So far, we’ve looked through a range of different chord types - but how do we know which ones work well together? Although there are no rules for what will sound good, there are some principles underlying chord movement that songwriters may find helpful.
In this video, Adam talks through the following principles:
1) Phrase endings often gravitate towards the primary chords; particularly chords I and V.
2) Changing the harmonic rhythm - the rate at which chords are changed during a phrase - as a song progresses can add interest and variety.
3) Some of the most common chord progressions in popular music are a combination of primary and secondary chords, three-note triads and sevenths. Like the well known progression I- V-vi-IV (or C-G-Am-F).
4) There are many ways of combining the three primary chords to good effect but unless we add some variety, we have something that risks being predictable. Some of the most common chord progressions are a combination of primary and secondary chords, three-note triads and sevenths.
5) A good way to study chord progressions is to download chord charts (sometimes called ‘tabs’) of your favourite songs.
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