For the most part, popular chord progressions in the Rock genre are basicand up to this point we haven’t played anything more complicated than a 7th chord.

This lesson changes things up a bit…

This lesson is based on a very, very common jazz sequence called the 2-5-1.

There is also a diminished chord at the end of the progression to furn back to the beginning again.

In this style, you’ll almost always find the “2” chord as a minor sound. The “5” chord will always be dominant of some kind and quite often altered in some way.

This means the 5th of the chord or the 9th (possibly both) will be raised or lowered.

I’m demonstrating the progression in three keys that are popular in the Jazz genre and chose to play variations on each of them since there are so many possibilities when you’re dealing with Jazz harmony.

Have fun with this one!

Example 1:

   Am7       D7b9        Gmaj7    G#dim7
E |---------------------------------------|
B |-5----------4-----------3---—----3-----|
G |-5----------5-----------4--------4-----|
D |-5----------4-----------4--------3-----|
A |------------5--------------------------|
E |-5----------------------3--------4-----|

Example 2:

   Gm9         C13       Fmaj7     F#dim7
E |----------------------------------------|
B |-10---------10---------10—--------10----|
G |-10---------9----------9----------8-----|
D |-8----------8----------10---------10----|
A |-10--------------------8----------9-----|
E |------------8---------------------------|

Example 3:

   Cm9       F7b9#5    Bbmaj9          Bdim7
E |-10---------9---------8--------------7----|
B |-8----------7--------—6--------------6----|
G |-8----------8---------7--------------7----|
D |-8----------7---------7--------------6----|
A |------------8-----------------------------|
E |-8--------------------6-------------------|

Want To Learn More …

chord-progression-boxOne of the final stages you’ll go through before beginning to learn songs will be guitar chord progressions designed for practice.

They will provide you with that all important transitional step as you make the move out of learning guitar and into playing your first real song.

It is that simple secret that will transform your playing and it all lies with chord progressions.  We have teamed up together to create the ‘Chord Progression Mastery’.