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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.
⚠️ 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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