A chord progression is a series of chords that are put together, as in songs. If you worked your way
through the chapter on chords that belong to the same key, then you should be somewhat familiar with and be able to predict which chords you will use in a certain key.
The first progression we will work with is the I-V (1-5) progression. All this means is that we will use
the two most important chords in any key: The chord built from the first note of the key scale, and the chord built
from the 5th note of the key scale.
The I chord of any key is a Major type chord and it is named after the note it is built on. Since the
following example is in the key of G, we will be using the G Major scale and the chords that can be built
from those notes.
G Major Scale
The first chord in the key of G is G Major. It doesn't matter what kind of chord (open, moveable, bar) it
is, a G chord is a G chord.
The fifth chord in the key of G is D7. This is an extended chord (more on extended chords in
another chapter). The reason this chord is so important is because of the "tension" it creates. You'll see
what I mean in this first progression example.
Here is a I-V progression in the key of G. The only thing that makes this a progression is that you are using
the main chords of a key together in a sequence. The amount of measures that you play each chord before you play
the next, does not matter. Make your own progressions by alternating how many bars you play each chord, and see if
it sounds like any simple songs you already know.
This example is in 4/4 time so just strum 4 beats per measure or use strum patterns that will only take up
4 beats per measure.
Practice progressions slow and even. Concentrate on the chord changes.
Note: Many times, when the guitar
part is an accompaniment part, you will see the chord name above the measure. Along with an indication
of timing, this is all that is needed to "strum" a song. It is up to you to play a certain chord the amount of
measures described and provide a strumming pattern.
I - V Progression
Did you notice that when you play the D7 chord, it sound like it has to go back to the G chord
to finish?
If not, try again and finish with a D7. It should sound like it just has to go somewhere from there.
The 5th chord in any key being so important is that later, when your ear is more developed, this will be a
huge help in figuring out which key a song is in. Once you hear
that "resolution point", you'll be able to nail a key down easily. This will help you avoid learning songs by
matching note after note just to get each chord.
This next progression is in the same key. We'll add the chord built from the 4th note of the G major scale.
The fourth chord is a Major type chord like the first. So,
now we have the chords G, C, and D7. This is called the I-IV-V (1-4-5) progression. It is probably
the most used progression of all time!
I - IV - V Progression
If you didn't hear the tension of the D7 chord in the first example, you should have heard it in this one. If you
still haven't, play this progression and stop before you play the very last G chord.
Try using sets of chords from different keys to create your progressions. Not only will this help
reinforce your knowledge of basic chords, it will also help you recognize the tension chord in each key
by hearing it in context and knowing what to listen for. Plus, with the different sets of key chords and a
few progressions of your own, you
will be able to apply this to a ton of songs you already know! They may not be the songs or style you want
to learn, but combined with some technique (the way you play something) you'll see that music is music
and a little knowledge goes a long way!
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