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Courses/Stage 4

Chord Families and Common Progressions

Advanced9 minConquer F, read tab, and just-enough theory

Get to know the “chord family” and a few all-purpose progressions, then add a little flavor to your accompaniment with seventh chords.

Video lessons are in production — follow the notes and practice checklist below and you'll learn it just fine.
Stage 4 · Barre Chords & Music Basics6 lessons

You're on lesson 5 / 6 in this stage

Show all 6 lessons
  1. Conquering the Big Barre: F10 min
  2. How the Barre Works: One Shape, the Whole Fretboard9 min
  3. Reading Tab and Rhythm Notation8 min
  4. Just Enough Theory9 min
  5. Chord Families and Common Progressions9 min
  6. Color Chords That Sound Great and Are Easy to Play9 min

Scale degrees and the chord family

Every key has a set of chords that “naturally sound good” together. Take the key of C: 1=C, 2=Dm, 3=Em, 4=F, 5=G, 6=Am. They're the “family members” of C, and the vast majority of songs in C just circle through these.

A few all-purpose progressions

1–5–6–4 (C–G–Am–F), 6–4–1–5 (Am–F–C–G), 1–6–4–5 (C–Am–F–G)… these progressions hold up a huge number of pop songs. Get them under your fingers and the songs you can back suddenly multiply.

Adding color with seventh chords

Putting a seventh chord on the “dominant” (the 5th degree) creates a strong pull to “go home” — for example, in the key of C, swap G for G7. E7, A7, and D7 are a few common open seventh chords, and their fingerings are close to the matching major triads.

  • 💡 Try swapping one chord in a progression you know for its seventh chord, and listen to the difference.

Chords in this lesson

Tap the 🔊 under each diagram to match every chord's sound to its shape.

321
21
✕23
✕✕312
⏱️ Cycle this lesson's chords to a beatPractice switching without stopping (one-minute changes) — first learn each chord by ear and shape, then drill clean changes between them.Expand

Switch back and forth between this lesson's chords to the beat below.

Tap “Start” to play along with the beat
G7E7A7D7
Speed80 BPM
Time

One bar of count-in first, then the chord changes automatically each bar. Get it smooth slowly, then speed up bit by bit.

Want to count how many changes you can do in 60 seconds? Head to the one-minute changes drill.

Go play these

Songs that fit this lesson's technique and chords — pick one and practice in the library:

See all songs →
Open the metronomePlay the C–G–Am–F progression (subbing Fmaj7 for F is fine).→

Practice checklist

  • Play through the all-purpose C–G–Am–F progression.
  • Swap the G in the progression for G7, and feel that “pulled back home” sensation.