Chord Progressions: Hear 24 of Them Side by Side

Jump straight inPress the triangle to hear it, the name to read it

The axis family

Cadences and endings

Blues and rock

Minor loops and colour

Also in this section

Build your own

The Progression Explorer lets you click a next step, hear it immediately, and assemble your own sequence. Every suggestion comes from what the chord actually does.

The axis family

I, V, vi and IV in any order

The Axis ProgressionThe axis loop ends on IV, so it never closes and can circle forever. Play C G Am F, hear the V land on vi, and try it in any key.
Axis RotationStart the axis loop on the vi and your ear hears minor as home. Play Am F C G against C G Am F and hear the key flip over.
The Sad FourIn I IV iv I a single note drops a half step and the chord tilts into melancholy. Play F, then Fm, and hear the whole mood switch.
The Doo-Wop ProgressionThis loop ends on V, so it pulls itself back to the start every four bars. Play C Am F G and compare that ending with the axis loop.

Cadences and endings

short formulas that close a phrase

Blues and rock

three chords and a hundred years

Minor loops and colour

loops that never quite come home

Also in this section

Keep going

The other sections

Everything on this site sits in one of these, in the order they are meant to be learned.

The building blocks

How music works

In practice