![]() If you’re not sure where to begin as a songwriter or music composer, or if you don’t have a strong knowledge of music theory, chord progressions are the place to start. They are the foundation on which we build a song. Chord Progression BasicsĪ chord progression is a series of two or more chords that sound good together. In order for a song to make sense, sound coherent, and be memorable for your listeners, you need patterns - and many of these patterns are already proven to “work” because they’re part of hit songs.Įnter chord progressions. ![]() The good news is that if you stick with using chords in the same key, they will sound like they belong. That overlap is what makes these chords sound good together. Well, they affect why some chords sound good together and others don’t.īecause all the chords in a key use at least 3 of the 7 pitches in that scale, there are a lot of notes that overlap. So the C chord is made up of the notes C, E, and G. So to build a major chord, you would use the first, third, and fifth notes in the scale.įor example, in the key of C, the most common form of a C major chord would be: a major triad, based on the major scale is 1-3-5. Remember, major scales are based on “Do-Re-Mi…” These notes are numbered one through seven, so Do = 1, Re = 2, Mi = 3, etc. When it comes to major scales, using the C major scale as an example, you have C, D, E, F, G, A, B, and then you’re back to C again. Western music is based on a seven note scale. Which notes are used depends on the formula for the particular type of chord. We’ll stick to the basics.Ī chord is three or more musical notes (known as a triad) played together at the same time that sound good together. But don’t sweat it if you don’t have a strong theory background. We can’t totally avoid music theory in a discussion about chords and chord progressions. We’ll share multiple examples to inspire and motivate you.Īnd you’ll also learn how to keep things fresh and add a bunch of new tools to your songwriting toolbox.Īre you ready? Let’s go! What Are Chord Progressions?īefore we talk about chord progressions, let’s look at their building blocks - basic chords. In this post, you’ll learn all about how to use chord progressions in songwriting. You may be second-guessing yourself to the point where you hesitate to finish or share your songs.īut there’s good news - you don’t have to be an expert in music theory to write great songs. And finally, how can I make sure all my songs don’t sound the same?.How do I know I’m creating the emotional impact I want?.How do I make sure my songs start out interesting so they grab your listeners, and then stay interesting throughout?.Your challenge as a songwriter is making a song sound great without being boring or formulaic. What you might not know yet is why certain things sound bad. It’s not hard to notice a wrong note or clunky chord when you play one (even if you’re a beginner).
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