List of chord progressions
Appearance
The following is a list of commonly used chord progressions in music.
Code | |
---|---|
Major | Major |
Minor | Minor |
Atonal | Atonal |
Bitonal | Bitonal in |
Ind. | Indeterminate |
PD | Phrygian dominant |
Mix. | Mixolydian |
Name | Image | Sound | # of chords | Quality |
---|---|---|---|---|
50s progression | ![]() |
4 | Major | |
I–V–vi–IV | ![]() |
4 | Major | |
I–IV–♭VII–IV | ![]() |
3 | Mix. | |
ii–V–I progression | ![]() |
3 | Major | |
ii–V–I with tritone substitution (♭II7 instead of V7) |
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3 | Major | |
ii-V-I with ♭III+ as dominant substitute |
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3 | Mix. | |
viio7/V–V–I
(common in ragtime) |
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3 | Major | |
Andalusian cadence | ![]() |
4 | PD | |
Backdoor progression (front door is V7) |
![]() ![]() |
3 | Major | |
Bird changes | ![]() |
20 | Major | |
Chromatic descending 5–6 sequence |
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4 | Mix. | |
Circle progression | ![]() |
4 | Major | |
Coltrane changes | ![]() |
6 | Major | |
Eight-bar blues | ![]() |
3 | Major | |
Folia | ![]() |
4 | Minor | |
Irregular resolution
(Type I: Two common tones, two note moves by half step motion) |
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2 | Major | |
Montgomery–Ward bridge |
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4 | Major | |
Omnibus progression | ![]() |
? | Major | |
Pachelbel's Canon | ![]() |
5 | Major | |
Passamezzo antico | ![]() |
4 | Minor | |
Passamezzo moderno | 3 | Major | ||
I–V–vi–IV progression | ![]() |
4 | Major | |
Ragtime progression | ![]() |
5 | Major | |
Rhythm changes | ![]() |
15 | Major | |
Romanesca | ![]() |
3 | Major | |
Sixteen-bar blues | ![]() |
3 | Major | |
Stomp progression | ![]() |
6 | Major | |
Twelve-bar blues | ![]() |
3 | Major | |
I−vi−ii−V | ![]() |
4 | Major | |
♭VII–V7 cadence | ![]() ![]() |
2–3 | Mix. | |
V–IV–I turnaround | ![]() |
3 | Major | |
I–♭VII–♭VI–♭VII | ![]() |
3 | Minor | |
IV△7–V7–iii7–vi | ![]() |
4 | Major | |
♭VI-♭VII-I | ![]() |
3 | Major |
Further reading
- R., Ken (2012). DOG EAR Tritone Substitution for Jazz Guitar, Amazon Digital Services, Inc., ASIN: B008FRWNIW.