Chord Progressions: A Practical Guide for Musicians
Understanding Chord Progressions
What Are Chord Progressions?
A chord progression is a sequence of chords played in a specific order. Think of it as the harmonic roadmap of a song—it’s what gives music its emotional journey, its sense of movement, and its feeling of “going somewhere” and then “arriving home.”
While melodies are what we sing and remember, chord progressions are the foundation that supports those melodies. The same melody can feel completely different depending on which chords are underneath it. Some progressions create tension that begs for resolution, others feel relaxed and stable, and still others create that bittersweet feeling we associate with certain emotions.
Different musical genres favor different progressions. Jazz musicians love complex progressions with lots of movement and color. Folk and country often use simple, direct progressions that feel timeless. Pop music tends to recycle a handful of proven progressions that just work. Understanding these patterns helps you recognize why songs feel the way they do—and how to create those feelings yourself.
Functional Harmony: The Roles Chords Play
Understanding Chord Functions
In Western music, each chord in a key has a specific function—a role it plays in creating musical motion and emotion. These functions are like characters in a story: some create stability, others create tension, and some act as bridges between the two.
The Roman numeral system (I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII) tells us which scale degree a chord is built on. But more importantly, it tells us what function that chord serves in the key.
The Three Primary Functions
1. Tonic (I) – Home Base
The tonic is the “home” chord. It’s stable, resolved, and feels like a resting place. Most songs begin and end on the tonic chord. In C major, this is the C major chord (Cmaj7).
Related chords: III (mediant) and VI (submediant) have tonic function and can sometimes substitute for I.
2. Dominant (V) – Creates Tension
The dominant creates tension and wants to resolve back to the tonic. It’s the most important chord for creating forward motion in music. The V chord contains the leading tone (7th scale degree) which pulls strongly toward the tonic note. In C major, this is G7.
Related chords: VII (leading tone) has dominant function. In jazz, we often approach the dominant through II (creating the II-V progression).
3. Subdominant (IV) – The Bridge
The subdominant moves away from tonic but doesn’t create as much tension as the dominant. It’s often used as a bridge between tonic and dominant, or to create a gentler form of motion. In C major, this is Fmaj7.
Related chords: II (supertonic) has subdominant function and is heavily used in jazz (think II-V-I).
All Seven Scale Degrees and Their Functions
| Degree | Name | Function | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | Tonic | Tonic | Home, stable, resolved |
| II | Supertonic | Subdominant | Moves toward dominant, jazzy |
| III | Mediant | Tonic | Median between I and V, gentle |
| IV | Subdominant | Subdominant | Departure, preparation, bright |
| V | Dominant | Dominant | Tension, wants resolution to I |
| VI | Submediant | Tonic | Relative minor, melancholy substitute for I |
| VII | Leading Tone | Dominant | Strong pull to I, unstable |
Tension and Release: The Heart of Musical Motion
Why Music Moves Us
Music creates emotion through tension and release. This is similar to storytelling: a story needs conflict (tension) and resolution (release) to be compelling. In music, chords create tension and resolution through their relationships to the tonic.
How Tension Works:
- Tonic (I) = No tension – This is home, complete stability
- Subdominant (IV, II) = Mild tension – Creates gentle motion, preparation
- Dominant (V, VII) = High tension – Creates strong pull toward resolution
The Classic Pattern: Tension → Release
This I-IV-V-I progression is the foundation of countless songs. It works because it creates a journey: starting at home (I), moving away (IV), creating tension (V), and returning home (I). The V-I resolution is so strong that our ears expect it—which is why ending on V feels unfinished.
Key Insight: Deceptive Cadences
Sometimes composers deliberately avoid the expected resolution to create surprise or maintain interest. The most common is the deceptive cadence: V-VI instead of V-I. Your ear expects to go home (I), but instead lands on VI (the relative minor). This creates a bittersweet, unexpected feeling that keeps the listener engaged. Example: ending a phrase on Am instead of C in C major.
Common Progressions by Genre
Folk & Country Music
Folk and country music favor simple, direct progressions that feel timeless and emotionally clear. These progressions are easy to sing along to and have been used for centuries.
