Learning about chord progressions is important in order to become a capable musician.

Knowing progressions, using chord numbers (i.e. I chord, IV chord etc) and their predictable interconnectedness enables you to:

Write chord charts
Easily recall songs
Possess a better useful knowledge of scales
Play “by ear”
Compose songs or improve your composition skills

In fact the main reason for a songwriter to learn chord progressions is to be able to know what they are hearing when a song pops into their head, so they can reproduce it on their instrument and write a “chord chart”, without endless trial and error searching for the sounds they hear in their head or imagination.

Triad chords in major keys

The triads are an easy starting point for learning progressions. Although they are far from the only chords, we will focus on them in this blog.

Each key or scale has seven tones or notes. Each note can be the root of a chord so you have 7 triad chords in the major scale, starting with a one Chord, and up to a seven chord.

To create the triad, start with any note in the scale (from one to seven).

That note is the “one”, in the 1, 3, 5 or triad configuration. The one is called the ROOT. The root note is used to name the chord if you are using the letter name (versus the number system).
Add the notes 3 and 5 steps above the root. These are called the 3rd and the 5th.
So a triad chord consists of the root, 3rd, and 5th.

Using this process to build chords within any major scale, you will end up with some chords that are major and others that are minor or diminished.

Using the numbering system, regardless of what major key you are in, the numbered chords will always be the same. The Roman Numerals are used, with the major chords written in upper case, the minor or diminished chords in lower case. The one odd ball, if you will, is the seventh chord, which is diminished, signified with a small “o” written above the letter or numeric chord name, like this:

viiº or Bº. It can also be written as B dim.

The seven chords in a major scale are as follows:

I = major
ii= minor
iii= minor
IV= major
V=major
vi =minor
vii = diminished (because the 5th is flatted, it makes it a diminished chord)

Here are some ways to apply the numeric system and chord progressions:

Suppose you write a song and when you put the chords to it, you discover it is either too low or too high for you voice. Knowing chord progressions, you can transpose it to a lower or higher key using the same chord progression, when you know the relationships of chords and their progressions.

Or, if you want to match chords to a melody, either one you made up or one you know from the radio, etc. the chord progression knowledge will make it much easier to hear which chords below where in the song.

Another time chord progressions come in handy is when you are improvising, what some people call “noodle-ing around” on your guitar, piano or what have you. You can generate “on the spot” music from a basic chord progression, making up words as you go, or simply making up lead licks and chord changes that sound cool…

You can join in a jam session and be able to predict and play along with others, even on songs you have never heard before.

Below are examples of the triads I through vii, in the keys of C and D.

Although it may not make complete sense if you have not studied any music, you can ask anyone who does have some theory about anything here and how to apply it; you’ll see that it’s easy. Music will be more fun, not harder, when you learn this background information. Chord progressions are but one of the tools in music that will make playing more fun and successful. Enjoy your music!

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