Guitar Chord Progression Chart

Use your computer keyboard or mouse to browse around this virtual guitar that allows you to try out guitar chords. Press the play button to run through any of the listed progressions at a constant speed or just click on each chord individually to listen to it being played on its own. It’s an easy-to-use interface which lets you experience various chord families and keys playing together without having real guitar handy.

Select one of the following keys (buttons marked C, G, D, A, E) as basis for your piece. All the other elements will shifts to match, enabling you to work within comfortable ranges for your instrument or voice. You can move between keys using the Tab key to navigate and Enter or Space to confirm your choice. The structure of chord relationships remains unchanged but each key have its own harmonic sound.

How to Use the Virtual Guitar Tool

On the line below the key selector is another set of buttons representing popular progressions such as I, IV. V or I, V, vi, IV etc. When you click on one of these buttons, it highlights your selection and becomes the progression for whatever you want to play. The patterns are derived using Roman Numerals which provide information about function of each chord in the selected key. Major chords is upper case numerals, minor chords are lower case numerals.

There’s also a list of cards with a diagram showing which fingers go where on the neck of the guitar. Green dots indicate what fingers to use; cross marks are mute strings while circles above the string lines represent open strings. If it needs to be played further along the neck as a barre chord, a number will appear next to the diagram. This number indicates the first fret where you should of start playing.

Each chord card includes an instant play button that will strum the chord for you, allowing you to listen to each sound on its own and analyze the voicing and texture. You can click through the sequence manually to practice transitioning between shapes at your own pace. A colored border around the active chord indicate what’s playing at all times during the progression.

To make this work you simply press the Play button which will automatically play through each chord on a strumming pattern across the progression. It allows you to hear how songs often move harmonically and rhythmically in real songs. While playing there is a Stop button that lets you stop at any point, the speed remains constant so it can be used as part of your practice.

Adjust playback volume of the audio using the volume slider located in the lower right. The volume is a master gain and will update instantly when dragged. This allows you to fine tune the level to match your needs. You’ll be able to hear it just right, especially if you want to listen quietly while still having it blend well with other sounds around you.

The button below expands the widget to take up the entire display (which is particularly nice on a small device where you might want some extra screen space). It also gets rid of any other bits of the browser that might be distracting, making the chord diagrams bigger and easier to see while in fullscreen mode. Clicking it again restores the display back to how it was within the confines of the web-page layout.

Please help. If you’d like a bit more explanation on how the controls work, or even just a handy cheat sheet on deciphering all the diagrams, toggle open the Help panel. By default it’s collapsed so as not to clutter up the interface, but it’s there any time you might need some extra context.

With this in mind, why not try changing the key while keeping the progression? Does it sound different than before? It can be that the mood shifts between a dark and introspective feeling (in A minor) and one of openness and brightness (C major), even though you are playing the same intervals. The more you experiment with different pairings the better your ear will become at hearing harmonic relationships from one tonal center to another.

Try this with some other progressions, such as ii, V, I and then I, VI, IV, V. What do you hear? In both instances, it’s the movement of the roots that creates the tension and release. This widget is an excellent way to absorb typical song structures prior to using them in your own songwriting or playing.

Remember, use the diagrams to commit to the fingerings on each shape of both barres and open chords. Note how the different variations mute some strings and play other strings open. These charts will help you visualize where things happen on the fretboard. This muscle memory translate straight onto your instrument.

It’s also useful for checking if the chord you have in mind will work over a particular kind of progression. Wanting to write a song? Try out several keys and see what feels comfortable to sing in your range. No need to set up an instrument or audio software, just get instant results and iterate on your idea.

Don’t rush through the features. Spend some time investigating what each one does. As with all of these sounds, there is no right or wrong way to interact with them. They are intended purely to inspire and educate. Feel free to click around until you get a feel for the controls’ effects on the music created.

To hear the magic of harmony in action select a key and hit play. This will adapt for the beginner wishing to learn the basics through to the more experienced player looking to refresh their ideas. Have fun exploring different harmonies that spark your next creative effort.