Chapter 9 | Chord Progressions

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A progression is a sequence of chords moving through time.

Knowing the chord family gives you the ingredients. A progression is what happens when you choose their order, rhythm and duration. Those choices give the music direction.

Read the relationships

In D major, the chords D–A–Bm–G are I–V–vi–IV. The numerals tell you how each chord relates to D, the tonic.

You can carry that relationship into another key:

Key I V vi IV
D major D A Bm G
A major A E F♯m D
C major C G Am F

Play whichever row uses comfortable shapes. Keep the rhythm the same when comparing keys, so you can hear the relationship without changing everything at once.

Arrival: V to I

In D major, A moving to D is V–I. This often creates a strong sense of return.

When that movement closes a phrase, it can form an authentic cadence. In British terminology, V–I is often called a perfect cadence.

A cadence is a musical arrival or ending gesture, rather than simply any two neighbouring chords. Melody, bass and rhythm help determine how final the arrival feels.

Play D–G–A, then pause. Now add D. Listen to what the final chord changes.

The rhythm matters

Play the same four chords slowly, then with a more active strumming pattern. Hold the last chord for two bars.

You have changed the feel without changing the chord names.

Move the song to another key

Keep the relationships. Choose a new tonic.

Transposing means moving music by a consistent interval. A singer might need the melody higher or lower. Roman numerals help you move the chords while preserving their relationships.

1. Identify the original key

For this practice example, E is the tonic:

E · A · C♯m · B

I · IV · vi · V in E major.

Identify each chord’s position in the E major family before changing the key.

2. Choose the new key

Move the example to G major. Its I, IV, vi and V chords are G, C, Em and D. Keep the original order:

G · C · Em · D

I · IV · vi · V in G major.

3. Keep the rest of the music connected

Preserve the rhythm and chord durations. Move the melody and bass by the same interval as the chords.

Otherwise, you may have changed the accompaniment without fully transposing the song.

What about a capo?

A capo raises familiar shapes. G shapes with a capo at fret 2 sound in A major.

Keep the shape names and sounding chord names distinct. For example, a G shape sounds as an A chord when the capo is at fret 2.

Find the key with evidence

The first chord is a clue, not a guarantee.

Listen for the chord that feels like home, the melody’s resting notes and the way phrases resolve.

Relative major and minor share the same basic note collection, so a chord list alone can leave more than one possibility.

Use the analysis to make a choice. Play it. Listen.

Check your understanding

Use the key charts if needed. Keep the numeral pattern consistent, and write your answers before opening the answer section.

1. Build I–IV–V–I

Write the chord sequence in each of these major keys:

  • D major
  • B♭ major
  • E major

2. Build I–vi–ii–V

Write the chord sequence in:

  • A major
  • E♭ major

3. Label the progression

In G major, label G–D–Em–C with Roman numerals.

4. Change the key

Transpose that G major progression to D major.

5. Find the arrival

In C major, which two chords make V–I?

6. Identify the tonic

Does the first chord always establish the key?

7. Transpose the whole song

If you transpose the chords, what else needs to move for the whole song to be transposed?

8. Change the duration

Choose one progression above. What happens when you hold its final chord twice as long?

Check your answers

1. I–IV–V–I

  • D major: D–G–A–D.
  • B♭ major: B♭–E♭–F–B♭.
  • E major: E–A–B–E.

2. I–vi–ii–V

  • A major: A–F♯m–Bm–E.
  • E♭ major: E♭–Cm–Fm–B♭.

3. G–D–Em–C in G major

I–V–vi–IV.

4. The progression in D major

D–A–Bm–G.

5. V–I in C major

G moving to C.

6. Does the first chord establish the key?

No. Look and listen for the tonal centre, melodic resting places and phrase endings. The first chord may be a different member of the family.

7. What else needs to move?

The melody, bass and any other pitched parts need to move by the same interval. Keep the intended rhythm and phrasing.

8. Holding the final chord

There is no single written answer. Holding the final chord can increase its weight, delay the return, or make the phrase feel more settled. Describe what you actually heard.

One more step

Write a four-chord progression in a comfortable key. Label it with Roman numerals, move it to another key, then ask your teacher to check the result.

This is the same skill musicians use when adjusting a song for a singer.

What to remember

Numerals describe relationships; rhythm and duration turn those relationships into music.

The chord names change between keys. The numeral pattern stays with the progression.

Next: pentatonic scales.

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