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Chord progression
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A chord progression (also chord sequence and harmonic progression or sequence), as its name implies, is a series of chords played in order. Chord progressions are central to most modern European-influenced music. Compare to a simultaneity succession. A chord change is a movement from one chord to another and may be thought of as either the most basic chord progression or as a portion of longer chord progressions which involve more than two chords (see shift of level).
Generally, successive chords in a chord progression share some notes, which provides harmonic and linear (voice leading) continuity to a passage. In the common-practice period, chord progressions are usually associated with a scale and the notes of each chord are usually taken from that scale (or its modally-mixed universe).
Contents
- 1 Common progressions
- 1.1 Common progressions used in the common practice period (roughly 1600-1900)
- 1.2 Common progressions used in contemporary popular music
- 2 Rewrite rules
- 3 References
- 4 See also
- 5 External links
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Common progressions
The most common chord progressions, in the common practice period and in
popular music, are based on the first,
fourth, and
fifth scale degrees (
tonic,
subdominant and
dominant); see
three chord song,
eight bar blues, and
twelve bar blues. The chord based on the second
scale degree is used in the most common chord progression in
Jazz,
II-V-I.
The circle of fifths progression is generally regarded as the most common progression of the common practice period, involving a series of descending perfect fifths that often occur as ascending perfect fourths. The circle of fifths makes up many of the most commonly used progressions, such as II6, V, I in major.
Common progressions used in the common practice period (roughly 1600-1900)
| I, i
| May progress to any other triad. May interrupt any progression.
|
| Major keys
| Minor keys
|
| ii
| ii-V, ii-vii6°
| ii6°
| ii6°-V
|
| ii*
| ii-V, ii-vii6°
|
| iii
| iii-ii6, iii-IV, iii-V, iii-vi
| III
| III-ii6°, III-iv, III-VI
|
| IV
| IV-I, IV-ii, IV-V, IV-vii6°
| iv
| iv-i, iv-ii6°, iv-V, iv-VII
|
| IV*
| IV-V, IV-vii6°
|
| V
| V-I, V-vi
| V
| V-i, V-VI
|
| v*
| v-VI
|
| vi
| vi-ii, vi-IV, vi-V, vi-iii-IV
| VI
| VI-ii6°, VI-iv, VI-V, VI-III-iv
|
| vii6°
| vii6°-I, vii6°-V
| vii6°/VII
| vii6°-i/VII-III
|
* ii and IV in minor used with an ascending #6; v in minor used with a descending 7.
See Chord (music)#Quality and Triads for a brief explanation of the notation used in this table.
|
Common progressions used in contemporary popular music
- Twelve-bar blues
- I - vi - IV - V : the 50s progression
- I - V - vi - IV : for example 'Dammit' (Blink-182), 'With or Without You' (U2), 'Let It Be' (The Beatles). This progression uses the same chords as the 50s progression, in a different order.
- I - I - IV - V : for example the verse of 'Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)' by Green Day.
Rewrite rules
Steedman (1984) has proposed a set of recursive "rewrite rules" which generate all well-formed transformations of jazz, basic I-IV-I-V-I twelve bar blues chord sequences, and, slightly modified, non-twelve-bar blues I-IV-V sequences ("I Got Rhythm").
The original progression may be notated as follows (typical 12-bar blues):
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
I/I/I/I//IV/IV/I/I//V/V/I/I
Where the numbers on the top line indicate each bar, one slash indicating a bar line and two indicating a phrase marking, and the roman numerals indicating the chord function. Important transformations include
- replacement or substitution of a chord by its dominant or subdominant:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
I/IV/I/I7//IV/VII7/III7/VI7//II7/V7/I/I//
- use of chromatic passing chords:
...7 8 9...
...III7/bIII7/II7...
- and chord alterations such as minor chords, diminished sevenths, etc.
Sequences by fourth, rather than fifth, include Jimi Hendrix's "Hey Joe":
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
bVi, bIII/bVII, IV/I/I//bVI, bIII/bVII, IV/I/I//bVI, bIII/bVII, IV/I/I//
These often result in Aeolian harmony and lack perfect cadences (V-I). Middleton (1990, p.198) suggests that both modal and fourth-oriented structures, rather than being "distortions or surface transformations of Schenker's favoured V-I kernel, are more likely branches of a deeper principle, that of tonic/not-tonic differentiation."
References
- Middleton, Richard (1990/2002). Studying Popular Music. Philadelphia: Open University Press. ISBN 0-335-15275-9.
- Steedman M.J., "A Generative Grammar for Jazz Chord Sequences", Music Perception 2 (1) (1984) 52-77.
See also
