Writing Amazing Chord Progressions

In this short series, we’re putting together a few quick songwriting tips. This one’s on writing better chord progressions.

How to write an amazing chord progression

1. Keep it simple.

2. Check out the classics: a lot of the Great American Songbook writers wrote songs all day, every day, and they learned some interesting things about how chords and melodies can work together.

3. buy simple chord books to learn new chords: the more you know, the more expansive your musical vocabulary.

4. don't get too crazy too soon-doing something very simple and interesting is often harder to do well than something more complex and flashy. You don’t need to use every chord all at once, all the time.

5. try adding unexpected notes into traditional chords, to mix things up.

I like 6th chords, personally, for this, because these types of chords still sound like their “vanilla” versions, but with a little extra interest.

6th chords are very flexible; you can often throw a 6th in just about anywhere and it will probably work, and spice things up a little.

Here’s how they work: the chord C6 is made using the notes C E G A, which can be used in most places you’d use either C major (C E G), or A minor (A C E).

See how C major, C6, and A minor all contain similar notes that are arranged in slightly different orders? Use that; a great chord progression will often include lots of shared notes between the different chords, with simple pivot points that allow you to move from chord to chord by changing just one or two notes at a time.

These simple one-note pivot points are what allow a chord progression to move smoothly from start to finish through each chord, without sounding jerky or jarring. Using chords that pivot around just one or two note changes is the musical equivalent of writing a sentence with proper grammar and use of commas, such that the sentence flows smoothly through from start to finish.

Happy chord progression writing!