Piano Blog by Skoove – Piano Practice Tips

Have you ever listened to a song and been amazed by how the chords change and develop to form beautiful sounds and emotions? In music, we call this a chord progression. A chord progression is a series of chords performed in a particular order. In this post, we are going to discover a few different types of chords and then put them to use by learning common chord progressions.

What is a chord?

A chord is when 2 or more notes sound at the same time. Triads are the most common piano chords for beginners. Triads are made up of 3 different notes and are usually either “major” or “minor”. Major chord progressions often feel lighter and brighter while minor chord progressions generally sound darker and more sad. 

Combining both major and minor triads within piano chord progressions can help to create more interesting and compelling harmonies. This interactive tool from Chrome Labs helps understanding major and minor triads. If you are reading this from a mobile device, rotate it to display the tool in full width.

If you are reading this from a mobile device, rotate it to display the tool in full width.

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Go to the lesson

Go to the lesson

Chord Symbols

When composers and musicians write out chords, they often use chord symbols. This makes things quicker and easier, as it saves you having to read the chords as individual notes.

Here are some examples of chord symbols below:

Chord                     Symbol

C Major Triad             C

G Major Triad           G

F Major Triad            F

A Minor Triad           Am

In many songs, the chord symbols appear above the treble clef. In the example below, each chord lasts for 2 counts.

 

Sad Chord Progressions

Chord progressions have many emotional characteristics and associations. One of the most sad and melancholic chord progressions is called the I – vi – IV – V. It looks like this with chord symbols:

This chord progression is everywhere is music, from 1950’s doo-wop styles to contemporary pop and rock tunes.

How to write sad progressions

Here are some tips for writing sad chord progressions:

Move between different minor chords. For example, move between D minor and A minor.
Don’t use too many major chords
Listen to sad songs for inspiration

Common Chord Progressions

Here are some examples of the most common chord progressions in music:

I – IV – V. In the key of C major, this means C major – F major – G major.
I – V – vi – IV. In the key of G major, this means G major – D major – E minor – C major.
ii – V – I. In the key of F major, this means G minor – C major – F major.
vi – IV – I – V. In the key of C major, this means A minor – F major – C major – G major.
I – IV – vi – V. In the key of G major, this means G major – C major – E minor – D major.

4 rules for chord progressions

Here are some common rules for chord progressions. Obviously, these are not hard and fast rules, but they are fairly common in  music.

Choose an easy key to start with.
Check your resolutions. Not every progression needs to be resolved perfectly. Many progressions sound better when left open-ended. But many progressions sound best when resolved to the I chord.
Follow common chord progressions until you master them. Then try to find ways to tweak them by changing major chords to minor or vice versa.
Trust your ears.

Final words

Make sure that you play around more with the common chord progressions you have just learned. Once you have done this, try working your way through the Chords & Scales course. Here you can learn many more chords and common chord progressions. Get creative with them and acquire the skills to accompany hundreds of songs. Enjoy!

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Author of this blog post:

Elliot Hogg – Music tutor from Leeds who specializes in teaching piano, music theory, and music composition.

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