Common Chord Progression Easy Builder Charts

These charts are based standard scale step number method of assigning Roman Numerals for each step of the Major scale. Given the standard major scale that progression is I, ii, iii, IV, V, vi, vii° where a UPPERCASE letter represents a Major chord, and lowercase letters represent minor chords. The vii° is a diminished minor chord. (ex. C Dm Em F G Am B° would be the chords for a C Major Scale)However, for clarity of reading in the charts below, ALL scale steps are written in UPPERCASE letters. The user needs to remember that the ii, iii, and vi steps of the scale are always minor, and the vii° is always diminished minor. So, an chord listed as IIm7 is really a minor chord (iim7)

SECTION 1 INSTRUCTIONS: When you are playing a I, IV, V⁷, I progression, you may play any alternate row in the table instead. (example: instead of I, IV, V⁷, I you may play I, IVm, V⁷, I as seen in row 2)

_{NOTE: A couple of the entries have a line through them... I don't remember where I got this original listing, but a friend of mine went through the list and marked the progressions he said were wrong. While I tend to agree with him, I left them here so you could make your own decision.}

SECTION 1: CHORD SUBSTITUTIONS: (I, IV, V^7, I progression)
I	IV	V^7	I
	IVm
	IVm^7
	IV^7
	IIm^6
	IIm ^7 (see SECTION 2 below)	V^7
	II
	II^7
	IIm^7 – IV
	IIm^7 – IV^7
	IV – IIm^7
	IV – II^7
	II^7 – IV
	II^7 – IV^7
	IV – IVm
	IV – IVm^6
	IV – VIm^6
	IV – VIm^7
	IV – VI^7
	VIm – IV
	VI^7 – IV
	VI^7 – IIm
	VIm – IV
	VIm^7 – IV
	VI^7 – IV
	VII^7
	bVII^7
	bVI^7
	bVIm^7
	I^7
	#I^7
	II^7
	II^7b5
	bII^7	II^7 – bIII^7	IIIm^9
	I^7 – IV
	Im^7 – IV^7
	bV^7 – IV
	bV^7 – IV^7
	III^7 – VI^7	II^7 – V^7
	IIIm^7 – IV
	IIIm^7 – IVm
	II^7 – III^7 – IV
		bII^7
		bVII^7
		bV^7
		bVI^7
		VII^7
			VIm^7 – I
			IIIm^9 – I

SECTION 2 INSTRUCTIONS: When you are playing a I, IIm, V⁷, I progression, you may play any alternate row in the table instead. (example: instead of I, IIm, V⁷, I you may play I, IV⁶, V⁷, I as seen in row 2)

SECTION 2: CHORD SUBSTITUTIONS: (I, IIm^7, V^7, I progression)
I	IIm^7	V^7	I
	IV^6	V^7
	V^6	VI^7
	VI^6	VII^7
	VII^6	bII^7
	I^6	II^7
	II^6	III^7
	III^6	bV^7
	bIII	IV^7
	#IV(bV)^6	bVI^7
	bVI^6	bVII^7
	bVII^6	I^7
	bII^6	bIII^7
	bVII^7	V^7
	VII^7	bVI^7
	I^7	VI^7
	bII^7	bbVII^7
	II^7	VII^7
	bIII^7	I^7
	III^7	bII^7
	IV^7	II^7
	bV^7	bIII^7
	V^7	III^7
	bVI^7	IV^7
	VI^7	bV^7

SECTION 3 INSTRUCTIONS: This chart shows the Most Often, Sometimes, and Less Often chord to chord changes within a musical phrase. By starting on any row and playing the chord step indicated in the scale you have chosen, you may choose any chord in that row to play next. You then move to the row with the same number as the chord you just played to and choose a new chord on that row. You may do this for as long as you like or end playing whenever you like... sometimes the easiest way to end a chord phrase is to go back to the I chord and stop Remember that the II, II, VI, and VII chords should really be minor variants as in ii, iii, vi, vii° as stated at the top of this lesson sheet.

SECTION 3: COMMON CHORD PROGRESSION FORMULAS
When on this Chord Step:	It is Most Often Followed By:	It is Sometimes Followed By:	It is Less Often Followed By:
I	IV ^or V	VI	II ^or III
II	V	VI	I ^or III ^or IV
III	VI	IV	II ^or V
IV	V	I ^or II	III ^or VI
V	I	VI ^or IV	III ^or II
VI	II ^or V	III ^or IV	I
VII	III	I

SECTION 4 INSTRUCTIONS: This chart shows the order of the intervals when playing all the chords within the same octave.

SECTION 4: INVERSIONS WITHIN 1 OCTAVE (C to C)

I^7

IV^7

bVII^7

bIII^7

bVI^7

bII^7

bV^7

VII^7

III^7

VI^7

II^7

V^7

I^7

C7

F7

Bb7

Eb7

Ab7

Db7

F#7

B7

E7

A7

D7

G7

C7

1,3,5,b7

5,b7,1,3

3,5,b7,1

b7,1,3,5

3,5,b7,1

1,3,5,b7

5,b7,1,3

3,5,b7,1

b7,1,3,5

3,5,b7,1

b7,1,3,5

5,b7,1,3

1,3,5,b7