Guide · 5 min read
A chord progression is just an order to play chords in. Learn these five sequences and you can play along with a startling number of songs.
Progression 1 · The four-chord song
Play each chord for four slow strums. This one sequence carries an enormous number of pop and folk songs — once it feels natural, you can busk along with the radio.
Five-minute drill: Minute 1–2: G to D only. Minute 3–4: Em to C only. Minute 5: all four, very slowly.
Progression 2 · The gentle one
Em and Cadd9 share fingers, so the change is kinder on a new hand. It sounds wistful and forgiving — perfect for your first fortnight.
Five-minute drill: Hold your third and fourth fingers still on the top two strings and let the rest move around them.
Progression 3 · The sad-happy loop
If F is still a stretch, play the easy three-string version. This progression is the backbone of countless ballads.
Five-minute drill: Swap F for Fmaj7 for a week. Nobody will notice, and your hand will thank you.
Progression 4 · The classic pop turn
The same four chords as above, started somewhere else — proof that order changes the whole mood.
Five-minute drill: One strum per chord, one bar each, at a speed where you never have to stop.
Progression 5 · The three-chord blues
Twelve bars of these three chords is a whole genre. Great for rhythm, great for playing with other people.
Five-minute drill: Count out loud: four bars of A, two of D, two of A, one E, one D, two A.
Every progression above appears in the six-stage course as a five-minute lesson with a play-along.