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Pop, Diatonic, and Blues Progressions

Builds on Cadences

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Certain chord sequences recur across huge swaths of popular music because they set up and resolve tension in satisfying, predictable ways. The pop I-V-vi-IV loop (heard in hundreds of songs) cycles through all three functional roles smoothly. The 12-bar blues compresses I, IV, and V into a repeating 12-measure form that underlies blues, early rock and roll, and much of jazz.

Diatonic progressions stay entirely within one key's seven natural chords; pop/rock progressions are a subset of diatonic writing chosen for how catchy and singable the resulting motion is.

💡 Tip

Try to sing the bass note of each chord as it changes — the bass line of a I-V-vi-IV progression outlines a simple, memorable shape (scale degrees 1-5-6-4) that's often easier to latch onto by ear than the full chords.

⚠️ Common mistake

Assuming a familiar-sounding progression must be in a major key. Many blues and rock progressions use the same I-IV-V chord letters but built on a scale with a lowered 3rd and 7th, giving a fundamentally different color despite similar-looking roman numerals.

📝 Summary

The I-V-vi-IV pop loop and the 12-bar blues are two of the most common chord skeletons in popular music, both built from diatonic tonic/subdominant/dominant chords.

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