• From: South Wales. UK
  • Registered: 2009-09-28
  • Posts: 56

Topic: Wlbayes explanation of chord progressions.

I have just been reading Wlbays explanations of chord progressions, on the 18th of the 12th, 2009, in this theory forum: http://www.chordie.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=13766

I have been playing guitar for years, and understand groups of chords, and chord progressions, and maybe this all comes from experiance over the years.

I understand as Wlbaye explaned C,F,G,Am,Dm,Em, all compliment each other, and as do lots of other progressions, but C,D,E,F,G,A,B,C,  as 1,11,111,1V,V,V1,V11, V111, has compleatly blown my head away, and for the rest of your explanations, well? I am stumped.

On another page  below wlbayes chord progressions, Guitarpix has put a Key Chord Chart, with numbers 1 to 8 and various chords in order from 1 to 8. I presume in each key these are the chord progressions that compliment each other, in the meantime i will try these on my guitar.

Could somebody try to explain to me in easer terms how I can get my head around this, and make me understand how you arrive at various chord progressions using music theory.

Thanks.

tonynulty's Website

2 Reply by wlbaye (edited by wlbaye 2010-02-03 12:56:49)

  • wlbaye
  • Honoured Member
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  • From: Black Hills So Dak
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 1,284

Re: Wlbayes explanation of chord progressions.

Hey Tony,

I hope Russ will come to my rescue, I have no muscial training and I have been wrong on theory alot. Russ has a great way of explaining things.

alot of songs use a  1  4  5 progression and   and  the 6th is the relative minor

1     2    3   4    5    6  7
G    A   B   C   D   E   F              In the Key of G the  1 chord is G   the   4 chord is C      5th  chord is D   

The 6th chord is E so it would become a Em

I would get a copy of the Circle of fifths and it will help you understand progressions and chords.


There are alot of songs that vary from this but the majority of songs follow this pattern.

The 1, 4 , 5 chords with relative minor

G C D  Em      Key of G

A  D  E  F#m    Key of A

C  F   G   Dm    Key of  C

D  A  G    Bm     Key of D

These are the most common progressions you should learn to start with

Later, Wayne P

wlbaye's Website

  • wlbaye
  • Honoured Member
  • Offline
  • From: Black Hills So Dak
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 1,284

Re: Wlbayes explanation of chord progressions.

Hey Tony,

You can always count on your fingers  like I use to do  my thumb was #1 and  my ring was #4 and the pinky finger was the 5 chord smile

So    Thumb was the #1  G chord , the index was A , the Middle finger B , the ring #4 that is the C  chord, and pinky is 5th D

It worked for me smile

Later, Wayne P

wlbaye's Website

  • From: Georgia
  • Registered: 2007-07-09
  • Posts: 381

Re: Wlbayes explanation of chord progressions.

I've found it easier to learn by key and what chords are in that key instead of a number pattern. It also helps a lot to learn by ear. Playing barre chords is another whole thing for me though. I have trouble combining barres and open chords in a single progression.