Simple - Basic Chord Progression

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LessonSERIES : Common Chord Progressions and Remembering Songs Series Home

Remembering Songs Simple Progressions Three Chord Progressions The Pop Progression Pachebell’s Canon The Fifties Progression The Andalusian Chord Progression Mixolydian Progression The Blues Progression Backdoor Chord Progressions

What Is A Basic Chord Progression

Diatonic scales such as the Major scale and Minor scales lend themselves particularly well to the construction of common chord progressions because they contain a large number of perfect fifths (see LessonSERIES on Understanding Intervals ).

Such diatonic scales predominate in those regions where harmony is an essential part of music, as, for example, in the common practice period of western classical music. On the other hand Arab and Indian music, though they use diatonic scales, also have a number of non-diatonic scales available because the music has no chord changes: it remains always upon the key-chord, as does a certain amount of hard rock, hip hop, funk, disco, jazz, etc.

• wikiwand: Simple Progressions

One Chord Songs

• Put The Lime In The Coconut wikiwand by Harry Nilsson • The single chord is an arpeggiated C7
• Get This Party Started Pink • Bm
• Chain of Fools Aretha Franklin • Bbm7
• Get Up, Stand Up Bob Marley • E.
• Run Through the Jungle Creedence Clearwater Revival • Bm
• Political World Bob Dylan

A lot of folk and children's songs have simple two and three chord progressions using primary chords, the ( I , IV , V ) of the diatonic scale.

• Red River Valley
• Bingo
• This Train
• Happy Birthday
• Danny Boy

I IV V Progressions

Here is a great resource to learn what the chord progressions sound like and text yourself.

• Go to Chord Progressions Quiz and pick Simple Triads (I, IV, V). Root position, Length 2, Fixed Key. When you get to the testing page pick Fixed Root.

iRealPro Practice Progressions

Here are a few common harmonic cells, i.e., the chords that show up in basic songs. CLick on the link and a pages will open that has a link, when clicked will load into iRealPro (if installed on same computer).

• (Example in C Major: C)
• I IV (Example in C Major: C F)
• I V (Example in C Major: C G)
• I V7 (Example in C Major: C G7)
• I IV I V (Example in C Major: C F C G)
• I IV I V7 (Example in C Major: C F C G7)

Use iRealPro — a great way to join the band and not have them know your in the band. Explore in several different styles and transpose to multiple keys. What sounds good in one style might not sound good in another style.