Assignment #10: Chord Progression I V vi IV

Chord Progressions:

• A chord progression is a series of chords used in a song.

• Remember a chord is usually three notes played at the same time (Root, third, fifth).

• A lot of pop songs use the four chords in the same order.

• A common chord progression is I V vi IV.

• A chord gets its name from whatever note is its root note.

• A C chord has C as its root.

• As we move up scale we count in roman numerals.

• Uppercase means major.

• Lowercase means minor (m) with a flattened third.

Further Examples:

• 73 Songs You Can Play With The Same Four Chords

• List of songs containing the I–V–vi–IV progression

How to Play Root-Position Chords of C Major

• “What do you notice about the shape of this chord? What is the pattern?”

• Notice how there is one white in between the notes of the chord.

• You can see that the pattern stays the same with one white key in between each note of the chord.

• We can move this shape around the keyboard.

• The G chord would be the same shape with G in the root. Same for F.

• For D, E, and A, the chords produced are minor chords but can still be used for any chord progression in C.

Diminished Chords

• The chord with B in the root, creates a diminished chord, which means that the third note of the scale is flattened, like a minor, and the fifth note is flattened.