Chord Progressions
A chord progression is a sequence of harmonies heard in time. This collection gives you 27 ways to understand and use them: begin with function and Roman numerals, then compare pop loops, cadences, blues forms, bass-led patterns and modal vamps.
- 27 learning pages
- playable examples
- beginner to advanced
Start with the question you have
- I want to understand the basics
Read How Chord Progressions Work, then use The Progression Explorer to compare one variable at a time.
- I want a familiar songwriting loop
Start with The Axis Progression, The I IV V Progression or The Doo-Wop Progression.
- I want to understand endings
Compare The ii V I, The Deceptive Cadence and The Plagal Landing.
- I want harmony that can keep looping
Try The Minor Pendulum, The Deep House Vamp or The Pedal Tone Vamp.
Learn by comparison
Do not memorise all 25 progressions as isolated formulas. Choose two pages with one shared feature and one clear difference:
| Compare | Keep fixed | Listen for |
|---|---|---|
| Axis and Doo-Wop | same four chords | final IV versus final V |
| Minor and Deep House Pendulums | tonic and two-chord form | F natural versus F-sharp |
| Plagal and Minor-IV landings | root motion IV-I | A versus A-flat |
| Descending Bassline and Descending Sevenths | downward direction | inversions versus root-position chords |
| Epic Minor and Axis Rotation | Am F C G | which chord receives tonic emphasis |
One controlled contrast teaches more than a long list because you can name the note, chord or phrase position that changed.
Build your own
The Progression Explorer begins with I-V-vi-IV and gives you a method for testing order, replacement, harmonic rhythm, bass and voicing one variable at a time.
The axis family
Four-chord cycles, rotation and one powerful borrowed chord
Cadences and endings
Short formulas that control whether a phrase closes, continues or changes colour
Blues and rock
Three-chord forms, root motion and bass-led patterns
Minor loops and colour
Modal centres, chromatic chords and harmony designed to repeat
Also in this section
The other sections
Everything on this site sits in one of these, in the order they are meant to be learned.