progressions
12-Bar BluesI-I-I-I-IV-IV-I-I-V-IV-I-VA 12-measure form built from the tonic, subdominant, and dominant chords in a fixed, repeating pattern.50s Progression (I-vi-IV-V)I-vi-IV-VTonic, relative-minor-substitute, subdominant, dominant - the classic doo-wop chord loop.Andalusian Cadence (i-VII-VI-V)i-VII-VI-VA descending four-chord progression - tonic, subtonic, submediant, dominant - moving stepwise down from the minor tonic to its raised-leading-tone dominant.Extended Jazz Turnaroundiii-vi-ii-V-IA longer descending-fifths cycle leading into a ii-V-I, common as an intro or turnaround.Harmonic Minor Cadential Progression (i-iv-V)i-iv-VTonic, subdominant, dominant - the same shape as the major-key primary progression, but the dominant is built from harmonic minor's raised 7th, giving it a major quality and a strong pull back to the minor tonic.Jazz Turnaround (ii-V-I)ii-V-IPredominant, dominant, tonic - the single most common cadential pattern in jazz harmony.Minor Primary Progression (i-iv-v)i-iv-vTonic, subdominant, dominant, all built from the natural minor scale - the minor-key analog of the major key's primary progression, using the natural (unraised) minor dominant.Natural Minor Loop (i-VI-III-VII)i-VI-III-VIITonic, submediant, mediant, subtonic - a descending, all-major-quality-chord loop built entirely from the natural minor scale.Pop Progression (I-V-vi-IV)I-V-vi-IVTonic, dominant, relative-minor-substitute, subdominant - one of the most recognizable chord loops in modern pop.Pop Progression, Alternate Rotation (I-IV-vi-V)I-IV-vi-VTonic, subdominant, relative-minor-substitute, dominant - another common rotation of the same four-chord family as I-V-vi-IV.Pop Progression, Alternate Rotation (vi-IV-I-V)vi-IV-I-VThe same four chords as I-V-vi-IV, started from the vi chord instead - a different emotional starting point on an identical loop.Primary (Cadential) ProgressionI-IV-V-ITonic, subdominant, dominant, tonic - the three primary chords of a key in their most basic cadential order.