Chord Progressions Chart
Pick a key & a progression · see the Roman numerals become real chords · hear it play
How to play
- Choose a key (top row) and a progression (list). The chart rewrites the Roman numerals as the real chords in that key.
- Tap any chord card to hear that chord on its own. Play runs the whole progression in time and lights each chord as it sounds; press again to stop.
- Each card shows the Roman numeral, the chord name, and its harmonic function (Tonic = home, Subdominant = away, Dominant = tension that wants to resolve).
- Upper-case numerals are major, lower-case are minor, ° is diminished; 7 / m7 / maj7 add a seventh. Vol sets volume.
- Keyboard — Tab to any control or chord, Enter/Space to activate.
A visual and aural guide to theory of harmony, this chord progressions chart translates Roman numerals into actual chords in whatever major key you select. Use your computer keyboard or simply click your mouse around to explore. You’re guided through harmony, function and form all at once.
To begin with, simply click one of the keys along the row of buttons at the top of the page. Each key is a new musical key (e.g., B flat, G, C) and when you click on the key it changes all the chords in the chart to match that musical key. You can then hear the progression sounding in various musical keys.
How to Use the Chord Progression Tool
Underneath this is a menu listing common chord progressions. Click on one of these and it load into the main display area. It immediately displays the chords from that progression. You’ll find popular patterns like the twelve bar blues and pop axis here. As a sequence of cards, this is what’s currently playing out on stage.
We know that dominant chords is tense and tonic chords are ‘home’. Because of this, each card also reveals the harmonic function of the chord alongside its actual name and Roman numeral. It makes it easier to grasp why one chord follow another. Tap on a chord card to play each individual chord. Your browser’s audio engine will generate the sound of the chords as they ring out with the card lighting up momentarily. You can use this to listen to just one harmony in isolation (without having to play through entire sequence).
If you want to listen through all of them simply press the ‘Play’ button down below the widget. This will play the chords one after another at an even pace and highlight each card as it plays. If you want to stop this straight away then just press the button again. Use the slider to the right of the play button to adjust the volume. It will control the master output level for all generated sounds. You may want to turn it up a little to hear things better or down if it’s too loud. The adjustment will apply to all progressions and keys that you choose.
You can explore by clicking with your mouse or using your computer keyboard: You can navigate and trigger all controls using your computer keyboard. Just use the tab key to jump from one control to another (e.g. Use the tab key to jump from one control to another (e.g., chord card, slider, or button), then hit the space bar or enter to click on whatever is currently selected. If you’re mobility impaired or just like to navigate via keyboard, this makes the widget usable for you. Just use the tab key to jump from one control to another (e.g. Chord card, slider, button), then hit space bar or enter to click on whatever is currenty selected. If you’re mobility impaired or just like to navigate via keyboard, this makes the widget usable for you.
In the upper-right corner of the screen, there’s a button that switches the chart into full-screen mode. It’ll enlarge the chart so it completely fills your screen and lets you concentrate on the music (rather than anything else on the page). To exit full-screen mode, simply click the button or press the Escape key. Click the How to play button for a quick reminder of what is included. This brings up a little help panel that summarizes keyboard shortcuts and available functions. The button also lets you hide/show this help whenever you want. Leave it open as you play around with it till the layout becomes familiar.
Next, listen for the colour of the progression as you switch from one major key to another. Listen to how in D the chords are different than E flat but follow the same roman numerals. That’s where you can begin to grasp the key signature and make it stick by ear. In all of these you can hear the use of extended chords as well as more harmonically interesting additions such as sevenths. The cards show suffixes such as m7 or maj7 indicating the quality of that chord. Try listening out for where those tensions resolve back to the tonic as you work your way through the progressions for jazz and blues.
If you want to learn new patterns or even test if you know your theory, then use this tool. Avoid the hassle of looking up chord charts yourself; just select a style and play what you hear right on the spot. Let the visual clues help you understand how harmonies moves around.
Select a key that’s familiar and comfortabley for you. Choose a progression that suits the mood you wish to explore. Press Play (or tap the cards) to hear the harmony come alive. You should of had fun experimenting with music theory.