib/IV I/viib/IV/V I/viib/IV/V I/viib/IV/vib I/viib/vib/viib

Progressions With 5 Chords

I/vi/ii/IV/V7 I/vi/ii/V7/ii I/ii/iii/IV/V I/VI/IV/V/I I/ii/vi/V/I I/vi/ii/V/I I/iii/vi/V/I I/VIb/IV/IIIb/VIIb

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Progressions With 6 Chords

I/IV/I/V7/IV/I

Progressions With 7 Chords

vii/iii/vi/ii/V/I/IV

Jazz Chord Progressions

Note with jazz chord progressions you have to substitute the standard major/minor chords for 7ths. You can also substitute some of the 7th chords for 9ths, 11ths or 13ths.These are the basic chord substitutions: I = maj7, ii = m7, iii = m7, IV = maj7, V = dom7, vi = m7, VII = m7b5 ii/V/I eg: (Dm7/G7/Cmaj7) ii/V/I/vi eg: (Dm7/G7/Cmaj7/Am7) I/vi/ii/V eg: (Cmaj7/Am7/Dm7/G7) iii/vi/ii/V/I eg: (Em7/Am7/Dm7/G7/Cmaj7) I/vi/ii/V/iii/VI7/ii/V eg: (Cmaj7/Am7/Dm7/G7/Em7/A7/Dm7/G7) I/II7/ii/V/I eg: (Cmaj7/D7/Dm7/G7/Cmaj7) I/I7/IV/ivm7/iii/VI7/ii/V/I eg: (Cmaj7/C7/Fmaj7/Fm7/Em7 /A7/Dm7/G7/Cmaj7)

Examples of Chord Progressions Used in Famous Songs

I/IV/I/V - Brown Eyed Girl by Van Morrison (G/C/G/D) I/V/vi/IV Let It Be by The Beatles (C/G/Am/F) I/V/IV Blue Sky by The Allman Brothers Band (E/B/A) vi/IV/V/vi (or i/VI/VII/i) Im Eighteen by Alice Cooper (Em/C/D/Em) I/iii/IV/I The Weight by The Band (A/C#m/D/A) I/ii/iii/IV/V Like A Rolling Stone by Bob Dylan (C/Dm/Em/F/G)

Now go make some music!

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By Michael Cunningham @ endofthegame.net

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