5.2 · Progressions

Four chords, three jobs

Four chords cover every job: I rests, vi rests darker, IV leaves home, V pulls back. The rest of this unit runs on these four.

The four chords

Each row plays I, then its chord, so you hear the job against home.

How often each chord shows up

In 292 Billboard hits from 1958 to 1971, I, IV, and V each appeared in about nine songs of ten. vi was in two of five, ii in one of three, iii in one of five, and vii° almost never.

Counted as songs that use the chord at least once, not how often it plays. Newer pop ranks the same way: I, IV, V, and vi lead, then ii, then iii.

Who stands in for whom

Chords that share two notes do the same job. That is why vi rests like I, and why the three chords below can be left out.

Game · Which job?

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Home, then one of the other three chords. Which one?

Listen first. Then answer.

Quiz

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The four chords this unit runs on are…

Score 100% on every quiz and game to complete this lesson. A perfect run sticks: a later miss never undoes it.Home and away →