CHORD PROGRESSIONS (also see previous section “Chord Numbering System”)

Most musicians who play regularly with others have learned time-saving ways of communicating with each other. One of those time savers lets everyone know what the chords (a.k.a. changes) in a song are.

You might hear someone call out: “Blues in Bb” or “Ice-cream changes in G”, or a jazz combo might play “Rhythm changes in Eb.”

Let’s number each note (or degree) of the major scale. For instance, in the key of C, C would be the 1st degree--notated as Roman numeral I, D the second degree (II), A the sixth (VI), etc.

Once you learn the following three chord progressions, you will automatically know hundreds of tunes!

I-IV-V changes are the basis of most Blues, Rock and Country music. In the key of E, this translates E-A-B7; in the key of F major, it would be F-Bb-C, etc.

I-VI-II-V (or I-VI-IV-V) should sound instantly familiar to you since countless popular songs have used these changes. In the key of G major, this is played G-Em-Am-D7 or G-Em-C-D7.

II-V-I (or IV-V-I) is a classic chord progression that makes use of the dominant chord principle (see below). In the key of C major, you would play Dm-G7-C or F-G7-C.

THE DOMINANT CHORD--is the V chord. It has the strongest “pull” back to the Root chord. You ear will naturally want to hear the I chord after the V.

While it is not necessary to play the seventh in a dominant chord, it adds additional direction back to the root chord.

 

THE DOMINANT CHORD PRINCIPLE—

The “pull” of the V chord back to the root chord is often extended to other chords and harmonic contexts.

Following ANY Dominant 7th chord, the ear expects to hear a chord situated a Fifth below it. This principle is especially useful for modulating from one key to another. For instance, if you are trying to modulate to an Em chord, play a B7 immediately preceding, and it will easily lead your listeners there.