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How to Learn Chord Progressions

Chord progressions are the building blocks of every song ever written and at their simplest are not that difficult to learn. For this article, we'll be using the musical home key of C, which can be visualized as all of the white keys on the piano. The most common chord progressions to learn are I-IV-V-I and I-vi-ii-V-I. The aforementioned progressions are used in pop and rock music pretty consistently. The key to learning chord progressions is slow consistent practice with a metronome once you learn the progressions.

Things You'll Need

  • Keyboard or piano
  • Pencil
  • Music staff paper
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Instructions

  1. Chord Progressions: I-IV-V-I and I-vi-ii-V-I

    • 1

      Place your fingers on the C, E and G notes on the keyboard. This is the first chord (known as the I chord) in the I-IV-V-I progression. Play that for four beats slowly, to get it into your hands and ears. Next, place your fingers on the F, A and C notes on the keyboards. This is the IV chord in our progression. Play that in the same way you played your C major chord. Next, place your fingers on the G, B and D notes on the keyboard. This is the V chord in our progression. Play that for four beats, slowly as well. Lastly, move your fingers back to our first chord, built on the notes C, E and G. Practice this progression slowly and with a metronome. (Starting at 60 beats per minute is a good setting to begin with. It will feel ridiculously slow but beginning at this pace will get the chords into your fingers and ears that much faster.)

    • 2

      Place your fingers on the keyboard on the C, E and G notes. This will be the I chord in our I-vi-ii-V-I progression. Play that for four beats, slowly with the metronome. Next put your fingers on the A, C, and E notes. This is the vi chord in our progression. Practice this chord as you've practiced the other ones previously. Put your fingers on the D, F and A notes. This is the ii chord in our progression. Next, find the G, B and D notes to make up the V chord. Now, back to the C, E and G chord, the I chord, that we started with. Move your fingers on the keyboard through this progression with a metronome as well (also starting at 60 beats per minute), speeding it up every five clicks as well. It will be in your ears and fingers quickly.

    • 3

      Lastly, take your pencil and staff paper and write out each progression so you have them for reference. The next step is to move both progressions into various keys, but the key of C is a great place to familiarize yourself with these basic musical progressions.

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