I – IV – V – I (The Universal Progression)
In C major: C – F – G – C
Examples: “Twist and Shout”, “La Bamba”, “Wild Thing”, countless folk songs
This is THE foundational progression in Western music. Simple, effective, and emotionally direct.
I – V – VI – IV (The “Sensitive” Progression)
In C major: C – G – Am – F
Examples: “Someone Like You” (Adele), “With or Without You” (U2)
Using VI (the relative minor) creates a more emotional, introspective feel.
I – IV – I – V (Country Shuffle)
In C major: C – F – C – G
Returns to I before going to V, creating a “back and forth” feel common in country and folk.
Rock Music
Rock music often uses power and directness in its progressions. Many rock songs use variations of folk progressions but with different rhythmic feels and instrumentation.
I – ♭VII – IV (Rock Anthem)
In C major: C – B♭ – F
Examples: “Sweet Child O’ Mine” (Guns N’ Roses), many classic rock songs
The ♭VII is borrowed from the parallel minor key, giving a powerful, anthemic quality.
I – ♭III – ♭VII – IV (Descending Rock)
In A major: A – C – G – D
Examples: “Stairway to Heaven” intro
Descending bass line creates a sense of gravity and darkness.
I – IV – ♭VII – IV (The “Hey Jude” Progression)
In F major: F – B♭ – E♭ – B♭
Examples: “Hey Jude” (The Beatles)
Pop Music
Modern pop music has settled on a few highly effective progressions that work across almost any melody. These create strong emotional reactions while being accessible to wide audiences.
I – V – VI – IV (The “Pop-Punk” Progression)
In C major: C – G – Am – F
Examples: “Someone Like You”, “Let It Be”, “Don’t Stop Believin'”, hundreds more
This is arguably THE most common progression in 21st-century pop. It’s been called “the axis of awesome” progression because so many hit songs use it. Why? It balances familiar (I, IV, V) with emotional (VI) perfectly.
VI – IV – I – V (The “Sensitive Pop” Progression)
In C major: Am – F – C – G
Examples: “Ride” (Twenty One Pilots), many indie/alternative songs
Starting on VI (minor) creates an immediately melancholic feel.
I – VI – IV – V (The “50s Progression” / “Doo-Wop Changes”)
In C major: C – Am – F – G
Examples: “Stand By Me”, “Every Breath You Take”, “Unchained Melody”
Classic progression from 1950s-60s pop that still sounds fresh today.
I – ♭VII – ♭VI – ♭VII (The Mixolydian Vamp)
In D major: D – C – B♭ – C
Examples: “Sweet Home Alabama”, “Free Fallin'”
Uses the Mixolydian mode (major scale with ♭7). Creates a rock/roots feel.
Jazz Progressions
Jazz harmony is more complex, using extended chords (9ths, 11ths, 13ths) and more sophisticated voice leading. Jazz progressions often move through more chords more quickly, creating rich harmonic textures.
II – V – I (The Foundation of Jazz)
In C major: Dm7 – G7 – Cmaj7
Examples: Used in virtually every jazz standard
This is THE fundamental building block of jazz. The II chord prepares the dominant, the V creates tension, and the I resolves. Jazz musicians practice II-V-I in all 12 keys endlessly. It’s the basis for improvisation and composition in jazz.
I – VI – II – V (Rhythm Changes)
In C major: Cmaj7 – Am7 – Dm7 – G7
Examples: “I Got Rhythm”, hundreds of bebop compositions
The A section of “I Got Rhythm” by Gershwin. So many jazz tunes use this progression that they’re collectively called “rhythm changes.” It smoothly cycles through functional harmony.
III – VI – II – V – I (Extended Jazz Turnaround)
In C major: Em7 – A7 – Dm7 – G7 – Cmaj7
A longer version where each chord (except I) acts as II to the next chord. The VI becomes a dominant (VI7) to pull to II. This creates a chain of II-V relationships, adding harmonic richness.
IM7 – IV7 – ♭VIIM7 – ♭IIIM7 (Coltrane Changes)
Example: Cmaj7 – E♭7 – A♭maj7 – Bmaj7 (then repeats a third down)
Examples: “Giant Steps”, “Countdown”
Advanced jazz harmony where tonal centers shift rapidly through major thirds (C → A♭ → E → C). Extremely challenging to improvise over, requires deep harmonic knowledge.
