How to Create Chord Progressions for a Song

A good chord progression supports a song, giving it structure, emotion and character. Creating a chord progression can be very challenging, especially if you're a beginner, but it's not as hard as most folks think. Follow these simple steps to write your own harmonic sequence that's balanced and stylish.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Pick a melodic range for the song. You'll need to know your vocalist or instrumentalist's range before choosing a key signature.

2. Choose the key for your song. First, decide if you want it to be major or minor. Second, pick the key that fits your singer's range.

3. Listen to songs you admire and learn their chords. This is the best way to become familiar with the standard I-IV-V progression that's the backbone of tonal music.

4. Write a basic progression that starts with the key's main major chord and leads to the key's dominant chord. Using the key of C-Major as an example, these would be the C and G major chords. This also works for minor keys, as well.

5. Experiment with the in-between chords. Add your own embellishments to the I-IV-V progression by including augmented, diminished and 7th chords. These give your song its own unique flavor.

6. Use chords like the major-7th (i.e. C-E-G-B) to give your song a jazzy flavor. For a darker tint, throw in a minor-IV (i.e. F-Ab-C) before returning to the tonic chord (the key's main major chord).

Tips & Warnings

• Learn the chord progressions of famous songs by heart before writing your own. Understanding how these tunes work is essential to learning the musical vocabulary of your chosen genre.