Major Chord Progression Chart

This is a really neat way to visualize and listen to common chord progressions within each of the keys. Simply click or tap on the controls below to interact with the onscreen chart, or use your keyboard to move around the chart (if using this on a PC). It’s a useful learning aid for ear training but also handy reference point for theory.

Starting with the row of buttons across the top, pick out your key. Every button are a different major key and when pressed it will change the whole chart to show chords in that key. As a singer you could choose a key which feels comfortabley in your vocal range; as a guitarist maybe try an open chord key like G or C.

How to Use This Tool

Underneath the key selector is listed some common progressions by name. Clicking one of these will load that progression’s structure into main display area. You’ll see at once the chords with their names, the Roman numeral notation, and which function each chord have within the progression. Under the progression’s name is a short description about where this progression commonly appears in music.

As you can see the active progression are represented by a line of cards in the middle. Each card show the roman numeral at the top, the chord name in the middle, and the function label at the bottom. These function labels indicates what role the chord plays. Home is found in tonic chords. Subdominant chords pulls the harmony out of home. Dominant chords are the ones that create tension which needs to resolve to the tonic.

There are two ways to hear the chords here. There’s a Play button that automatically runs through the chords in time. It also highlights relevant card so you can visually track along. Hit the button a second time and it stop where it was. This is handy if you don’t want to manually stop the sequence.

Instead, tapping on one of the chord cards will play just that chord for you. You can then sound out each chord as often as you like or work through a progression slowly from one chord to another. That makes it a useful tool for really hearing what a minor or major chord sounds like in context, as well as a dominant seventh.

Located in the bottom-right corner, this slider controls the overall output volume (it’s especially handy when collaborating and other people wants a quieter playing volume). You can turn the sound up or down, as needed, with good precision.

To enter full-screen mode, simply hit the Fullscreen button. The chart will take up all of your screen space and remove any distractions from other items on the page. If you’re on a bigger monitor or want to project it out so others can see it with you, its great for that as well. To get out of full-screen mode, just hit the same button.

Clicking the How to play button opens up a panel that shows quickly how to understand the music symbols and the interface controls. In this case, it tells us what the symbols mean including those for seventh and diminished chords plus the difference between upper- and lower-case Roman numerals. The panel close if you click the same button again.

All aspects of the widget are controllable from your computer keyboard. Use the Tab key to switch between chord cards, the progression list, and the key selector. Buttons can be activated with the Spacebar or Enter key to play sounds. You will have exact control over the widget without having to reach for your mouse.

Compare this to playing the same progression in other keys. Choose one that you know well, such as the pop axis and work your way through the various keys. What do you notice about the sound changing different than which pitch is now the centre? Doing this will help you ‘get’ the relationship between the function of chords and tonal colour.

To learn specific changes with more clarity, listen through each change in isolation using the chord-by-chord option. Want to practice a tricky progression? Tap the card for each chord and you’ll hear where it leads, resolving to the tonic note. Listen several times over so that you hear the harmonic movement clearly. It reinforces the concept of harmonic motion. Use it as an opportunity to explore the progression to develop your ear.

You’ll get instant audio feedback making the theory tangible on the interface. Choose any key that suits you, then hit Play and listen to how it move. Your curiosity would of been your teacher in this area.