IVmaj7 – ♭VIImaj7 – Imaj7 (Modal Jazz)
In C major: Fmaj7 – B♭maj7 – Cmaj7
Examples: Similar to “So What” by Miles Davis
Modal jazz uses simpler progressions but stays on each chord longer, allowing improvisers to explore the mode/scale over each chord. Less about functional harmony, more about the color of each sonority.
The Blues: America’s Gift to the World
The blues is a specific form that came out of African American communities in the Deep South around the turn of the 20th century. It’s not just a chord progression—it’s a complete musical language with its own scales (blues scale), rhythmic feel (shuffle, swing), and emotional expression.
The blues has influenced virtually every form of American popular music: rock and roll, R&B, soul, jazz, country, and more. Understanding the blues is essential to understanding modern music.
The 12-Bar Blues (The Foundation)
The most common blues form is 12 bars (measures) long. It uses three chords: I, IV, and V, usually played as dominant 7th chords (I7, IV7, V7). The form repeats over and over, providing a framework for improvisation and expression.
Basic 12-Bar Blues Structure:
In C blues:
- Bars 1-4: C7 (4 bars of tonic)
- Bars 5-6: F7 (2 bars of subdominant)
- Bars 7-8: C7 (back to tonic)
- Bars 9-10: G7 – F7 (dominant and subdominant – the “turnaround”)
- Bars 11-12: C7 (back to tonic, often with a turnaround in bar 12)
Examples: “Sweet Home Chicago”, “Pride and Joy”, “Stormy Monday”, “The Thrill Is Gone”
Blues Variations
Quick Change Blues
Instead of staying on I for 4 bars, go to IV in bar 2, then back to I:
This creates more harmonic movement early in the form.
Jazz Blues
Jazz musicians often embellish the blues with II-V progressions and substitute chords:
Bar 9-10: IIm7 – V7 | Bar 11-12: Imaj7 – IIm7 V7 (turnaround)
Examples: “Billie’s Bounce”, “Blues for Alice”
Minor Blues (12-Bar)
Uses minor chords for a darker, moodier sound:
Examples: “Summertime”, “Since I Fell for You”
8-Bar Blues
A condensed version, common in early blues and jazz:
Examples: “Trouble in Mind”, “How Long Blues”
16-Bar Blues
Extended form, often used in jazz and R&B:
Essentially doubling certain sections of the 12-bar form.
Why All Dominant 7ths in Blues?
In classical harmony, only the V chord is a dominant 7th. But in blues, all three chords (I7, IV7, V7) are dominant 7ths. This creates a grittier, more “bluesy” sound. The I7 has inherent tension even though it’s the tonic—this is part of what makes the blues sound like the blues. It reflects the African American musical tradition that developed outside of European classical harmony rules.
Putting It All Together
Understanding chord progressions isn’t just academic knowledge—it’s a practical tool for making music. When you can hear the difference between a I-IV-V and a II-V-I, when you can feel the tension of a dominant chord pulling toward resolution, when you recognize the blues form in a rock song—that’s when theory becomes musical intuition.
Start by learning to hear and play the basic progressions in this guide. Listen to songs and try to identify which progression they’re using. Play them on your instrument. Most importantly, understand that these progressions are starting points, not rules. Jazz musicians take the II-V-I and transform it in countless ways. Rock musicians take the I-IV-V and make it sound fresh with new rhythms and textures. Pop musicians find new melodies over the same four chords.
The progressions are the language—what you say with them is up to you.
Marco Chelo is a co-founder of the New York Jazz Workshop, bringing together his love for music and his skills in entrepreneurship. He was born in Milan, grew up in Rome, and moved to New York City in 1995. Marco has a diverse background that includes running a travel agency franchise, starting a web development agency, and establishing the New York Jazz Workshop music school. He also enjoys sailing and has traveled from New York to the Caribbean on his small sailboat “Aeolus”.
Throughout his career, Marco has been driven by his passions for creating and managing businesses. His work with the New York Jazz Workshop has provided a platform for jazz lovers to learn and grow, reflecting his commitment to music education. Marco’s sailing adventures show another side of his adventurous spirit and love for exploring new horizons.
Today, Marco continues to be involved in music and sailing and travel, always looking for new challenges and ways to combine his interests.”