Chord Vocabulary Workout

pdfs:

Harmonized Scale Chart

Most Common Open Chords

Sus Chords

Moveable Chords

5 Chord Types

Step I.  choose one of the following chord progressions

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1a. | VI | IImaj | V | I | IV | II | IIImaj sus4 | IIImaj |  (Wild World)

ex: | Am | D  | G | C | F  | Dm | Esus4   | E   |

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1b. (same as Ia, harmonized out to 7ths)

ex: | Am7 | D7 | G7 | Cmaj7 | Fmaj7  | Dm7 | E7sus4 | E7 |

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2a. | VI | II | V | I | IV | VII   | IIImaj sus4 | IIImaj | (I Will Survive)

ex: | Am | Dm | G | C | F  | Bm7b5 | Esus4   | E   |

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2b. (same as 2a, harmonized out to appropriate type of 7th chords)

ex: | Am7 | Dm7 | G7 | Cmaj7 | Fmaj7 | Bm7b5 | E7sus4 | E7 |

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3. | II | V | I | IV | VII | IIImaj | VI | VI |

ex: | Dm | G | C | F  | Bm7b5 | E7 | Am | Am |

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4. | I | VII IIImaj | VI  IImaj | V I | IV | IIIm7b5 VImaj | II V |

ex: | C | Bm7b5 E  | Am D | G C | F  | Em7b5 A | D | Dm G  |

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5.    | I VIx | II V | III VIx | II V |

| I VIx | II V | I | VI IIIx |

| VI bVm7b5 | VII IIIx | bVm7b5 VIIx | VII IIIx |

| VI bVm7b5 | VII IIIx | VI | II V |  (jazz progression)

ex: | Cmaj7 A7 | Dm7 G7 | Em7 A7 | Dm7 G7 |

| Cmaj7 A7 | Dm7 G7 | Cmaj7 | Bm7b5 E7 |

| Am7 F#m7b5 | Bm7b5 E7 | F#m7b5 B7 | Bm7b5 E7 |

| Am7 F#m7b5 | Bm7b5 E7 | Am7 | Dm7 G7 |

Step II. Play your progression in the key of C, as above

Step III.  Play your progression in as many of the 11 other keys as possible.  Here are some tips:

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To transpose your chord progression to a new key, use the “Harmonized Scale Charts” pdf above and write out the chords of your progression in the new key by matching them up with the appropriate roman numerals

ex:  progression 1a above is | VI | IImaj | V | I | IV | II | IIIsus | III |

in the key of G, that would be | Em | A | D | G | C | Am | Bsus | B |

in the key of F, that would be | Dm | G | C | F | Bb | Gm | Asus | A |

in the key of D, that would be | Bm | E | A | D | G | Em | F#sus | F# |

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For open chord players, choose guitar-friendly keys such as G, D, A, E, F, B (in that order).

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For common open chord diagrams, go to “Most Common Open Chords” pdf above

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For sus chord diagrams, go to “Sus Chords” pdf above.  Sus and sus4 chords are the same thing.

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For non-barre chord players, use the “Moveable Chords” pdf to find chords that don’t have an open chord shape such as F# or Cm.

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For half-diminished (m7b5) chord diagrams, go to the 4th set of diagrams in “5 Chord Types” pdf above (the ones marked with the circle with the line through it, which is shorthand for m7b5, or “half-diminished.”)

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For moveable major 7 chord diagrams, go to the 1st set of diagrams in “5 Chord Types” pdf above