How to Write Chord Progressions in a Major Key

If you're ready to make the leap to writing your own music, the easiest progression you can write is in a major key. Though it may sound somewhat simplistic, it will be evident which chords belong and which don't just by playing it through. Here's a brief tutorial on writing a progression in a major key.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Basic music education
• Multi-tonal instrument (stringed)

1. Know that the majority of songs fall into a similar pattern of chord progression. Western music is based on the major (and minor) scale and tertian harmony. Within each scale there are 7 notes. Each of these notes represents a root of a chord that is given both a name and a numeric value. The capitalization of the numeric value is based on whether the chord that fits in the scale based on the particular note is major, minor or diminished.

2. Names Values:
   tonic I
   supertonic ii
   mediant iii
   subdominant IV
   dominant V
   submediant vi
   leading tone vii dim

3. 
   Chord progression

   We have learned over the past few hundred years what progression sounds good to the Western ear. The image shows the basic layout of chord progressions.

4. To start writing a song, choose a key. The tonic for that key (i.e. the note "C" in the key of "C") will be your first chord.

5. From tonic you can go to any chord, but chords with capitalized roman numerals are stronger chords. Many songs are based solely on the three chords I, IV and V. However, this gets a little boring. Play around with progressions. See what sounds good to you. Use the chart.

6. Bridges are often built on the V of V. For instance in the key of C your V chord is G major. The V chord of the key of G is D major (the D chord in the key of C is minor), so you may have to use some notes outside of the key to accommodate bridges. If you do this, return to the V of the original key to end the bridge and immediately go into the I chord to reacclimate your listeners' ears.

7. End your song with the cadence V - I. This is the best way to show finality. IV - V - I is just as strong and lets the listener know the end is coming.